Veggie burrito bowls

My fiancé and I are trying to ‘eat clean’ for a little while – probably just a week, maybe two if we get into the swing of it. Eating clean can mean different things to different people – some people give up all grains, all dairy, etc. We’re taking it to mean only whole grains, nothing containing preservatives or other unpronounceable ingredients, no processed foods (within reason – it may be physically possible for us to churn our own butter, but that’s not going to happen), etc. It’s going well so far (today is Day 3), though I’m missing being able to have Quorn for protein – I don’t eat it anywhere near every day, but it’s an easy evening meal when you don’t have much time.

What I figure is, after a week without processed foods, I’ll be more aware when I begin to eat them again, and although I fully intend to introduce Quorn and some other processed foods back into my diet after this week is up, I might be less willing to reintroduce crisps, chocolate etc. That’s the plan anyway! Who’s taking bets?

Veggie burrito bowls

So this meal comes out of a desire to ‘eat clean’ while still eating good stuff. There’s nothing processed involved – just rice, black beans, cherry tomatoes, peppers… I didn’t even use tinned tomatoes because they contain an ‘acidity regulator’. For all I know, this might be entirely natural and fine to eat, but I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Can you tell I have no idea what I’m doing here?

As you can see, we haven’t given up cheese – but we’re sticking to plain old cheddar (the ingredient list just consists of ‘mature white cheddar cheese’) rather than more processed cheeses like cream cheese or my beloved Boursin.

Veggie burrito bowls

If you’re into clean eating, do you used tinned tomatoes? Do you eat cheese and whole grains, or have you cut them out completely? I’d love any pointers or recipe ideas, and please feel free to tell me what I’ve done wrong (but make sure you’re nice about it or I might cry a bit).

Veggie burrito bowls
Recipe Type: Main meal
Author: Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 100g brown rice
  • 1tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper (I used green, but any colour will do)
  • ~12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1tsp hot chilli powder (adjust as desired!)
  • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained (240g when drained)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 40g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
  1. Boil the brown rice according to the instructions on the packet.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan, and cook the onions, garlic and pepper over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, along with the chilli powder and paprika, and cook for a few more minutes. Squash the tomatoes a little with your spoon to release their juices. Add the black beans, and season to taste.
  3. When the rice is cooked, drain it and add it to the bean mixture. If the mixture seems a little dry, add a dash of water (you might not need it – it will depend on a few things, e.g. how much liquid your tomatoes released).
  4. When the mixture is hot and well combined, serve topped with the grated cheese and fresh coriander – I popped mine in the microwave for about a minute to melt the cheese.