This dish contains no oil, meat, or fish. The inspiration for this recipe came from a friend who adheres to a heart healthy, fat-free diet. His complaint was that the food that he was preparing lacked flavor. He asked me to see if I could conceive some recipes that would allow him to still follow his diet but taste good. Lipids (oil, meat, or fish) were out of the question.

Ten Whole Wheat Soft Taco Size Tortillas
Five Fresh Roma Tomatoes Diced Into About ½ Inch Cubes
Two Finely Diced Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Divided
Four Minced Garlic Cloves, Divided
Two Tablespoons And 1/3 Cup Of Finely Diced Red Onion, Divided
The Juice Of A Lime
Sea Salt Or Salt Substitute, To Taste (Optional)
One Can (15 Ounces) Of Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained
One Can (14 ½ Ounces) Of Stewed Tomatoes
2/3 Cup Of Water
½ Teaspoon Of Dried Oregano
½ Teaspoon Of Ground Cumin
½ Teaspoon Of Paprika
A Tablespoon Of Chili Powder
1 ½ Cups Of MINUTE Brown Rice, Uncooked

To Make The Pico De Gallo

Combine the diced tomatoes, half of the diced jalapeno peppers, half of the minced garlic, two tablespoons of the diced red onion, and the lime juice in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Taste and add sea salt or salt substitute, to taste (optional). Set the pico de gallo aside.

To Make The Rice With Black Beans

Combine the black beans, the tomatoes, 1/3 cup of the diced red onion, two of the minced garlic cloves, the oregano, the cumin, the paprika, and the chili powder in a large pot with a lid. Stir the mixture well. Put the pot on medium high heat and bring the contents to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer while stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Add the water and stir well. If you want to add sea salt or salt substitute, now would be the time.

Stir in the rice and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Let the rice and bean mixture stand covered for 5 minutes.

Final Assembly

Wrap the tortillas completely in a dampened paper towel. Microwave the tortillas for a minute just to get them warm. Fill the tortillas with the rice and the beans. Top the rice and the beans with the pico de gallo.