Would you like a fast and easy recipe that’s so much like the rice you get in a Mexican restaurant you can almost hear the mariachi music? Just add some black or refried beans along with your entrée of the day. You’ll shout “Ole!” as you take another sip of your margarita.

Ingredient list for 2 servings

• ¼ cup onion - chopped
• 1 small green pepper - chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ cup jasmine rice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 plum tomatoes - chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt

• Sauté onion and pepper in medium sauce pan, til tender; stir in rice, chili powder, tomatoes and salt.
• Add 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to boil.
• Lower heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, and rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.

Note: Canned refried beans are made with animal fats and tend to be high in unhealthy cholesterols and saturated fat. However, preparing refried beans from scratch with a small amount of oil (such as olive oil) can keep your beans relatively free from fat and bad cholesterol.