Southwest Black Bean Bowl

Step 1

Cut the lime in half, then squeeze each half over a small bowl using your hands or a citrus juicer until you have 2 tablespoons of juice.

Step 2

Hold the cilantro bunch in one hand and use kitchen scissors to snip the leaves and tender stems into small pieces until you have about 0.25 cup.

Step 3

Use a sharp knife to chop the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks, about 0.5 inch across, discarding the watery center if you prefer.

Step 4

Pour 1.5 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place it on the stove over high heat until large bubbles break the surface, about 3 minutes.

Step 5

Stir the rice into the boiling water, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.

Step 6

Leave the rice undisturbed on low heat for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from heat and let it sit covered for 2 minutes.

Step 7

Fluff the rice with a fork, then pour in the lime juice and stir until the juice is evenly distributed and the rice looks glossy.

Step 8

Fold the cilantro into the rice using a rubber spatula with gentle scooping motions until no green streaks remain visible.

Step 9

Place the black beans and corn in a small skillet over medium-low heat and stir once every 20 seconds until the mixture is warm and steaming, about 2 minutes.

Step 10

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cumin into the bean mixture and stir for 15 seconds until the cumin smell becomes strong and fragrant.

Step 11

Place one corn tortilla directly on the stovetop flame or under the broiler for 10 seconds per side until it turns light brown and becomes flexible.

Step 12

Repeat with the second tortilla, then stack both on a cutting board and slice them into thin strips about 0.5 inch wide.

Step 13

Divide the cilantro-lime rice equally between two bowls, creating a base that covers about half the bowl.

Step 14

Spoon the warm black bean and corn mixture onto one side of each rice base, leaving a small space on the other side.

Step 15

Mound the diced tomatoes in the empty space next to the beans, keeping each ingredient in its own section.

Step 16

Arrange the tortilla strips in a loose pile on top of the bowl, leaning them against the rice and beans.