Black Beans and Lime Rice with Fresh Cilantro Salsa

Each component of this dish could be served alone as a side dish. Combined into one dish, and you have a complete meal and a hit for pot-lucks. The black beans are seasoned with Mexican spices, the rice with salt, oil and lime and the salsa is made with fresh avocado, tomatoes, cucumber and cilantro. This low calorie meal-in-one is beautiful to look at and tastes so good - you'll reach for more.

Black Beans with Rice and Salsa
Black Bean:
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans of unsalted black beans
1 teaspoon cilantro
¾ teaspoon of garlic salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
Sauté onions in olive oil.  When opaque, add chopped garlic.  Drain two cans of unsalted beans.  Add to onions.  Add cilantro, garlic salt and chili powder.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Lime Rice:
1 cup of short grain white rice
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Rinse rice until water is clear.  Soak rice in cooking water for 15 minutes.  Steam rice.  Then add parsley, lime juice, olive oil and garlic salt.  Adjust seasonings to taste. 

Salsa:
1 English cucumber
2 Haas avocados
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
½ cup chopped white onion
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
1 minced jalapeno (deseeded)
2 cloves minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons lime juice
½ to ¾ teaspoon garlic salt

Chop cucumber, avocados and tomatoes in equal sizes.  Add other ingredients.  Mix.

Assembly:
In a large, shallow serving bowl, place warm rice on the bottom.  Layer on warm beans.  Add cool salsa layer.  (This is an all-in-one dish that is great to take to pot lucks.  You can assemble there.)  Serves 6-8.