CHEESY BEAN CHILLI AND RICE

Steps

1. oven to high grill.
2. Combine rice, water and a pinch of salt in a medium pot and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce to lowest heat to cook for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and leave to steam, still covered, for a further 8 minutes. Do not lift lid during cooking.
3. While rice is cooking, heat a drizzle of oil in a large, ovenproof fry-pan on medium-high heat. Cook onion and courgettes for 4 minutes. Add Mexican spice mix to pan and cook for a further 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, black beans, chilli beans, stock and salt to pan and reduce heat to medium-low to cook for 12–15 minutes, until chilli starts to thicken.
5. Sprinkle cheese evenly over chilli and place under grill to cook for 2–3 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden. Alternatively, transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with cheese before grilling.
6. While chilli is cooking, prepare salad. In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of sour cream with sweet chilli sauce (if using) until smooth. Finely shred lettuce and dice tomatoes 1–2cm. Add to bowl with sour cream mixture and toss to combine.
7. spoon ¾ cup cooked rice per person into bowls and top with cheesy bean chilli. Dollop some of the remaining sour cream over cheesy bean chilli (if using) and top with spring onion (if using). Serve salad on the side and a lemon wedge to squeeze over just before eating.