Bring It! Burritos

It seems that many people have jumped on the P90X bandwagon. Jared and I were a little late to the game and we still aren't completely committed to the program, but I've read quite a bit about it. Does that count? It has become so popular that even our government is getting into it. (Maybe, Mrs. Obama should incorporate it into her fitness program at the public schools.)Then, on a recent trip to the library, I saw this book by Tony Horton. I swiped it, thinking it was a workout book. Little did I know that it was also chock full of recipes. I love trying new recipes, so guess what? Yep, I've been trying out some of Tony's recipes. Check it out.

Burritos and wraps are just a pure, fun meal. This recipe is full of good flavor, so I think it may be on our menu quite often from now on. Now, I tweaked it just a bit, but didn't stray too far from the recipe. See notes in the recipe below.

Sweet peppers and onion should make for a very cheap meal, if my peppers take off in our garden this summer!

This recipe calls for fire-roasted tomatoes. I didn't have any, so I just used some fresh ones and diced them up. Easy peasy.

Drain and rinse your black beans.

This is where all the great flavor comes from: chili powder, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper.

Get your brown rice cooking first thing because it will take awhile. Don't get that instant crap. It's not good for you. Get the real thing.

While your rice is cooking, stir-fry the veggies.

Throw in the tomatoes and spices.

Cook until vegetables are really soft, but not mushy.

Turn off your burner and add the black beans.

Mix well. I think I could just eat that the way it is. It smells so good. You won't be able to resist a little snitch.

Prepare your burritos. I like to heat the tortillas for about a minute before I start wrapping them. It makes them soft and easier to deal with. Spread cheese all over the tortilla. Then add a scoop of rice.

Then add a scoop of vegetables and any other extras that you'd like.

I actually do a lot of my cooking, for dinner, while the babies are napping. Since I make them ahead of time, I will stick the burritos in a pan. Then about 1/2 an hour before dinner I will stick them in the oven to warm them up a bit and melt the cheese inside. I made 12 burritos out of this recipe. With the leftovers, I wrap each burrito in foil and put them in the freezer. Then, when we feel like having a burrito, we just pull it out of the freezer, unwrap it, and put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. They thaw quite nicely!

Yum! And super healthy, if you follow Tony's recipe. I didn't use vegetarian cheese or whole wheat tortillas, and I did add some sour cream. Everyone loves sour cream, right?

Supreme Vegetarian Burrito

One cup brown rice (I used two)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 green or yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 red onion

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Ground black pepper

1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used fresh and diced them)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed

1 package whole wheat tortillas (I used regular tortillas)

Extras (optional)

Cheese

Avocado

Salsa

Tempeh Bacon

Prepare brown rice according to package directions.

While rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add the bell peppers and onion, and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking about 2 minutes, stirring to incorporate the spices with the vegetables. Stir in tomatoes. Lower heat and cover, cooking for about 5 minutes, until peppers are really soft. Remove from heat. Add the beans to the skillet. 

Assemble burritos. Sprinkle cheese on top of tortilla. Layer with rice and veggies. Then add avocado, salsa, or bacon, if desired. Roll up the tortilla.

Makes 10-12 burritos.