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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Easy Freezer Lunch: Bean Burritos (Magazine Challenge)

So.
This is a recipe that is good on a whole lot of fronts:  it's meatless, easy to pull out of the freezer and reheat, and delicious.  What's not to love?  They're also very versatile, seeing as you can change things to suit your preferences in terms of vegetables and whatnot.  I also find them very filling.  I can put one in my lunch bag in the morning, and it's defrosted by the time I'm ready for lunch. 
The one thing that I'm not very good at is burrito rolling, but my technique is improving. This video from Martha Stewart will take you through the steps.  It's actually the same recipe (more or less) that you'll find here.  Please come back and see what I did too!
I present to you now from the November 2005 issue of Everyday Food Bean Burritos:


Ingredients:
1-1/2 c cooked rice
2 Tbsp oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 jalapeno chiles chopped, ribs and seeds removed
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3 cans (or 6 cups) pinto beans
10 oz. frozen corn
6 green onions, thinly sliced
8 large whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Method:
1.  Heat oil in a large pan.  Add onions, chiles, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until golden.  Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
2.  Add beans (drain and rinse if using canned.  I cook my own in the crock pot using the method found on Budget Bytes), 1-1/2 c water and bring to a boil, letting simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add corn and green onions.  Remove from heat.
3.  Heat tortillas, and begin to assemble.  On one side, place 1/4 c rice, 3/4 c beans and 1/4 c cheese.  Fold the sides in and roll, starting with the side with the filling in it.  Place on a baking sheet, seam side down and assemble the remaining burritos.
4.  Serve with sour cream and salsa, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat from frozen:  In the microwave, unwrap from plastic wrap and place on a microwave-safe plate.  Cover and heat 4-5 minutes until hot.
In the oven, unwrap from plastic and wrap in foil.  Reheat in 400F oven for 35 minutes, or until hot.
From Everyday Food, Novemebr 2005

I know this seems labour intensive.  It's not as bad as it sounds.  I would totally recommend cooking your own beans.  I set the pot and go watch a day full of football.  No sodium and fresh.  I bag and freeze them in 2 c servings, which is 1 can. 
Finished filling, ready for assembly.
The thing I learned that scant cups were better than heaping cups.  Easier for rolling.  Just missing one thing...
Cheese!
As you can see, my technique improved.  But the one on the left was equally as tasty in the eating.  A little sour cream and salsa for dipping, and you're good to go!

2 comments:

  1. Those look good. I need to do better about freezer-filling in the future. It will keep us out of the drive-thru. :P

    ReplyDelete