Vegetarian Burritos Recipe

Provides the perfect protein combination....beans and corn. This is a recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant. (I've updated the # of servings...I agree with Longhorm Mama....1 burrito is reasonable serving..thanks for the input) The filling also freezes well. I make a big batch and freeze the filling in ziploc bags and then assemble and bake when needed.

by Ms*Bindy

1½ hours | 15 min prep

SERVES 12

• 5 cups cooked pinto beans (or kidney beans)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups onions, chopped
• 3 medium green peppers, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 cup black olives, chopped
• 1 1/3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• salt
• 12 wheat flour tortillas

Extra toppings

• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Drain the cooked beans and save the liquid.
2. Saute the garlic and onions in oil for several minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Add the peppers and all of the spices and continue to saute until peppers are tender.
4. Cover the vegetables, remove from heat, and set aside.
5. Mash the beans with a potato masher adding enough of the reserved liquid to reach the consistency of mashed potatoes.
6. Mix the mashed beans, vegetables, corn, olives, and cheese. Salt to taste.
7. Preheat oven to 400°F.
8. Place each tortilla flat on the counter.
9. Spoon about 1/2 - 3/4 cup bean mixture onto the tortilla half closest to you.
10. Roll the tortillas from the bottom up, putting pressure on the fililng so that it will be evenly distributed and will reach the open edges of the rolled tortilla.
11. Place the burritos, rolled edge down in an oiled baking pan.
12. Brush will oil, cover with a damp cottom cloth, and bake, tightly covered with foil for 45 minutes.
13. Uncover the pan, remove the cloth, sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bake 5 more minutes.
14. Serve the burritos topped with sour cream.

Cheddar-Jalapeño Quesadilla Salad

This fresh take on the traditional taco salad works well as a vegetarian main course.
Yield

4 servings
Ingredients

* Vinaigrette:
* 1/4 cup Dijon-Lemon Vinaigrette
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
* 1 tablespoon lime juice
*

Quesadillas:
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
* 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
* 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
* Cooking spray
*

Remaining ingredients:
* 6 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
* 2 cups chopped tomato
* 1 cup bottled salsa
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

Preparation

To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 3 ingredients; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

To prepare the quesadillas, drain beans through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon bean liquid; discard remaining liquid. Combine 1/2 cup beans and 1 tablespoon reserved bean liquid in a small bowl; mash with a fork. Reserve remaining beans. Spread bean mixture evenly over 4 tortillas. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese and about 1 tablespoon jalapeño; top with remaining tortillas.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook quesadillas for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the quesadillas from the pan, and cut each into 4 wedges. Combine vinaigrette with lettuce, and toss well. Arrange 1 1/2 cups lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates. For each serving, spoon 3 tablespoons reserved beans over lettuce mixture, and place 1/2 cup tomato over the beans. Top each serving with 1/4 cup salsa, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Serve each with 4 quesadilla wedges.
Nutritional Information

Calories:
389 (29% from fat)
Fat:
12.4g (sat 4.9g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.5g)
Protein:
20.2g
Carbohydrate:
53.9g
Fiber:
8.5g
Cholesterol:
25mg
Iron:
3.9mg
Sodium:
985mg
Calcium:
424mg

Nachos

Ingredients

* Tortilla chips - extra thick - 1 14-oz bag
* Refried beans - 2-3 cups
* Cheddar Cheese - 1/2 lb, grated, about 3 cups
* Pickled jalapeno peppers - 4 peppers, sliced

* Salsa
* Guacamole
* Sour cream
* Cilantro, chopped

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange a layer of tortilla chips along the bottom of a wide, shallow baking pan. It will make things easier if this baking pan also can be used as a serving pan, such as the ceramic platter shown in the photo above. The layer of tortilla chips can be a couple chips thick. Spread the refried beans over the chips (this is why you need extra thick chips, so they don't break when encountering the beans). Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of chips and beans. Sprinkle slices of jalapeño peppers over the cheese. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 5 minutes in a convection oven.

2 Serve with dollops of salsa, sour cream and guacamole, with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.

Serves 8. What is pictured above is a half-recipe.

Vegetarian Tacos

This recipe uses store-bought salsa and taco seasoning to make a super-quick vegetarian taco 1filling from TVP2. The TVP has a texture similar to shredded chicken when cooked. Wrap in a flour tortilla or stuff in a hard shell with lettuce, tomatoes and beans.


* 2 cups TVP
* 2 cups water
* 2 tbsp soy sauce
* 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
* 1 package taco seasoning
* 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
* 1/4 cup salsa
* flour tortillas or taco shells

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat the water over medium heat, and add the TVP, stirring well. Allow the TVP4 to reconstitute for 2-3 minutes.

Add oil and soy sauce, then peppers and taco seasoning, stirring well. Allow to cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in salsa and remove from heat.

Serve wrapped in a flour tortilla or hard taco shells. I like to eat this as is, but you could also add tomatoes, lettuce, beans and sour cream to your tacos.

Spicy Grits Recipe

Ingredients

* 4 cups instant grits
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/3 cup sour cream
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
* 1/3 cup jalapeno peppers, minced (see note below)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook grits according to package instructions
3. Combine cooked grits and all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
4. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes four servings.

Note: You may substitute a small can (4 oz.) green chilis for the jalapeno peppers. Canned chilis come in mild, medium and hot. Use the appropriate can for the degree of heat you want in your final dish. You can also substitute fresh Anaheim peppers for a milder flavor.

Super Nachos

1 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Pinch of salt
1 small can refried beans or bean dip
1 10 or 12-ounce bag corn tortilla chips
1 1/4 pounds Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 large onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 6-ounce can black olives, chopped

Brown the ground beef in a medium skillet. Drain. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt. Set aside for a moment.

Spread a thin layer of refried beans or bean dip over the bottom of a platter or shallow, heat-proof bowl to anchor the first layer of chips.

Then spread a layer of chips over the beans, top with a layer of cheese, ground beef, onion, tomato and olives. Repeat until all the ingredients are used. Or, since this recipe usually makes about 4 layers, you can divide all the toppings into 4 portions for even layering.

Microwave on high until heated through, about 10 minutes, or bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm with sour cream and Guacamole Dip, if desired.

Chicken Fajitas Recipe

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 3 boneless chicken breast halves, cut in thin strips
* 1 medium onion, cut in wedges
* 2 cloves garlic
* 4 mild green or red chile peppers, seeded and sliced
* 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and cut in strips
* 1 green bell pepper, seeded/cut in strips
* 1 zucchini, trimmed, cut in strips
* 8 flour tortilla, warmed
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* guacamole
* 1 bunch green onions, trimmed, sliced

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet; cook the chicken strips over high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until cooked. Drain and serve.

Add the onion, garlic and chile peppers to the oil in the pan and sauté over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and zucchini; cook over high heat for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to have a blackened look around the edges.

Return the chicken to the pan and heat until sizzling hot. Serve right away, with warm tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, sliced green onions, and chopped tomatoes. Serve with hot cooked rice and refried beans, if desired.
Serves 4.