Burrito Bowls: a Secret Recipe Club Reveal

I'm a big fan of the Burrito Bowls at Chipotle Mexican Grill, and in the past I've enjoyed making these at home.  But these bowls rely on fresh ingredients, and you can really only get good tomatoes in the summer and early fall.  The rest of the year, the pico de gallo falls short and I shy away from making this family favorite.

Thanks to the Secret Recipe Club, I've found a way to have my Burrito Bowls any time of year.  How did that happen?  My assignment for April was The Cookaholic Wife's blog.  What a great name--I instantly relate, since I'm a cookaholic myself.  There were plenty of tempting recipes from which to choose (I still want to try the Asian Chicken Noodle Soup) but I settled on the Red Bean, Rice and Meat Burritos.  They looked like a great alternative to the Burrito Bowl recipe I'd worked out last summer.  Here's how I made them:

Burrito Bowls
Printable Recipe

2 cups rice, cooked
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 TBL homemade taco seasoning
3 TBL water
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes, UNdrained
1 can pink beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
olive oil for the pan
tortillas
Cheddar-Jack blend cheese
1 lime
sour cream

After you start the rice, season the browned ground beef with the taco seasoning and water and keep warm.  Warm a little olive oil in a skillet and add onions and peppers.  Cook 5 minutes, then add tomatoes, corn, beans, chili, cumin, garlic and chipotle chili.  Continue cooking until most of the liquid has cooked off and everything is hot.
Serve in bowls or warmed tortillas.  Top with a squeeze of lime juice and a dollop of sour cream (optional).

Things I changed:  In the original recipe, the rice, vegetables, and meat were all mingled before adding them to burritos.  I doubled the rice (we like rice) and cut the meat in half.  I kept the three separate (putting all the vegetables together) to make it easier for family members to customize their own burrito or bowl.  Because I didn't mix the vegetables with the meat, I seasoned them as well.  I only had a red pepper, but red and green would be great.  I used pink beans instead of red, because that's what I had in the pantry.  I'd like to make this again using red beans, and again using black beans--I think it would be amazing with black beans.  And I added a fresh lime on the side so we could flavor the rice with a little lime juice.

Survey SAYS!  This was delicious!  It was easy to customize the meal to personal tastes and to accommodate the vegetarian in our midst.  I ate a big bowlful and was ready for more.  It's a healthy, great-tasting, easy high-protein meal.  Everyone enjoyed it and will be happy to eat it again!  Next time, I'm going to top it off with some fresh cilantro.  Best of all, this was much easier to make (and clean up) than the Chipotle-clone recipe I'd been using.  Since I love the cooking part but not the cleaning part, that was a most welcome development.

This one's a keeper!  And I'll be back to visit Nichole's blog again very soon.

Fiesta Chicken Tacos: Secret Recipe Club

I was afraid I wouldn't have time to find and prepare a new-to-me recipe from a new-to-me blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club. You see, I've been wearing an extra hat these days. In addition to being the Head Chef and Chief Multitasker for my family, with responsibilities including laundry, homemaking, chauffeuring, homework-related nagging and making sure the kids (and their friends) don't play ball in the house, I have also become a Stage Mother.

My younger son, age 9, has been performing in a not-local-enough production of Pippin. Since he's 9, I'm with him at each and every rehearsal and performance, and there have been a lot of rehearsals. It's all worth it, I keep telling myself, as I look at my filthy kitchen floor and wipe my bleary eyes (late-night rehearsals don't sit too well with this early bird.)

I was happy to find this 3-ingredient recipe for Fiesta Salsa Shredded Chicken at my assigned blog, The Yummy Life. When I've got more time, there are a lot more recipes I want to try at this blog, like the Everyday Vinaigrette, Tortilla Cups, and Dulce De Leche Brownie Bites (oh, who am I kidding--I wanted to try almost every recipe on this blog!) But I didn't have a lot of time, so I stuck with this simple--and simply delicious--slow-cooker taco filling recipe.

This reviewer gives the recipe's performance 5 stars!  It's definitely Stage-Mother-Approved, taking only 5 minutes to assemble and about the same amount of time to shred the chicken before serving.  Since it's a slow-cooker recipe, it's perfect for Matinee days.  And it would make a can't-miss Cast Party hit, since my slow cooker has a "warm" setting that would keep this chicken nice and hot until the performance is over and everyone's ready to eat.

Here's how to make it! The full recipe is at Cook and Count.


Don't miss this and all of Monica's other appetizing recipes at The Yummy Life!

Southwestern Chili Mac

This recipe was inspired by Picky Palate's Southwestern Chicken Chili Mac. It looked so delicious, I knew we had to try it.

I changed a few ingredients based on my family's preferences and what we had on hand. I had Pork Carnitas in the freezer and used that for the meat.

SOUTHWESTERN CHILI MAC
Print this recipe!

1/2 lb. small pasta, cooked al dente, drained and rinsed (shells, wagon wheels, elbows or spirals)
2 cups pork carnitas (or other shredded, cooked chicken or pork)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper, finely chopped (any color)
1 TBL minced garlic
1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chilies, mild
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup corn (canned, frozen or fresh)
1/2 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 TBL chili powder
1 TBL cumin
1 tsp dry Ranch salad-dressing mix
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
oil for the pan

In a deep skillet, cook onions and peppers until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add remaining ingredients except cheese.  Stir until well combined and simmer until heated thoroughly.

In the future I will season this differently.

Ro-Tel adds enough spice that I could have done without the chili and cumin. Also, I'd rather use a can of tomato sauce and half a can of water for the liquid rather than chicken broth.

Remember to choose the right pan for the job. It's always better to have a pan that's a little bigger than you need--the pan on the right is the one I used for this recipe and I barely squeezed it all in. Stirring without spilling was a tough job.

This is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken or pork--or pasta that was leftover from another meal. I used half a can each of corn and beans, and froze the rest for next time. (Yes, canned vegetables can be frozen in appropriate containers). We really liked this easy, pantry-friendly dish.

Combo Tacos

Kind of a taco, kind of a burrito...very delicious.

INGREDIENTS
1 can refried beans, heated
1 can Rotel (I used the lime & cilantro flavor)
1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained
1 small onion, chopped fine
10 flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar, Jack or a blend)
1 TBL adobo (if without pepper, add 1/2 tsp pepper)

After browning ground beef, saute the onions in the same pan until slightly caramelized. Return ground beef to pan and add Rotel and adobo. Simmer 10 minutes.
Serve on warmed tortillas with refried beans and cheese.

Takeout You Can Make at Home: Chipotle

Blame it on my college student. He and his friends discovered Chipotle Mexican Grill, where hungry college kids can eat a huge meal for about $8 including a drink. Then he got me hooked on it.

Then I started wondering how I could make it at home. A little Google here, a little help from Top Secret Recipes Unlocked by Todd Wilbur, and a tried-and-true Pork Carnitas recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking got me to something that's pretty darn close. It satisfied two Chipotle-loving college students, plus three more people, and there's enough left over for at least 4 lunches. I'm guessing this recipe would yield 8 servings, probably for the price of 2 meals at the restaurant. (Not everyone likes beans, so I didn't make too many there. Just double the recipe if you need more).

There are a lot of components to this meal and some need to be made ahead. So I'm listing these in the order of prep.

Pork Carnitas (my kids said the spice wasn't right for Chipotle, but if I ever figure out what spices they use in the Carnitas, I'll just sub them in and use this technique.)

CHIPOTLE-STYLE PICO DE GALLO

3 medium plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), diced
1/4 cup finely-chopped red onion
2 TBL jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (I used the ones from a jar)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine and chill for several hours before serving.
(This was so good and so easy to make! It will be great with tortilla chips too.)


CHIPOTLE-STYLE CORN SALSA

2 12-oz bags frozen corn, thawed
2 TBL jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (I used the ones from a jar)
1/4 to 1/3 cup finely-chopped red onion
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
salt to taste

Combine in a large bowl. Serve at room temperature.


CHIPOTLE-STYLE PINTO BEANS
1 can pinto beans with liquid
1 TBL bacon fat
1/4 tsp oregano

Combine in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

CHIPOTLE-STYLE BLACK BEANS

1 can black beans with liquid
2 TBL bacon fat
1/4 cup finely-chopped onion
1 heaping TBL minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
dash liquid smoke

Combine in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.


CHIPOTLE-STYLE CHILANTRO-LIME RICE

In a rice cooker, combine:
3 measures long-grain white rice (my rice measure is less than a cup)
water to correspond with 3 rice measures, depends on the cooker manufacturer --I just fill to the line on the cooker
1 TBL butter

When the rice is cooked, stir in 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro and the juice of one fresh lime.

ADD YOUR OWN TOPPINGS: sour cream, guacamole, Cheddar-Jack cheese

For the record, I got the fresh cilantro from my garden!

Mexican Lasagna

I got this recipe from Tami, and tweaked it a bit.  It's delicious!  A lot of prep work, which is why I avoid making lasagna, but a foil pan means no cleanup afterward.

1 lb lasagna noodles, cooked, drained, rinsed and set aside.
1 lb ground beef
1 medium-sized onion
1/2 can EACH corn and black beans, drained & rinsed (freeze the rest for the next time you make this!)
3 cups shredded "Mexican blend" cheese (not the kind with seasoning added)
1 10-oz tub Philly Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme
16 oz mild salsa
1 8-oz can tomato sauce

While lasagna noodles are cooking, brown the beef and onion together. Drain it and return to the skillet. Stir in the Philly cooking creme until well mixed.

Mix salsa and tomato sauce in a measuring cup with spout (for easy pouring).

Spread some of the salsa mixture on the bottom of a lasagna pan. I used a foil pan set on a cookie sheet to support the bottom of the pan.

Keep in mind, as you add the fillings,
Be careful not to overload the noodles. These are thin layers of all of the fillings. (Thanks for that tip, Tami! I would have had to learn it the hard way if you hadn't mentioned it.)

Layer in this order:
Noodles
Cheese
Meat
Corn & beans
Noodles
Salsa
Meat
Corn & beans
Cheese
Noodles
Salsa
Meat
Corn & beans
Cheese
Noodles
Salsa
Cheese

Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes. After removing from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Pork Carnitas in the Nesco Roaster

The original recipe can be found at A Year of Slow Cooking. I modified the directions to work with a 6-quart Nesco roaster, which can slow-cook, but not quite as slowly as a traditional slow cooker. I also used a different cut of meat than the original recipe called for; I was using what I had in the house.

I'm pleased with the results. This made a lot, and I'll freeze the extra for sometime when I need a quick meal (just reheat and serve in warm tortillas!)

2 pounds boneless pork roast
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (about 1 large lime)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
flour tortillas
sour cream and salsa for toppings

Use a 6 quart Nesco roaster. Preheat to 400. Rub salt and cumin all over the pork, then put the pork into the roaster. Add garlic. Mix the lime juice, orange juice and beef broth. Pour this mixture evenly over the top.

Turn the roaster down to 225 and cook for about 5 to 5 1/2 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork. Remove the meat, leaving the drippings in the roaster. Completely shred the meat and return it to the roaster. Mix it with the drippings, cover, and turn the temperature down to "keep warm" until you're ready to serve it.

Serve on warmed tortillas with desired toppings.

Chicken Fajita Soup (Slow Cooker)

This recipe is my version of Mexican Chicken Soup.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled, cut up (or 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken)
1 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw!)
16-oz jar salsa (medium)
46-oz can V-8 (store brand works)
1 can small red beans, drained (14 oz)
1 can black beans, drained (14 oz)
1 can pinto beans, drained (14 oz)
1 packet fajita seasoning (because I had it in the pantry; I will make my own next time--see below for recipe)
1 tbl chili powder (in addition to what's in the fajita mix)
1/2 small onion, chopped fine

Combine in slow cooker and cook on low 3 to 4 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips and shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.

FAJITA SEASONING
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper

VARIATION:  This is also a great soup to make "meatless."  Just omit the chicken; you can add even more beans if desired.

I shared this recipe at Lynn's Cooking Adventures!  Check out all the great soup recipes you'll find in her link party.