Burritos (Week 4)

BEST burritos in the world. Inspired by Qdoba, which I have loved for years and Nick enjoyed on his visit, Nick and I created a recipe that incorporates my mom's salsa recipe and other various ingredients for a very satisfying meal. This is an easy and relatively cheap meal, and you definitely won't go hungry. At the very least I encourage you to try this salsa recipe out, delicious!


Serves: 6
Prep/Cooking Time: 1 hour


*Note cilantro in America is coriander in England, and green onion is spring onion.


Ingredients for 
Leslie's Salsa:

• 1 15 oz can of shoepeg corn (white) or 1 bag of frozen, rinsed well
• 1  15 oz can black beans, rinsed well
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped finely
• 1 bunch of green onion, chopped
• 1/2 jar of picante' sauce (hot or mild)
• 6 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
• salt to taste
• tabasco to liking

Ingredients for Burritos:

• large burrito flour tortillas
• 4 medium sized chicken breasts, cubed
• taco or fajita packet of seasoning
• queso salsa if desired
• 12 oz (1.5 c) rice, cooked
• a handful of cilantro, chopped finely
• 1  15 oz can black beans, rinsed well
• small tub of sour cream
• shredded cheese, to taste
• salsa made ahead
• guacamole if desired

Directions for burritos:

1. Mix the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate.
2. Cook rice, should take approximately 20 minutes.
3. Cube chicken, place in skillet with olive oil and cook. Add taco or fajita seasoning part way through cooking. Should take approximately 10 minutes. Add queso sauce if desired. (I loved it with queso sauce, it's a bit more tender and spicy)
4. Add chopped cilantro to rice.
5. Alternate damp paper towels and tortillas on a plate (stacked). Microwave 30 seconds to 1 minutes (This makes the tortillas a bit stretchier so they don't break when adding ingredients)
6. Layer the burrito however you like. My method was rice with cilantro first, black beans on top, then chicken, sour cream and guacamole, salsa, and cheese. Enjoy the rest of your salsa with chips.

Burrito Party Time

Wow! This is the meal I have been waiting for. Despite success with every other meal, this is the one that I have not stopped thinking about since leaving the US at the end of September. I never got chance to eat enough Burritos, I am glad I have this recipe now everyone found them to be mind blowing. It was nice to be able to share some of the food I ate in the states with my family in England; it really took me back to Qdoba and Michigan. (it made me miss Lake Michigan). This meal is simple, nutritious (full of all sorts of veg and protein) as well as incredibly fun the eat. The etiquette to eat a Burrito is... enjoy it do not aim to be tidy. It will collapse and fall but the trick is to get stuck in. With such a variety of exciting ingredients, it is near impossible not to attack it savagely anyway. Served with Tortilla chips and some the salsa left over from the filling, this meal is world class. Thanks Sam, Michigan and of course Mexico. 100 Stars!!! (out of 5)

3 full English bellies! This meal was a resounding success as agreed

by all parties. It took a little longer for me to make than Sam, mainly because the recipe asked for certain processes I wasn't altogether sure about, but I took a leap of faith and it paid off. My only real downfall was the absence of breadcrumbs as the ones I mixed with milk turned more into an ice cream texture; odd. I ultimately cooked the meal in the oven for a good forty minutes; the result was beautifully balanced flavours and every element was given adequate time and heat to get a good footing in the overall taste. I would strongly recommend that you make this dish, it's easy, tasty and a crowd pleaser. Serve with a bit of Garlic Bread and season the dish. Top with a bit of parmesan cheese and cheddar. 10 out of 10.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (week 3)

This recipe was a definite success on my end. It took me 1 hr 45 min total for prep and cooking, though it took Nick longer and the recipe suggests 2 hr 45 min total time.


A couple things I changed--I put in 1 T of onion powder instead of onions because I don't like the texture of onions in my meat. Also, though I usually prefer to use fresh garlic cloves, I used half the amount called for and pre-minced garlic because my dad's allergic to it and I cooked for my family.


The meatballs bound nicely and the sauce was good. However I wouldn't mind the sauce a little thicker, but my family thought it was just right. Pureeing it is a nice touch. It served my family of six with leftovers.


One other note: my mom was convinced the meatballs wouldn't cook in the sauce over the stove in 20 minutes, but indeed they were cooked to perfection. There is no need to brown them ahead of time, they will cook in the sauce in 15-25 minutes.


Thank you, Epicurious for a fabulous lunch.


Sauce:

• 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved, tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, peeled, halved through root end
• 1/2 teaspoon (or more) salt

Meatballs:

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French or country-style bread
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 8 ounces ground beef (15% fat)
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 1 cup finely ground (not grated) Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Instructions