Monday, June 21, 2010

Making the Perfect Burrito!


A burrito is a great idea for a quick, easy, and delicious meal. And, it’s very inexpensive!

Step #1: The ingredients

All the ingredients you need for a homemade burrito are whole-grain tortillas, organic shredded mozzarella cheese, and organic black beans. Guacamole, or sliced avocado, and salsa are optional to add in. I have included great recipes for guacamole and salsa below.

The ingredients sounds simple right? They are! Just be aware of the ingredients in the whole-grain tortillas. It is very important to understand what ingredients are really in the foods we are eating. A great rule to follow: do not eat anything you cannot pronounce! Labels and advertising can be very deceiving. For example, my intern bought whole-grain tortillas thinking they were a great choice for homemade tortillas because they were labeled “Carb Balance” “Heart Healthy” and “A good source of dietary fiber for your healthy lifestyle”. But once we turned the package over and started reading the 30+ chemicals that were actually in the tortillas, she realized that they were not “heart healthy” at all! Whole-grain tortillas should have 5 ingredients, all of which you can pronounce, not 35.

Food is suppose to nourish our bodies, not harm it! The foods we eat contribute not only to the quality of our health, but also to our susceptibility to disorders. While the right foods can be a source of nourishment, the wrong foods can lead to a variety of disorders and problems so it is important to learn how to label read and avoid the wrong foods!

Step #2: Cooking
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Warm the tortilla in a toaster oven then sprinkle it with organic shredded mozzarella cheese
Add the black beans and place the burrito in the oven until the cheese starts to bubble
Take the burrito out, add the guacamole and salsa (optional)
Fold and enjoy!

CITRUS GUACAMOLE
Ingredients
4 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed 
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1-tablespoon pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
Blue corn chips for dipping

Directions
1. In a large bowl, stir together the avocados, lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, cumin, cilantro and salt.
2. Mix in hot pepper sauce if using. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving. Place one of the avocado pits into the bowl to help keep it fresh. 

TOMATO SALSA
Ingredients:
½ can chopped tomatoes (store leftover tomatoes in a container, never leave them in the metal can)
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves chopped (or the equivalent)
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (extra virgin is much healthier than pure olive oil)
3 teaspoons of lime juice
Add a bit of salt and pepper depending on how much you like.
Blue corn chips for dipping

1 comment:

  1. Sounds delish! I love making soft tacos or burritos. So easy, and I use whatever is in the house. I'll sauté greens and throw that in with some brown rice, add a bit of cheese and that's it. Pretty much anything tastes good with some cheese and a tortilla.

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