Crispy Bean Burritos

I believe my husband could eat Mexican food daily if he had the option.  Since he’s from Arizona, I know I shouldn’t be surprised.  When we are out running errands and need to stop for a quick bite to eat (and my husband’s lucky) we’ll stop at Chipotle or Qdoba where he almost always orders a burrito.  Since Dan is also health conscious, he will usually substitute any rice option with black or refried beans.

Well, I thought, it should be rather simple to make his favorite burrito at home and be able to make it a bit healthier compared to restaurants.  And no matter how healthy a restaurant is, you can almost always make a healthier version at home by knowing exactly what type (or how much) oil or butter is added to the meat and vegetables, as well as reduce the amount of salt or other additives that may be added to restaurant food.

I’m not sure why I haven’t made these for years since my husband could truly eat them on a daily basis, but better late than never, right?!  (and by the way, we’ve been married less than ten years!)

NUTRITION TIDBITS

You’ll notice in the recipe that once again I am sneaking in whole grains anyway I can (using whole wheat tortillas).  Also, another way to cut back on the unhealthy fats (saturated) and save on some calories is to substitute regular cheese with cheese made with 2% milk.

Now, I will not always recommend low-fat, reduced fat, etc, since it depends on several factors.  Those factors include: the type of fat that is being removed, the type of ingredient that is replacing the fat, whether the recipe needs the fat to cook properly and most importantly if it still tastes good!  But when it comes to dairy products, I will generally suggest choosing low-fat or fat-free products whenever possible.  This is because when fat is taken out of dairy, it’s typically the saturated fat that is removed.  But I would stick with just the low fat (2%) cheese, since fat-free cheese doesn’t melt well and has an acquired taste.

{Time Saver Tip} One tip that’s helpful to me is to chop a few onions and peppers for multiple recipes the day I buy them from the market and store them in a plastic container in the refrigerator.  Therefore, when I’m in a rush to get dinner prepared, that’s one less step I’ll have to do.

To make these simple bean burritos, add the vegetables and black beans to a large skillet and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Next, add the refried beans and green chilies until they are warmed thoroughly.  Fill each tortilla with the bean mixture and cheese and place on a flat griddle.  If you have a nifty griddle pan like the one pictured below, you can use it to make nice “grill” lines on the tortillas.  Of course, any skillet will work.  Just make sure you heat the tortilla long enough for the cheese to melt and the tortilla to obtain a nice crisp texture.

CRISPY BEAN BURRITOS

INGREDIENTS

8 whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can refried beans

½ cup onions, thinly chopped

½ cup pepper (green or red), thinly chopped

1 can (4 oz) green chilies

½ cup corn, canned or frozen

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 ½ cup Mexican cheese (made with 2% milk), shredded

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon black pepper

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, peppers, corn, black beans and spices to skillet and sautéed until vegetables are tender.
3. Add the refried beans and green chilies until warmed thoroughly. Remove from heat.
4. Place about 1/3 cup of the vegetable mix and about 3 tablespoons of cheese to each tortilla. Fold tortillas and place them seam-side down on a griddle pan.  Cook until browned and crispy.
5. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole if desired.

 

NUTRITION INFORMATION (1 burrito without salsa, sour cream or guacamole)

324 Calories, 11 g Fat, 5 g Saturated Fat, 43 g Total Carbohydrates, 7 g Fiber, 15 g Protein

© 2014 Kristy Hegner