anyone make burritos? [General]
Aug 18
yup... " just whip up some stuff for the middle, wrap in a flat bread, then bake".
I like beef and cheese burritos (no rice in mine!) that I can freeze and haul out in the dead of winter and zap in the microwave. Add a little salad and/or guacamole and/or salsa and I'm right back at that little Taqueria Truck I found in southern California. Oh Yaa !!
My chili recipe is not far from from my burrito recipe. No carrots or corn, just green peppers and onion. See ---> www.ottawafoodies.com <---
Now that I have access to my buddies Bradley Smoker, I'm going to try smoking beef shoulder (blade or pot) roasts for the meat. I never use ground beef anymore, for my chili and burrito's, anyhow.
I take the chili-like filling add a nice grated medium cheddar cheese then wrap it up in a quality flour tortilla (not oooie-gooie Dempster ones.... yuuchhh). Then they're off to the freezer (and some I can bake in the oven for immediate enjoyment).
Like many 'Classic Dishes' ....there are never two the same preparations. It comes down to what region you are from , what ingredients are available, what are your personal tastes etc etc.
Aug 18
I used to make uber-simple style "burritos" and freeze 'em for a quick snack. _ I would just take canned refried beans and grated cheese and roll it up in a tortilla - then freeze. To use, I would throw the frozen "burritos" in a greased baking dish, dump some salsa (my fave PC brand corn and black bean) and cheese on top, and bake 'em until they were all bubbly and gooey.
Aug 18
Zym - I second F-i-H's suggestion, the canned refried beans are an easy cheat and they work really well. Also, for chicken, just roast a chicken and shred the hell out of the meat and use it to stuff the burrito. I add chipotle hot sauce into the shredded meat to give it some kick and smoky flavour. To achieve a crispy, non-soggy burrito, take your rolled burrito and toss it into a lightly greased pan until the tortilla browns a little. It's just way too easy, I never buy storebought anymore.
Oh and if you roast your chicken yourself - use Goya brand adobo seasoning to season the skin & meat...
Oh and if you roast your chicken yourself - use Goya brand adobo seasoning to season the skin & meat...
Aug 18
Food is hot and Chimichimi do you have a favourite brand of refried beans? I have only tried the Old El Paso brand and my review of them could be summed up in one word - BLECK! I visited an aunt and uncle in Arizona a few years ago and sampled some authentic refried beans (at least more authentic than Ottawa) and the Old El Paso ones were very dried out in comparison...
Aug 18
Hey Pasta Lover: Ok I'm not F is H or Chimichimi but I use Ducal brand from Mexico. Yum Yum !! and they come in pinto bean or black bean style in various sizes.
I get mine from the Latino store next to La Cabana vendor 468 on Merivale Rd (near Carling).
Aug 18
Hey Chimi:
I got a bottle of this Goya Seasoning in my cupboard, that I picked up last fall. Can't remember why I got it ... but now you have suggested a use.... Thanks!!
Aug 18
a friend of mine gave me a recipe for sweet potato burritos. i'm hooked! they are delicious, and i don't feel quite as "heavy" after eating them, as i do after a typical burrito.
just make a mash of about 4 cups sweet potatoes, mix with sauteed garlic and onion, kidney beans (4-6 cups), a bit of water to get the desired texture, soy sauce (about 3 tablespoons) and spices (chili powder, cumin, prepared mustard, cayenne pepper). wrap them up, top with a bit of cheese and throw them in the oven for a few minutes. delicious with sour cream for dipping.
it is a bit labour intensive if you're just looking for a quick fix, but they freeze nicely so you can just make a big batch all at once.
just make a mash of about 4 cups sweet potatoes, mix with sauteed garlic and onion, kidney beans (4-6 cups), a bit of water to get the desired texture, soy sauce (about 3 tablespoons) and spices (chili powder, cumin, prepared mustard, cayenne pepper). wrap them up, top with a bit of cheese and throw them in the oven for a few minutes. delicious with sour cream for dipping.
it is a bit labour intensive if you're just looking for a quick fix, but they freeze nicely so you can just make a big batch all at once.
Aug 18
Funny, kpotato, I was also going to recommend sweet potato burritos. I use this recipe allrecipes.com , adding a can of chopped green chilies to the sweet potato, and subbing black beans for the kidney beans. They freeze perfectly, are super-healthy (with WW tortillas). YUM!
Aug 18
I love burritos. I was in California in April and had the best ones ever from authentic taquerias, to fast food style like Chipotle and Del Taco. I've been pounding my hand on the table forever on this - Ottawa has a serious lack of quick service burrito places! Ahora, Moe's, and Taco Bell. That's it. What's worse is the latter two being fast food.
Anyhow - I either pan fry my tortilla first, or wrap the burrito then pan fry after to make it a little crispy. A lot of places using something similar to a panini press to grill them slightly. I also use the FIH method by baking with salsa and cheese. With burritos you can do no wrong.
Zym another alternative to the No Name pre-made frozen varity is Amy's Kitchen Burritos. They're available in the Loblaw's organic section. The ingredients list reads a little nicer than the No Name variety. Downside is they're expensive ($3ish) so I usually buy a few when they go on sale.
www.amys.com
I can't believe I just wrote that much on burritos...
Anyhow - I either pan fry my tortilla first, or wrap the burrito then pan fry after to make it a little crispy. A lot of places using something similar to a panini press to grill them slightly. I also use the FIH method by baking with salsa and cheese. With burritos you can do no wrong.
Zym another alternative to the No Name pre-made frozen varity is Amy's Kitchen Burritos. They're available in the Loblaw's organic section. The ingredients list reads a little nicer than the No Name variety. Downside is they're expensive ($3ish) so I usually buy a few when they go on sale.
www.amys.com
I can't believe I just wrote that much on burritos...
Aug 18
Monty - with burritos you CAN do wrong, microwaving is a serious offence, resulting in the nasty film of slimy tortilla. Also, subpar refried beans are a big no-no. Also, the use of whole wheat tortillas... just wrong... sorry guys!
Re: a good brand of refried beans - La Costena and Dona Lisa make decent ones as well as Ducal (as Cap'n Caper noted). Of course, you could make your own, it's not hard and I have a good recipe if you want it (I warn you now, it involves a LOT of pork fat).
Re: a good brand of refried beans - La Costena and Dona Lisa make decent ones as well as Ducal (as Cap'n Caper noted). Of course, you could make your own, it's not hard and I have a good recipe if you want it (I warn you now, it involves a LOT of pork fat).
Aug 18
Thanks for the tip on Amy's, but I'm really keen to make my own. I guess that was more the point. I like some of the ideas tossed around already.
HOw easy is it to make my own refried beans?
HOw easy is it to make my own refried beans?
Aug 18
Zym:
1 large can of pinto beans, or mexican red beans (you might see this being used interchangeably), or black beans (or a mix!), drained and rinsed in a colander
1/2 an onion diced
2 tbsp of lard/bacon fat, or canola oil will do... I guess
Adobo seasoning (Goya brand... it's a lifesaver, otherwise, use a mixture of 3 parts salt 1 part ground cumin 1 part ground black pepper 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder and 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro)
I also usually add mexican oregano to the mix, about 1 tsp
1 bottle of beer, or if you have beef or chicken stock that will do
1) melt the lard or oil in a pot over medium heat
2) saute the onions until lightly browned in the fat
3) add the beans & adobo seasoning (to taste, about 1 tsp for me) or about 1 tbsp of my substitute spice mix
4) add a little liquid, maybe 1/4 cup (beer, stock, whatever you've got that isn't just water) and stir throughout, cook the beans until heated through.
Refried beans:
1 recipe of the beans above
1.5-2 cups of broth or beer
1/2 an onion diced
more lard/pig fat, this time, 1/2 a cup worth!!! or use canola oil... if you must.
1) basically cook the fat until it's melted/heat oil in a pot over medium heat
2) add the onion and saute until lightly browned (looking familiar?)
3) add bean recipe
4) mash the beans into the fat and browned onion along with some liquid (potato masher works well here)
5) cook the beans over medium- medium high heat until the mixture dries out a bit, I know this sounds odd... but trust me... season the mix more with adobo or salt to taste.
6) once its reached a drier/thick consistency, remove from heat immediately and cover with a lid, let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and then stir the mixture, and plate it out with some queso fresco & corn chips! yum.
1 large can of pinto beans, or mexican red beans (you might see this being used interchangeably), or black beans (or a mix!), drained and rinsed in a colander
1/2 an onion diced
2 tbsp of lard/bacon fat, or canola oil will do... I guess
Adobo seasoning (Goya brand... it's a lifesaver, otherwise, use a mixture of 3 parts salt 1 part ground cumin 1 part ground black pepper 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder and 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro)
I also usually add mexican oregano to the mix, about 1 tsp
1 bottle of beer, or if you have beef or chicken stock that will do
1) melt the lard or oil in a pot over medium heat
2) saute the onions until lightly browned in the fat
3) add the beans & adobo seasoning (to taste, about 1 tsp for me) or about 1 tbsp of my substitute spice mix
4) add a little liquid, maybe 1/4 cup (beer, stock, whatever you've got that isn't just water) and stir throughout, cook the beans until heated through.
Refried beans:
1 recipe of the beans above
1.5-2 cups of broth or beer
1/2 an onion diced
more lard/pig fat, this time, 1/2 a cup worth!!! or use canola oil... if you must.
1) basically cook the fat until it's melted/heat oil in a pot over medium heat
2) add the onion and saute until lightly browned (looking familiar?)
3) add bean recipe
4) mash the beans into the fat and browned onion along with some liquid (potato masher works well here)
5) cook the beans over medium- medium high heat until the mixture dries out a bit, I know this sounds odd... but trust me... season the mix more with adobo or salt to taste.
6) once its reached a drier/thick consistency, remove from heat immediately and cover with a lid, let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and then stir the mixture, and plate it out with some queso fresco & corn chips! yum.
Aug 18
OK, looks good. I'll figure out a way to use dried beans since I am trying to get away from packaged food (including cans of beans), but I should be able to figure that out. Thanks!
Aug 18
Zym - that's about 2-2.5 cups of dried beans, let them soak overnight and drain & rinse well to eliminate any grit/dirt. I actually prefer the texture and taste of dried beans.
and dried beans cost WAAAAAY less for us cheap (I mean frugal) Scotsman !!
Aug 19
Chimichimi and Captain Caper thanks for the recommendations on canned beans. With all this talk of burritos I am now getting a hankering for one-;)
monty I hear you on the lack of burrito places. I visited an aunt and uncle in Arizona a few years ago and I am convinced you really have to go to the southern US (or Mexico of course!) to get decent Mexican fare. This was around the time Taco Bell opened a franchise in the Rideau Centre which thankfully closed a short time later. Ahora is definitely the place to go for Mexican cuisine and Pancho Villa comes pretty darn close IMO. They have chile rellenos on the menu (yum yum!) and they're close to home-;)
monty I hear you on the lack of burrito places. I visited an aunt and uncle in Arizona a few years ago and I am convinced you really have to go to the southern US (or Mexico of course!) to get decent Mexican fare. This was around the time Taco Bell opened a franchise in the Rideau Centre which thankfully closed a short time later. Ahora is definitely the place to go for Mexican cuisine and Pancho Villa comes pretty darn close IMO. They have chile rellenos on the menu (yum yum!) and they're close to home-;)
zymurgist
Anyone out there have a clue how to DIY? I'm guessing just whip up some stuff for the middle, wrap in a flat bread, then bake?
My wife bakes hers in tinfoil to keep them soft, but I like the way the flat bread gets all hard when you bake them without wrapping in anything.