Vegetarian Burrito Bar

the goods:

1 c. brown rice

1 3/4 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 (15 oz) can refried beans

flour tortillas

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

romaine lettuce, shredded

salsa

guacamole

In a small pot, bring rice and broth to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (if white rice reduce cooking time to 15 minutes). Remove pan from heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, warm beans and 1/4 c. water over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in the oven at 350 degrees to warm them, about 8-10 minutes.

Let everyone build their own burrito and chow down!

Pulled Pork Tacos

the goods:

2 cups salsa, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat

flour tortillas

cheese
sour cream

shredded lettuce

avocado

In a slow cooker, combine salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and salt. Add pork and turn to coat.

Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Using 2 forks, transfer pork to a bowl and shred, adding cooking liquid to moisten as needed.

Once pork is cooked, add to your tortilla and serve with desired toppings.

Yummy Steak Fajitas

the goods:

1 1/2 lb. flank steak
red pepper
green pepper
onion
tortillas
avocado
queso fresco cheese
Goya Yellow Rice

Marinade:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. grated lime rind
2 1/2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can low-salt beef broth

1. Score steak and combine with 1 1/2 c. marinade in a large plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Combine remaining marinade, red and green peppers, and onions in a plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Then when you are ready to eat, start your grill to cook your meat to your liking. Then in a skillet, cook your veggies to your liking.
3. While veggies are cooking, start your rice. Cook everything until all is cooked. Serve.

These are the tortillas we use when we make fajitas! Yumm-O! These definitely make your fajita experience!

This is the Goya rice we use. We don't have it often, but when I can find it and buy it, the girls LOVE IT!

Brown Rice and Black Bean Burritos with Jicama Salad

the goods:

2 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup brown rice
Salt and ground black pepper
3 Tbls. EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
2 (14 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 large, whole wheat tortillas
1 cup of smoked white cheddar
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
4 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch (about a handful) of cilantro leaves removed from stems

1. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with the stock or water and brown rice. Season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a bubble. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.


2. While rice is cooking, place another pot over medium heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, onion, garlic, jalapeño, salt and ground black pepper. Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cumin and cook about 1 minute then add tomatoes and beans, and heat through, about 2 minutes. Keep warm until the rice is ready.


3. Just before the rice and beans are ready, place a dry skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortillas in the pan until hot and lightly blistered. Transfer finished tortillas to a plate and cover them in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.


4. When everything is ready, lay down the tortillas and divide the cheese evenly between them. Divide the rice and beans between the tortillas as well as the lettuce, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro. Roll up each burrito.

Salad goods:

1 Tbls. honey
Juice of 1 lime
A few dashes hot sauce
1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1. For the salad, whisk together honey, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and ground black pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO. Toss with jicama, red onion, and carrots. Serve on the side with a burrito.

Hot Taco Rice

the goods:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 chicken boullion cube
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips
Rice
Cheddar cheese
Tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Lite sour cream

Start preparing rice as directed on package.

In pan start cooking hamburger. Add onions when hamburger is just about done cooking. Cook until onions are translucent.

Add salsa, tomato sauce, and boullion. Bring to a full boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

When beef mixture is finished, layer in individual bowls the following:
tortilla chips, rice, beef salsa mixture, tomatoes, black olives, and sour cream

Taco Salad

I know that this one is self explanatory, but the whole idea of this blog was to give us more meal ideas to fix for our families, right? So here is another idea. I LOVE mexican food! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! I actually think I'm 1/2 mexican....seriously, I could live off of it. One of our favorite (and easy) things to eat is taco salad. I know everyone does something different but this is ours.

the goods:

1 lb. hamburger

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (you can buy in the spice section at most grocery stores)

Cook hamburger over the stove. Add kidney beans. Cook until beans are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and Tony Chachere's.

Layer the following:

Handful of doritos, slightly crushed

Shredded lettuce

Cooked hamburger and bean mixture

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tomatoes, diced

Onions, chopped

Avocado, chopped

Ranch dressing

Salsa

Sour cream

Enjoy!

Veggie Burritos

the goods:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed

2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 package (10 oz.) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

flour tortillas (10-inch), could also use whole wheat tortillas

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

salsa

lite sour cream, for serving

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add corn, beans, and spinach. Cook until warmed through, 4 to 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper, and set aside.


Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 2 minutes. Place tortillas on a work surface. Spread cheese, then filling, then salsa in a line down the center of each tortilla.

Fold bottom of tortilla up, then each side to tightly roll burrito. Serve with sour cream.

***I was actually a little nervous to try this without any meat. AND I didn't think my girls would eat it either (because of the green). But we made them try the burritos and they both LOVED them! They were really good.