Chipotle Bean Burritos

As much as I love cooking, I don’t like having to coordinate a bunch of dishes at once or cook multiple nights in a row, so meals that consist of one dish and make lots of leftovers are a favourite around here. And these burritos fit the bill perfectly!

I consider these a fairly healthy version of a burrito with beans instead of meat, some veggies, low-fat sour cream, not too much cheese, and whole wheat tortillas (which taste just as good as regular tortillas in my opinion!).

These also involve fairly minimal effort to make, and make six servings, which meant lots of leftovers for us!  To prepare them, a mixture of black beans and kidney beans gets cooked with some onion, garlic, vegetable broth, spices, chipotle sauce, and salsa to give it lots of flavour. It’s then rolled up with lettuce, tomatoes, mashed avocado, cheese, sour cream, a few pickled jalapenos, and some chipotle hot sauce for a packed and flavour-filled meal-in-one.

We ate these three nights in a row this week and liked them more each time. That may have to do with my getting much better at rolling them with more practice (the last picture was the third night’s burrito which I thought looked much better than the first!)

Ryan commented on how good these are each time too and said they’re way better than beef burritos, and I’d have to agree! (though I don’t like beef anyway, so I’m a little biased)

Chipotle Bean Burritos

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the bean mixture:

1 teaspoon canola or olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 (540mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (540mL) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chunky salsa – Mild or medium depending on your preference.  You could also use a chipotle salsa for more chipotle flavour!

2 teaspoons chipotle chile in adobo

Remaining burrito ingredients:

6 large (10-inch) whole wheat tortillas

2 large or 3 small ripe avocados

~1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (or a blend of cheese)

3 plum tomatoes, diced

1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

~1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, optional

~6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

Chipotle or regular hot sauce, optional

*I get chipotle chile powder at the bulk store.  If you can't find it, you can use a combination of regular chile powder and some cumin for spice.

Directions:

Heat oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute about 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and starting to turn golden brown.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add chile powder and salt and stir to coat for another 30 seconds.  Stir in vegetable broth and beans and bring to a boil.  Let simmer about 7-10 minutes, or until no liquid remains. Remove from heat and stir in salsa and chipotle sauce.  Partially mash mixture.

Warm tortillas up for about 30 seconds in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towel, so they are easier to roll.  To form burritos, spread 1/6 of the bean mixture (so it divides evenly among 6 burritos) onto one half of the tortilla, leaving about a 1-inch border.  Top with avocado, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, and hot sauce (again dividing evenly among 6 burritos).  Roll up the side closest to the filling, then fold in each end, and roll the burrito toward the empty side of the tortilla, wrapping the filling completely.  Others prefer to fold in the sides of the burrito first, then roll up from the bottom.  I've also seen starting with the filling in the middle.  Use whatever method works for you but make sure to roll tightly and keep the filling in!

Serve while filling is still slightly warm.  I like to warm my completed burrito up in the toaster oven for a couple minutes before eating to make sure it's warm throughout.

If you have leftovers, keep everything separate.  Warm bean mixture up in the microwave and then prepare burrito as before.

Pumpkin, Chicken, & Goat Cheese Quesadillas (for Halloween!)

I cannot believe that Halloween is already tomorrow!  October has flown by (like every other month this year) and I barely even thought about Halloween costumes or food ideas until this week.  I have a party to go to tonight and I didn't even decide on a costume until yesterday when I went to the drugstore and chose a few devil accessories from the 40% off Halloween section, so I'm probably going to be the most unoriginal one there.  I haven't had time to come up with Halloween food or dessert ideas either, which is disappointing because Halloween is the perfect excuse to get creative with your food!

I couldn't let the holiday pass without at least one Halloween recipe on my blog though, so I threw these pumpkin quesadillas together the other day - and I loved them!

These quesadillas are filled with a creamy mixture of spiced pumpkin and goat cheese, along with some chicken for protein.  That's it!  Very few ingredients but they surprised me in how good they tasted, plus they were really easy to make.  Carving a pumpkin face in a tortilla is WAY easier than carving an actual pumpkin, and you can throw multiple quesadillas under the broiler to quickly cook them and avoid having all the filling fall out through the holes like they would if you tried to cook them on a skillet.

These are perfect for Halloween night because you can easily prepare them for an early dinner before the kids head out trick or treating.  You could also change up the filling to include whatever you want - I imagine kids would be much happier with a simple cheese-only version!

And if you're looking for more Halloween food ideas (since clearly I am not full of costume ideas), check out my Pinterest board.  Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween tomorrow!

Pumpkin, Chicken, & Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Adapted from recipes seen on Rachel Ray and Recipe Runner

Makes about 5 small quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 smaller) boneless skinless chicken breasts

A pinch each of chili powder, salt, and pepper for seasoning the chicken

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon goat cheese

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper

10 small (6-inch) whole grain tortillas

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Trim chicken breasts of any fat and season on both sides with chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken breasts for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through completely.  Set aside.

Mix pumpkin, goat cheese, cumin, chili powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Taste mixture and adjust any amounts to your liking.  Slice or shred chicken thinly. 

Use a small knife to carve pumpkin faces into 5 of the tortillas - these will be the tops of the quesadillas.  Save the triangles you cut out from the eyes to be the pumpkin stems.  Spread about 1/4 cup of the pumpkin mixture onto each of the 5 bottom tortillas.  Top pumpkin mixture with shredded chicken, followed by the carved tortilla to form 5 complete pumpkin quesadillas. Insert the triangle in between the tortillas near the top, pressing it into the pumpkin mixture, to be the stem.  Press the top tortilla gently onto the bottom tortilla to help them stick together.

Spray baking sheets with non-stick baking spray, carefully transfer quesadillas to baking sheets with carved face up, spray tops lightly with cooking spray, and broil on top rack of oven until warmed through and toasted spots begin to appear on top.  This should only take a few minutes – watch closely.

Transfer quesadillas carefully to plates as they won't stick together as much as regular quesadillas because of the goat cheese.  Serve warm.

Greek Quinoa Wraps with Tzatziki

A couple of months ago, I made these Southwestern quinoa wraps with chipotle yogurt dressing and absolutely loved them – Even better, Ryan (who is usually skeptical of quinoa) loved them, which made them an even bigger success!   

I knew this was something I’d want to repeat often for a healthy, protein-filled lunch, so I started thinking of other versions that I could make to change things up a little.  Since I loved this Greek quinoa with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and feta (which I’ve talked about in my summer quinoa recipe roundup), I decided to use it in a wrap combined with an easy tzatziki sauce.

I already knew the quinoa on its own was delicious, but combined with a cool and creamy yogurt sauce, crisp lettuce, and a whole wheat tortilla wrap, it’s even better – plus its more filling this way, making it a great healthy option for lunch or dinner.

I don’t recommend making the wraps too far ahead of time because the tzatziki could make the wraps soggy, but I found that making a wrap in the morning and eating it for lunch was still fine – just make sure you lay the lettuce down first before the sauce to protect the tortilla from getting soggy!

I hope you all have a great weekend!  I’ll be back on Monday for a great giveaway for my Ontario readers, so be sure to stop back then!  And now that it’s official Fall, I’ll have plenty of fall recipes coming your way soon!

Greek Quinoa Wraps with Tzatziki

Quinoa component adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Makes about 6 wraps

Ingredients:

For the tzatziki:

1 medium English cucumber

1-1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

For the Quinoa:

2 cups water

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

1 cup chopped peeled cucumber

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/4 cup pre-sliced kalamata olives

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Optional: Add red onions for more crunch (I just don't like red onions), or chickpeas for more bulk

For the Wraps:

6 twelve grain or whole wheat tortillas

Romaine lettuce

Tzatziki (above)

Greek quinoa (above)

Directions:

Prepare the tzatziki:

Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Grate the flesh into a strainer, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 20 minutes.  Use your hands or a paper towel to squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the cucumber.

Add the cucumber to the yogurt.  If you have time, you can strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth for a couple of hours first to drain out some of the water and thicken it, but I don’t bother.  Add lemon juice, mix everything together, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the quinoa:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add quinoa, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.  Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl to let cool.

Meanwhile, mix the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and feta together in a medium bowl.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper for the dressing.

Add the cucumber mixture to the quinoa and toss together.  Drizzle the dressing overtop, and mix to coat.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Prepare wraps:

Lay a lettuce leaf in the center of each wrap.  Top with tzatziki sauce and quinoa, wrap, and serve.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas with Peaches and Brie

Happy Labour Day!  As you all probably have much more exciting plans than me today (unless you consider a day of report-writing fun), I'll keep today's post short!

These quesadillas are a twist on one of my favourite easy dishes from last summer, peach and brie quesadillas, making them a little heartier with the addition of chicken and barbeque sauce, inspired by these chipotle peach bbq chicken quesadillas.  I kept them simple using storebought bbq sauce, so they can be thrown together in no time!

I wasn't sure how the barbeque sauce and peaches would work together, but they turned out so good - I think it's hard to go wrong with quesadillas!  The sweetness of the peaches balances out the barbeque sauce, the cilantro adds a fresh bite, and the brie cheese mellows everything out and of course keeps the quesadillas together.  I still love the sweeter peach and brie version, but these are a nice change for a more substantial dinner that's still easy and fun!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas with Peaches and Brie

Inspired by Sunflower Supper Club and adapted from these peach and brie quesadillas

Serves 2-4 (makes 4 quesadillas, which can each be cut into 3 wedges, for 12 wedges)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/4 cup bbq sauce (I used storebought tequila lime bbq sauce)

4 large tortillas (I used whole wheat)

6 oz brie cheese, sliced

2 ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

Combine chicken and barbeque sauce.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired (I season my chicken breasts before cooking).  Divide brie cheese, chicken, peaches, and cilantro among the 4 tortillas, only layering them on half of each tortilla.  Fold the other half of the tortillas over to form half circles.

Heat two large non-stick skillets over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Place two folded quesadillas in each skillet and cook for about 2-4 minutes, until crispy and golden brown on one side, then flip and repeat on other side.  Serve warm.

Note: I've also tried these with monterey jack cheese instead of brie and they were just as good, so feel free to try a different cheese if you don't have any brie!

Easy Cheesy Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

I've mentioned before that I'm trying to include more easy weeknight dinner recipes on my blog, for all those busy working people who don't have time to make things like ravioli or lasagna for their hungry families. These black bean and corn quesadillas are almost too simple to share a recipe for, but because I've made them at least four times in the last few months (and I very rarely repeat recipes that close together), I thought they were worth sharing!

This is the kind of meal you make when you're at the grocery store and realize you have nothing to eat for dinner, but don't have a recipe to consult for ingredients to buy. For this meal, all you have to remember to buy are tortillas, black beans, corn, salsa, and cheese (and chances are you have most of those things at home anyway). And if you're cooking for only 1 or 2 like I usually am, then you won't have to worry about what to buy or eat for the next few days because you'll have a ton of leftovers!

The quesadillas are made by heating a can of black beans with some corn and salsa, then spooning that onto tortillas, topping it with some shredded cheese, and heating them until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese melts to hold everything together. If you want to be a bit fancier, you could add in some cilantro, onions, garlic, or any other ingredients you like, but I find simple is best here. You can also adjust the heat depending on what type of salsa you use - I usually stick to mild but any kind would work!

The end result is a cheesy, comforting meal that both kids and adults would love. They're also reasonably healthy, so I have no guilt about eating them for multiple meals in a row (they reheat pretty well). They are a little messy to make though, as trying to flip them can sometimes cause the filling to fall out, but I have a tendency to overfill my quesadillas, which may be part of the problem. I have a feeling that baking them in the oven instead of on the stove would be much easier, but I haven't tried that yet - if you do, let me know how it works!

And for another easy and delicious quesadilla idea, try my peach and brie quesadillas! Though peaches aren't in season right now, they could easily be replaced with another fruit (I think apples or pears would work well!)

Easy Cheesy Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

Makes about 6 quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 can (2 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn kernels (I use frozen, thawed)
1 cup salsa (I use chunky mild salsa)
12 medium (6-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Extra salsa and sour cream for serving

Directions:

Heat black beans, corn, and salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat until heated through.

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add one tortilla, spoon black bean mixture on top to cover the surface, sprinkle with desired amount of cheese, then top with a second tortilla. Cook 1-2 minutes until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook another minute or two until the other side is golden brown.

Remove from heat and repeat with remaining tortillas, bean mixture, and cheese. Separate cooked quesadillas with foil or parchment paper so they don’t get soggy from laying on top of each other. Slice each quesadilla into four and serve warm with extra salsa and sour cream, if desired.

*Note: All amounts are rough estimates and are adjustable to taste. You may end up using more or less tortillas, depending on the size of the tortillas and how much filling you want in each quesadilla.

Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Peach Salsa

People always say it’s the simplest things in life that give the greatest pleasure, and I think this often applies to food too. Some of my favourite things to eat require barely any cooking skill or time, like a tomato sandwich, peanut butter on toast, or melted cheese on a bagel. These quesadillas are also super simple – they have only 4 ingredients and take about 5 minutes to make (without the salsa), yet they were probably one of my favourite things I ate all summer!

I’m pretty sure melted brie makes anything taste amazing, but it really paired well with the peaches and basil. The original recipe from Cooking Light called for chives but I used basil instead because I’m not a big fan of chives. Feel free to use whatever herb you like though, and to adjust any of the amounts in the filling to your liking. I also left out the brown sugar because my peaches were sweet enough on their own – but make sure the peaches aren’t overly ripe so they don’t make the tortilla soggy.

I decided against adding the lime honey dipping sauce because I didn’t really like the idea of dipping the quesadillas in liquid. Instead, I threw together a quick and tasty peach salsa with lime and basil to tie everything together. The salsa added a really nice bright flavour to the quesadillas, but I also loved just eating them plain for the next couple nights (yes, these were so good that I made them for dinner three nights in a row!)

So if you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner for yourself, the quesadilla is perfect on its own, but if you’re serving these to guests, you might want to dress them up a bit with the salsa. You could even double the salsa recipe to have some extra to serve with chips – I bet it would go really well with some lime flavoured Tostitos!

This is finally my last peach recipe of the season, as the weather seems to be rapidly getting colder and I’m starting to crave warm and comforting meals more! If you missed out on any of my peach recipes over the last month, here’s a reminder!

Breakfast: Peach Blueberry Pancakes with Warm Cinnamon Peach Sauce

Snack: Low Fat Peach Blueberry Muffins

Drink: Peach Mojitos

Dinner: Chicken and Spinach Salad with Peaches and Blueberries

Dessert: Peach Pie Bars

Peach and Brie Quesadillas

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves about 2 as a main course (3 wedges each) or more as an appetizer

Ingredients:

Salsa:

1 peach, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon lime zest

1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Dash of salt

Quesadillas:

2 large (8 or 9-inch) tortillas (I used whole wheat)

2 ripe but firm peaches, peeled and thinly sliced

4 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

Cooking spray

Directions:

Mix all the salsa ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

To make quesadillas, lay the brie slices on one half of each tortilla. Top with sliced peaches and basil, then fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling to make a half circle. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Place quesadilla in pan and cook for 2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, then flip and cook the other side another 2 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with the other quesadilla if they could not fit in the pan together. Slice each quesadilla into 3 wedges and serve warm, topped with the peach salsa.