Chipotle Black Bean Burritos
Football season is here! It’s been 27 consecutive years of watching at least one of our three boys play football. Normally I’m a bundle of excitement for the anticipation, the traveling, the pregame festivities, the games themselves watching our boys live out their dreams on various fields across our community and for the last ten years, across the country.
It all ended this year. We don’t have a single boy playing football this fall. And we’re sad, but also super grateful for the experiences we enjoyed. Football has been so good for our family for many reasons which I won’t go into here, but suffice it to say that lessons that often take a lifetime to learn were internalized in a relatively short period of time. Our boys are better men for football. They know the value of hard work to achieve a meaningful goal and they’re terrific team players. They are navigating life beyond football just fine. (My oldest recently announced that our three year old grandson will play flag football this year, so I guess the next generation picks up where the previous one left off.)
I love to tailgate, even now as I watch my favorite college or pro games at home. I’m always looking for something awesome to serve. I love these amazing burritos with their super intense black bean filling loaded with spicy chipotle, cumin and Sriracha sauce. I start by sauteing red bell peppers, onions and garlic and then add in canned tomatoes with green chilies, black beans, olives, corn, fresh cilantro and brown rice to create a fabulous meatless filling. No one will even miss the meat for all the layers of flavors.
Protein is always an important component to every meal. Rest assured; in this dish the protein is found in all the plants: the black beans, the corn, the tortillas, the brown rice. Eating plant based is a very healthy way to eat. But if you add meat fit it into just 1/4 of your plate. Then readjust the rest of your plate to include plants (grains, vegetables, fruits). You set yourself up for the most effective way to prevent chronic disease. Check out my Daily Plate Guide below to see what I’m talking about.
I’ve been experimenting with different types of tortilla wraps. I really like these La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Whole Wheat tortillas. The added oat fiber (which is not counted in the total carb count because all fiber is not absorbed and which renders the tortilla low in total carb) makes them a little more chewy, but in a good way. Plus they are soft and pliable, important for rolling burritos. We all can use more fiber!
I fill the tortilla with about a 1/2 cup of filling and top with Mexican cheese, avocado and a little sour cream if you want to use it (which I recommend since the filling is definitely on the spicy side!). Cut them in half, serve with cut veggies/fruit and chips and salsa, and you’ve got yourself a simple tailgating meal with all the finger foods for easy game watching!
Here’s to a new football season with all the hopes and dreams every player wishes for. This year it just won’t be my boys’ hopes and dreams.
- Chipotle Black Bean Burritos
- 1 Tbsp avocado or grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (10-ounce) can tomato and green chilies
- 1-2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup frozen or canned corn
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 8-10 whole grain tortillas
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- Heat oil in a large skillet placed over medium heat; add onions and bell peppers. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Stir in black beans, tomatoes, Sriracha, cumin, chipotle chili powder and salt. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn, olives and cilantro; cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of the black bean mixture onto each tortilla. Top with about 1 Tbsp cheese. Tuck in edges and roll up each tortilla to seal.
- Wrap each tortilla in aluminum foil and keep warm until ready to serve. *Or can be made ahead and kept in refrigerator for up to one week. When ready to serve, heat in hot oven until heated through.
- Serve with diced avocado and sour cream.