| Between nudging you on backups and warning you against phishing emails, my weekly messages has been quite heavy lately. This week I’m changing the tone and talking about burritos! Why? Today is National Burrito Day, and Cinco de Mayo is around the corner!
Besides the common complaint of being hard to eat, most everyone I know loves burritos and has a favorite restaurant they go to when the cravings come. How about making them at home? Generally considered a budget friendly fast food, not many care to make a burrito at home – but I’m here to convince you it’s worth it.
When I think of a burrito, first thing that comes to mind is a good tortilla. I prefer Mission Extra Grande Burrito Flour Tortillas. I avoid any spinach or tomato flavored tortillas that could take away the flavors of what goes inside. My next trick with tortillas is heating up the tortilla on a gas stove. Quickly flipping it around and getting those slight burn marks creates a delicious taste. An important tip is to get your stuffing ready before you do this and flip the tortilla fast a few times without overdoing it.
For protein, I use all sorts of random things, including marinated tofu, but my all-time favorite is Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo. It has a great flavor and a slight kick. I like to slice some cremini mushrooms and sauté them together with the soy chorizo and additional spices during the weekend. This mixture makes a great base for a weekend omelet, and the rest goes into the fridge for that burrito during the week. It’s about working smart not hard, right? One important note about spices is to have fun with them! You could buy a burrito spice mix, but experimenting with flavors or going to a local spice shop for inspiration is more fun! Riding on the protein train, let’s talk beans! It’s always best to buy dried beans and soak/cook them with spices yourself, but who has that kind of time? So, I use canned beans. Even though tradition calls for black, I’m a pinto bean fan. No salt added Eden Organic Pinto Beans are my favorite. Washed, strained, and slightly warmed in microwave prior to assembly.
Now that we’ve talked about protein, let’s go over toppings. On the cheese front, my go to is Violife Mexican style shreds. Let’s be honest: you can’t call it a burrito if you stuff it with mozzarella. For onions and tomatoes, I spent a bit of time preparing for added flavor. I deseed the tomatoes before dicing to keep the flavor but lose the watery part that causes a mess while eating. I massage the red onions with sumac and a touch of lemon to boost their flavor. This also helps with the acidity and heartburn that comes with raw onions. Next up, some fresh cilantro, sliced avocados, and touch of lime. Ready to wrap? Not so fast. Drizzling a bit of sauce or cream adds that extra edge. If you want to go all out, Mexican cream is the best; but I have also used chipotle sauce and loved it.
Bona petit!
– Burak Sarac, Team Lead
|
