Bean and Vegetable Burritos – enthusiastic kitchen

make filling: Heat your largest skillet or skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil, and once oil is hot, add onion, garlic, jalapeño, and bell pepper and cook until ingredients are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin, a small amount of chilli powder and the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute, then add the beans and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste the mixture and add salt; I find I need between 2-3 teaspoons of kosher salt to get the right amount, but adjust to your taste. Add 1 teaspoon chilli powder if needed for desired spiciness. Add the corn and spinach and stir until the spinach wilts and is warm. Taste again for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Remove from heat and squeeze the juice of half the lime over the mixture, then the second half if you like more. Allow to cool slightly while you assemble your burritos.

Assemble your burritos: If your tortillas are stiff out of the box, you can warm them up briefly in a dry skillet or in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften them. If they seem dry, I can lightly spritz them with water before heating.

Arrange the first tortilla on the counter and spoon about 3/4 cup of the filling into the bottom third closest to you. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup jack cheese and 2 tablespoons cotija. (If you want to make some burritos spicier than others, you can shake hot sauce over them at this point.) Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the filling, fold in the sides and roll up, placing cool seam side . down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, filling and cheese.

Right to eat: Do it! but I love to brown it on both sides in a pan to add some texture and make sure the cheese melts. Heat a skillet with a thin coat of oil over medium-high heat and add any burritos you plan to eat. Fry until browned and crispy on both sides and dig in.

To freeze for later: Wrap the burritos individually in foil (preferably for reheating in the oven) or in plastic and pack all the air out in a freezer bag. Burritos will keep in the freezer for a few months, or as long as your freezer will allow, without imparting a “frosty” flavor.

Warm up frozen food in the oven: Heat oven to 375°F. Heat the foil-wrapped burrito for 40 to 50 minutes. To check heat, insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of a burrito and hold for 10 seconds. If the toothpick is warm when removed, the burrito will be too. If not, give him more time.

Warm up frozen food in the microwave: Unwrap the burrito and microwave it for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once in the middle. To check heat, insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of a burrito and hold for 10 seconds. If the toothpick is warm when removed, the burrito will be too. If not, give him more time.

Both methods: For that extra crispy once reheated roast, follow the skillet instructions under “Eat Now” above.

Remarks

Chili powders vary wildly in spiciness, so taste before you start to make sure you aren’t surprised after adding the first 2 teaspoons.

Depending on the size of my tortillas, I sometimes add 1 to 1.5 cups of extra filling. You can use it to make more burritos, or just heat it up with extra cheese and put an egg on top, which I happily did last week.