Refried Beans and Veggie Burritos

When I started this post, my only mission was to pass on that I've learned how to make refried beans.  But then I thought why not give you a delicious veggie burrito to put them in while we're here?

Thai Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls

This recipe had me at sweet potatoes.  And then I found out about the almond butter and coconut milk and was on my way to the store for the ingredients faster than you can say obsession.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

The story goes like this: one day this recipe turned up in my Pinterest feed, and I pinned it like I've pinned a thousand other recipes. 

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

This is a recipe that brings a smile to my face every time I make it.  It's a lightish version of spinach artichoke dip bundled up into a pasta dish, the perfect thing to make for company or for yourself, and the leftovers are freezer friendly.  Reason enough to smile, but there's more to the story.  The first time I made it was girls' night a few years ago.  My best buddy and I scoured the internet for the perfect dinner, and after much back and forth, settled on this.  We stopped at the store on the way home for frozen spinach and wine and headed to her place.  Dinner came together quickly and kicked back with happy bellies and settled in for the movie of the night.

Beef and Bean Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice

This recipe is a classy version of one of my favorite teenage food crushes.  As a youngster there would usually be a pack of beef and bean burritos lurking in the freezer.  The filling resembled neither beef nor beans, but when loaded up with plenty of cheese and the hottest salsa I could get my hands on, they were fabulous.  The crush continued into adulthood and the poverty row years before I started cooking, when a 10 pack could be had for $2.  And then I grew up, learned to cook, and stopped eating things that only tasted good when buried under cheese. 

Today these are the burritos that you will find tucked away in my freezer.  All about the beef, with an extra hit of creaminess from the beans.  Sitting on top of a bed of cilantro lime rice.

That rice tho.  The first time I made these, I found myself nibbling at the rice and adding some more as a side.  I never make less than twice the amount called for in the original recipe.

Ingredients
Adapted from Cook's Country
Yield: 6 large or 10 medium burritos

• The rice
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 3 cups broth
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• lime juice to taste
• The burritos
• 1 pound ground beef (I used 96% lean)
• 15oz can pinto beans
• 1/2 cup broth
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• The fixings
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese
• flour tortillas
• For six large burritos, 10" 
• For ten smaller burritos, 8"

Method

Start by sauteing the onion in a little olive oil for five minutes while you measure out the seasonings and tomato paste.

Add in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and a dash of salt.  

Cook for about a minute and add the beef.  Stir occasionally while you prep the beans.

Drain and rinse the beans.

Put half of the beans in a blender and puree with the broth.

When the beef is no longer pink, add in the pureed beans.  Cook for a few minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Extract a tablespoon of juice from the lime.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Add in the whole beans, lime juice, and another dash of salt to finish the filling.

For the rice, add the rice, garlic, and broth to the pan and heat to boiling.  Remove the lid and let simmer until the liquid evaporates.

Fluff the rice and stir in the cilantro.  Finish by squeezing the rest of the lime juice over the rice.

Now to finish.  Layer a few spoonfuls of rice and top with the beef filling, in proportion to the size of your tortilla.

Now here at the Birchwood, we're all about leftovers, so the path differs on whether you're eating these now or saving them for later.  If eating now, add a little cheese and salsa to taste.  If you're saving these for later, skip the cheese and salsa and just add them as toppings when you're ready to eat them.

Wrap 'em up.

Toast up on all sides.

To finish, top with more cheese (put under the broiler or microwave to melt), more salsa, sour cream, and add some more rice to the side.

And eat 'er up.

Shepherd's Pie

Continuing from last time when we talked about my love affair with potatoes, I have a soul warming dinner for you tonight.  Before that fateful night in the Irish Pub, I'd never had Shepherd's Pie, and wasn't quite sure what it was. When I saw a plate of tender meat nestled under a cloud of mashed potatoes, it was love at first sight.  Since then, I've tried many recipes, and never met one that I didn't like, but came to love Ellie Krieger's version a little more than all the rest, probably for the extra vegetables.  However, Ellie and I parted ways when it came to the mashed potatoes.  She uses a blend of potatoes and cauliflower, but I stuck with traditional spuds. This is a wonderful thing to take out of the oven on a cold night, and the leftovers are always a welcome thing to pull out of the freezer.

Ingredients
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Yield: 5 servings

• For the pie:
• 1 pound ground beef (I used 96% lean) 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion
• 3 carrots
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup broth
• 1 cup frozen peas

• For mashed potatoes:
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2-4 tablespoons sour cream
• Onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil on medium.  Cover the pot and cook the carrots and onion for eight minutes.

Peel the potatoes and chop into quarters.

Cover the potatoes with cold water, cover, and heat to boiling.  Once the water comes to a boil, uncover and turn the heat down to medium.

Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.

Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook for a few minutes.

Add the beef.

Cook until the meat is browned and the liquid from the mushrooms is mostly evaporated.

Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes.

Add in the broth and bring to a simmer.  At this point, start preheating the oven to 350° F.

Stir in the peas.  The liquid should be mostly cooked off, but if needed drain off the excess.

Meanwhile, check on the potatoes by poking them with a fork.  When they start to fall apart, they are ready.

Drain the spuds.

Mash in the butter, sour cream, onion powder, and salt.  Adjust quantities as needed for taste and mash until creamy.

Now make the magic happen.

Smooth the spuds over the meat.

And tuck it in the oven for 25 minutes.

And eat it up.

Baked Ziti

Once upon a time, a friend gave a dinner party and served a baked pasta dish full of sausage, cheese, and just a little bit of tomato sauce.  It was heavenly, and I sought out my own version.  I started with Muir Glen's baked ziti, which has all of the above plus zucchini, but completely changed the recipe, doubling and halving ingredients until it resembled the meal I was craving.  Unfortunately I never got around to writing down the changes, so I had to reinvent the wheel every time I made it.  One of the side benefits to a food blog is that it has your exact recipe revisions, but not until you get around to posting the recipe.

So better late than never, here is the final draft of my baked ziti recipe.  In addition to being an excellent candidate for dinner, this recipe freezes well and is a frequent player in the lunchbox freezer leftovers rotation.

The final incentive to get this recipe on the blog was the arrival of this monster, which is obviously too much squash for any one recipe to handle.  Half of it went into a batch of lunchbox enchiladas, and the other half joined up with some pasta.

Ingredients
Recipe heavily adapted from Muir Glen
Yield: 8 servings

8 oz pasta
1 lb Italian sausage

½ small onion

2 cloves garlic
2 medium zucchini (or half of a monster zucchini)
8 oz tomato sauce
14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
1½ cups mozzarella/provolone mix, divided
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Method

Begin by slaying the beast.  If you're using an overgrown zucchini, remove the large seeds and plan on a little extra cooking time. 

Chop the onion and the garlic.

Cook the sausage, onion, and garlic on medium until the sausage is cooked.  At this point, start cooking the pasta and preheat the oven to 350°.

Add the zucchini and a pinch of salt.  Cover the pot, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is soft, about five minutes.

Add in the tomatoes and oregano, and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened.

Stir in the pasta.

Stir in a cup of the cheese.  Season with red pepper flakes if desired.

 Transfer to an 8"x8" baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil (or this handy dandy foil-on-one-side-parchment-paper-on-the-other deal so that the cheese doesn't stick) and tuck into the oven for 20 minutes. 

Remove foil and bake uncovered for five more minutes or until the cheese is browned to your liking.

And eat it up.