Chicken Burritos!

Good day yet again!

Alright, I've been at this blogging business for a while now. I still don't know if anyone out there in Internet-land is reading, but that's ok because I started this mostly as a means of killing time at work. Now hopefully the original purpose of "Dude, Cook!" has not been lost on all of you and a few of you have tried your hand(s) at cooking up something delicious. Even better, I'm hoping at least some of you have grown to enjoy it!

Now, ask any semi-accomplished cook and they'll tell you they have at least one 'favourite' recipe that they've invented/adapted. Me, I have a few, but I think I like the following recipe the best because it's so easy, prolific and, I imagine, healthy!

Way back when, I was a pretty domesticated fellow; I lived with my fiancée and she was a pretty darn good cook in her own right. One of her specialities was beef burritos. They were tasty, spicy, and one batch provided lunches for quite some time. Well, some time in 2006 I found myself having a craving for burritos, but for some reason I NEEDED chicken to be the meat. I know, weird.

So, I put together a quick recipe in my mind, confirmed some of the elements using the Internet, and went to town the next night. The results were so much better than I expected.

Since then, I've not made this recipe nearly as much as I should. Especially in this frozen season where nothing is quite as satisfying as this taste-filled, protein-packed, cheese-covered spicy treat. So, with that in mind, I give you my version of the Chicken Burrito:

Chicken Burritos

Ingredients


- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp veg or olive oil
- 1 lb cooked chicken meat, shredded (skinless) - breast or thigh works well
- 1 can black beans, drained (reserve some liquid)
- 1-2 ripe tomato, minced
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 sweet red pepper, finely diced
- ½ cup salsa (use homemade or PC Black Bean and Corn Salsa)
- hot sauce to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 6 large flour tortillas
- ½ cup grated cheddar and/or Monterey Jack (optional)

Preparation

- In large skillet or saucepan, fry garlic in oil
- Add chicken, beans, tomato and spices, ‘mashing’ together with a potato masher into a pasty consistency (use bean liquid if necessary)
- Cook for 10-15 mins.
- Add onion, pepper and salsa; cook for 10-15 more mins., or till water has been cooked out
- Stir in hot sauce and remove from heat; add cilantro once mixture is no longer hot
- Spoon mixture into tortillas and arrange into appropriate shape (this is something that I cannot teach you, I still suck at this part)
- Bake for 10-15 mins. at 350 F
- Top with grated cheddar or Monterey Jack if desired
- Wrap and freeze extra burritos


And that's that! Try it, I bet you'll enjoy it!

Cheers!