Chicken-Bean Burritos

Contributed by Cindi Bower

In my quest to add more high-fiber, low-fat dishes to our diet, I came across several appealing recipes on a web site called “Everyday Health” (www.everydayhealth.com). My husband and I are approaching senior-citizen age (where has the time gone?) and are finding certain bodily functions are slowing down as time goes by. Plus, my husband gets tired of “the same old things” and wants more variety.

While this recipe is not exactly “Mexican” (burritos are technically Tex-Mex cuisine), I think our Mexican friends here in Guanajuato would eat this dish…provided a healthy amount of fiery-hot peppers were added. If you want more kick in your burritos, add your favorite chili peppers (deseeded, deveined and chopped) to the mix.

The original recipe, Barbecued Chicken Burritos (http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-recipe/barbecued-chicken-burritos.aspx), called for barbecue sauce and sour cream, which I did not have on hand, so I made some adjustments.

Recipe (serves 4):

2 chicken breasts; cooked (remove skin before cooking), removed from the bone and shredded (about 1 ½ cups)

8 ounces tomato sauce

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce or to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup canned beans (black or dark red are highest in phytochemicals), rinsed and thoroughly drained

½ cup corn, frozen and thawed or canned, drained

Romaine lettuce leaves or fresh spinach

8 6-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas (or 4 10-inch tortillas)

1) Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, beans and corn. Stir to combine. Cook until hot, about 4 to 5 minutes.

2) Assemble the burritos by placing a lettuce leaf or several spinach leaves on the tortilla. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas. Roll up as you would a burrito.

3) Slice in half diagonally. Serve with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.

When I asked a friend the best way to get the skin off garlic cloves, she told me to soak the cloves in cold water for 5 minutes or so and the skin will peel right off. However, she told me there was an easier method. She told me to look in the supermarket for garlic cubes. Knorr makes minicubes of dehydrated garlic that are very easy to use. They look like bouillon cubes, but smaller. Fresh garlic can be pricey at certain times of the year, so these minicubes (less than $1 USD for 20 cubes) are an economical alternative.

We had these burritos for lunch today and they were a hit. They’ll definitely be a regular dish in our house. Not only are they tasty, they are very easy to make.

Enjoy!