kitchenplay

it's okay to play with your food

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Bean Freeze

So the two dishes that did make it into the freezer from last week's weekend cooking bonanza were a black bean soup and pinto bean burritos. I just had my first burrito for lunch and it turned out really well. The recipe is from Martha Stewart's website, where you can find a whole slideshow of freezer-friendly recipes.

Disclaimer: I am not a Martha fan. I don't like her smug attitude or her absurd recipe expectations. But she is a good place to get ideas and once in a while she comes through with a solid, realistic recipe (one in which you aren't slaughtering your own cow for beef enchiladas, for instance). Recipe and a link to her site below.

The black bean soup was a variation on my Whiskey Black Bean Soup, since I didn't have any whiskey. But I made sure to include chipotles in adobo to compensate for the loss. I also omitted the fresh bell peppers. Follow the link above to get to the recipe.

They should both last about three months.

Bean Burritos
from Martha Stewart.com

from kp: I opted for brown rice, used hot sauce instead of the jalepeno, and omitted the scallions (lazyness? cheapness?). I wrapped each one individually in plastic wrap (though I'm thinking an extra layer of foil wouldn't be a bad idea.) When heating them up today for lunch, I defrosted them in the microwave for 5 minutes and then stuck them in the toaster over for another 10 minutes or so.

  • 3/4 cup rice (brown or white)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bag frozen corn kernels, (10 ounces)
  • 6 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 8 burrito-size flour tortillas, 10 inches each
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • Salsa and sour cream, optional

Directions

  1. Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  3. Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.
  4. Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.
  5. Assemble: Mound 1/4 cup rice, 3/4 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
  6. Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.

5 comments:

Karl Heideck said...

Wow.

You seem VERY concerned that we might think you like Martha Stewart....

kitchenplay said...

Do YOU want people to associate YOU with Martha "I run down small furry animals in my driveway" Stewart?

Karl Heideck said...

Hey now! She's the great political prisoner of our era!

Anonymous said...

this is totally unrelated - i just saw your response to me on the homemade pasta thread on the kitchn (i'm "fizzwink" over there) and wanted to let you know that you can find my homemade pasta/ravioli recipes on my blog - thursdaynightsmackdown.com.

off to read some more of yours!

kitchenplay said...

Thanks Michelle. I'll definitely check out the smackdown. Hope you're enjoying kitchenplay!