Wrap It Up, B

This week's Fearless expedition was truly impromptu. Jess and I had just gotten done selling some old clothes at a few resale shops, and, $43 in cash burning a hole in my pocket, we stopped by Whole Foods. Where I spent $43.11. No kidding.



As we wandered the aisles, mezmerized by the bulk flax seeds, soy candles, and googly-eyed trout in the fish case, trying to decide what to make for dinner, Jess exclaimed, "Veggie Burritos!" It sounded perfect. I've been wanting to do a vegetarian post for awhile now, because - despite how it may appear on the blog - I am not, in fact, a raging carnivore. I love vegetarian food (yes, I love tofu), and I often eat meatless meals. So Jess called a friend over for dinner (more on this later) and we decided to make it fearless.

FEARLESS FACTOR: Pretty low - I'd say a 2 out of 10. I am one with the burrito. It's pretty hard to make them NOT taste delicious.



INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Red Pepper tortillas (or any kind you like)
2 bunches fresh spinach
2 medium ripe tomatoes
1 avocado
1 bunch cilantro
1 medium onion
1 1/2 red bell peppers
1 small container sliced mushrooms
1/2 can low-fat refried beans
1 T. olive oil
salt & pepper
Southwestern seasoning (I used Emeril's)
3 T. sour cream
orange slices (for serving)

STEP ONE:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Chop the onions and peppers and start to sautee them (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little salt, pepper, and Southwestern seasoning.







STEP TWO:

Wash the spinach and chop the stems off. Chop it into pieces. Put the spinach and mushrooms into the pan. Add a little more seasoning. Sautee until the spinach begins to wilt, then cover the pan and turn the heat to low and continue to cook until veggies are tender.



STEP THREE:

Halve the avocado and remove the seed. Mash it up. Add the sour cream to it and stir until mostly smooth. Chop the cilantro. Dice the tomatoes.







STEP FOUR:

Prepare the tortillas by wetting a paper towel and wringing it out, then wrapping a tortilla in it. Stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds, and the tortilla should be warm, moist, and easier to work with. Spread 2-3 T. of the refried beans on the tortilla.



STEP FIVE:

Top the beans with the avocado-sour cream mixture, some cilantro (to taste), and a couple scoops of the veggie mixture. Place the chopped tomatoes on top of all of it.



STEP SIX:

Roll up and place on a plate seam-side down. Top with a little more avaocado-sour cream, cilantro, and tomatoes. Serve with orange wedges.



Well, now's the time where I tell you what the judges said. This is where it gets a little complicated. Our friend who came over for the burritos wishes to remain anonymous. She is - unlike my constantly-blogging/myspaceing/facebooking self - opposed to having her name and picture all over cyberspace. So our guest judge for this week, in place of our actual friend, will be the beautiful and talented Angelina Jolie.



THE JUDGES' VERDICTS:

ANGELINA: I loved it. It was so good. [Insert my confused expression here, as I gaze upon Angie's mutilated burrito remains, spinach strewn to the four corners of her plate.] Oh...I just really don't like spinach. [Angelina doesn't like spinach.] But I loved everything else about it! [Awkward pause.] Can I have another tortilla? [Anything for you, Angelina.]

JESS: Wow, they were really great. a good amount of the beans made a great base. Without enough of them, it would have just been hot salad on a tortilla.

Ross did not have the pleasure of dining with us this evening, but he told jokes while we gossiped. (I can only imagine he would demand more sauce.)

MY VOTE ON MY DISH:

I give it 5 stars. Only such a mediocre score because it was so dreadfully easy. Not my most fearless dish to date, that's for sure. But it tasted great. And really, I think the healthfulness more than made up for the lack of toil in the kitchen. I didn't even use any cheese! I must have slipped into an alternate universe where I am not constantly dreaming about how I can fit cheese into my next meal....

NOTES: Angelina just loved how I served it with orange wedges. I must say it was a nice change of pace from the usual rice or chips side dish.

It was the perfect light supper (we're all trying to get a jump start on those inevitable New Year's Resolutions).



Thanks for reading, and a special thanks to Angelina for taking time out of her busy schedule adopting children from obscure third-world countries to come and have a delicious burrito with the little people.

More soon, my little blans...