Written by Beth M, Author of  http://budgetbites.blogspot.com

roasted vegetable burritos

$14.18 recipe / $1.42 each

So, I broke down last week and bought a burrito from the hospital cafeteria for lunch. It was SO good, but at $5.50 for the least expensive option, I knew I could do better.

I just finished tallying my cost for this recipe and I have to say, I'm sure I could have done much better. To be fair, I didn't do any comparison shopping, I just ran in, got what I needed, and ran out. So, you might be able to make these for far less than I did. I did, however, make my own black beans instead of buying cans. That saved me a dollar or two. Oh, and I lucked out with the red bell peppers - on sale 10/$10! That's a SUPER good price.

I seasoned up some regular old white rice, added my black beans (you can season those too, if you'd like), and then topped those with some amazing roasted vegetables. Roasting vegetables intensifies their flavor, and when you add herbs like I did, they become even more amazing. I suggest using whatever vegetables you can get for a good price (I was a bad example here), but the mushrooms really did make this special. So, get the mushrooms if at all possible!

Now I have 8 awesome burritos in my freezer just waiting to be grabbed for lunch in the morning. The recipe is enough for 10, but I already ate one burrito and I had previously used one of the tortillas for something else. To reheat just place in a microwavable dish and nuke until hot.

Roasted Vegetable Burritos

Total Recipe cost: $14.18
Servings Per Recipe: 10 (one large burrito each)
Cost per serving: $1.42
Prep time: 45 min. Cook time: 40 min. Total: 1 hr. 25 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1.5 cups	dry white rice	$0.75
1 tsp	salt	$0.05
1/2 Tbsp	chili powder	$0.07
1 large	zucchini	$1.65
1 medium	red onion	$1.93
1 large	red bell pepper	$1.00
8 oz.	button mushrooms	$1.49
1/2 tsp	salt	$0.02
1/2 tsp	cumin	$0.03
1/2 tsp	oregano	$0.03
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.32
10 large	flour tortillas	$2.99
3 cups (or 2 cans)	black beans	$0.75
2.5 cups	shredded cheese	$2.31
1 bunch	cilantro	$0.75
TOTAL		$14.18

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop the zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Toss the vegetables with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp oregano. Spread the vegetables out over a large sheet pan and roast for 40 minutes, stirring once half way through.

STEP 2: Combine the rice in a medium pot with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 Tbsp of chili powder. Add 3 cups of water, place a lid on top, and bring up to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed until you're ready to assemble the burritos. Fluff the rice just before using.

STEP 3: When you're ready to make the burritos, stack a few tortillas on a large plate, place a damp paper towel over top, and microwave for 30 seconds. This will make the tortillas more pliable as you wrap the burritos.

STEP 4: Place 1/4-1/3 cup of rice on a tortilla, add 1/4 cup of black beans, 1/3 cup of the roasted vegetables, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, and a handful of fresh cilantro leaves. Roll the burrito tightly and wrap in plastic until ready to eat.

The burritos can be heated in the microwave (remove plastic wrap), baked in the oven (smothered with enchilada sauce), crisped in a skillet, or grilled in a countertop grill or sandwich press.

Step By Step Photos

Since the vegetables take the longest to cook, get them going first. You can use any mix of vegetables, but I like to make sure that I have an onion, some type of pepper, and some mushrooms. The mushrooms get ULTRA delicious when roasted.


Cut the vegetables into bite-sized chunks and then toss with olive oil, salt, cumin, and oregano.


Spread the seasoned vegetables out over a large baking sheet (cover with foil for easy clean up). Roast the vegetables in a preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring once half way through.


Now the vegetables are all roasted and totally delicious. Try not to snack on them :)


While the vegetables are roasting, you can cook the rice. Combine the dry rice in a medium pot along with salt and chili powder. Add 3 cups of water, put a lid on top, and bring up to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit, undisturbed, until you're ready to make the burritos. Fluff the rice just before using.


When you're ready to assemble, you can make the tortillas more pliable by microwaving them with a damp paper towel over top. I do a few at a time as I'm making the burritos.


It's really easy to accidentally over fill the burritos to the point that you can't roll them up. So, you might have to play around with the quantities. I used about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of rice and 1/4 cup of beans per burrito.


...and about 1/3 cup of roasted vegetables.


And lastly, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and a small handful of fresh cilantro.


Roll the burritos up and wrap each one in plastic. To freeze, place them in a heavy duty freezer bag. If you need instructions on how to roll a burrito, click here.


Hahah, okay, I had to document this... this is the first and last time my freezer will ever be so clean, neat, and tidy! See what a hurricane can do for you? :D

 

This article and recipes were found at:

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hummus-four-flavors-197-recipe-039.html

Make sure to visit the site for more terrific healthy home made recipes