RECIPE: BLACK BEAN & BARLEY BURRITO BOATS
When shopping and prep-time are scarce, this is a go-to recipe as it leverages ingredients that you can keep stocked in your kitchen, with minimal prep work required!
PREP TIME: 5 min
COOK TIME: 1 hour
MAKES: 5-7 burritos
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BURRITOS:
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2 TBSP (30 ml) olive oil
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1 yellow onion, finely diced
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1 small can mild green chilies or 1 green pepperoncini (pictured)*, finely diced
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1 sachet Taste of Santa Fe Spice Blend
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½ cup (100 g) pearled barley
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1 cup (240 ml) water
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One 14-oz (400 g) can black beans
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¼ cup (25 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
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Salt and pepper to taste
TO SERVE:
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Pico de gallo or salsa
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Greek yogurt (pictured mixed with fresh chives)
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Additional grated cheddar cheese
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Mexican Cole Slaw
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Olive oil, onion, brown rice, pepperonchini, Taste of Santa Fe Spice Blends, 1 can brown beans. If you're in the US, substitute 1 small can of diced mild green chillies for the pepperoncini. Click to buy Spice Blend.
Pico de Gallo, greek yogurt mixed with fresh chives or cilantro (coriander), grated cheddar cheese. Click here for recipe.
The Santa Fe Spice Blend elevates this Coleslaw to amazing yumminess. Click for recipe.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
1) Heat a 2 ½ quart (3 litre) pot on medium-high. Add olive oil and onions, and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft and golden.
2) Add the green pepperoncini (or can of green chilies), contents of spice sachet, barley, water. Mix well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
3) Add the beans, mix well, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for 45-50 minutes (or until barley is fully cooked and the liquid is absorbed).
4) Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
WONDERBAG METHOD
1) Heat a 2 ½ quart (3 litre) pot on medium-high. Add olive oil and onions, and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft and golden.
2) Add the green pepperoncini (or can of green chilies), contents of spice sachet, barley, water and beans. Mix well, bring to a boil.
3) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
4) Seal your lidded pot in the Wonderbag and leave to cook for a minimum of 1 hour (you can also do it in the morning and leave it all day, the flavours intensify the longer it's in the bag).
5) When ready to serve, remove pot from stove or Wonderbag and stir in ¼ cup (25 g) grated cheese and mix well, then salt to taste.
SERVE
Spoon cooked mixture into tortilla shells (or lettuce cups for a lower-carb option), top with salsa or pico de gallo, Greek yogurt and a bit of extra cheese.
Or serve as actual burritos! Fill whole-grain tortillas with Mexican Cole Slaw for a colourful and heart-healty wrap (pictured below).
Recipe & Photo Credit: Cathy Menees
INGREDIENTS
* The tinned GREEN CHILIES that are so common in the US are can be difficult to find in Europe. I often substitute with pickled green peppers/peperoncinis.
For this recipe, 1 peperoncini is enough, if you like it spicier, use 2-3 peppers!
You can also use jalepenos, but they are much hotter than peperoncinis, so just keep that in mind...
SERVING
This recipe makes enough for at least 20 boats...but of course that depends on the size and how liberal you are with filling them. :-)
If serving as burritos, with a coleslaw filling, you'll have enough for 6-8 burritos. So depending on appetites and whether or not you’re serving anything else on the side, you can feed 4-8 people.
It's also great leftover - as burritos again, or in a salad or omelet.