BEAN BURRITOS~now these are soooooo yummy

Bean Burritos

I have discovered over many years that the beans have a different taste if they are cooked in a slow cooker.  This is the way I make them most of the time, and the way I serve them to guests.  I do cook them in a pressure cooker or on the stove occasionally, but they just don’t have the same long-cooked flavor.  My family has been eating this meal for about 30 years and it is my most requested dinner, by family and friends.  It is easy to serve to any number of people, because everyone makes their own burrito, adding as much or as little of the toppings as they wish. 

Preparation Time:  15-30 minutes
Cooking Time:  all day
Servings:  variable, at least 10-12

Smashed pinto beans:
2-3 cups dry pinto beans
Water to cover at least 2-3 inches over beans
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4-6 whole cloves fresh garlic 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 8-10 hours on high.  Pour off almost all of the water that remains after cooking (save for another use, if desired) and mash with an electric hand mixer or a hand held bean masher.  (The onion and garlic will be soft enough to mash with the beans.)  Season with a little salt, if desired.

Hint:  There will be beans left-over when you make this amount.  They may be refrigerated for about 5 days or put them in the freezer for later use.  I always make a lot of these and use the left-overs for Bean Enchiladas, Mexican Pizza or another meal of burritos for lunch later in the week.

Taco “meat”:  (Since this is made from processed soy protein, I use this only for a special occasion.)

1  12 ounce package ground soy “meat”
1 package Bearitos or Hain Taco Seasoning mix water as directed on package (about ¾ cup)

Place the soy “meat” in a non-stick frying pan and break up with a wooden spoon.  Add the taco seasoning and the water as directed on the package.  Mix well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes. 

Guacamole:
4 avocados, mashed
1/8 cup chopped green chilies (canned)
1 tomato, chopped
squeeze of fresh lime juice
dash Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 

Hint:  The guacamole is a high-fat treat.  If you are trying to lose weight or regain your health, it would be best to avoid this on your burrito.  It is nice to have this available for guests, though.  You only need a small amount to add a lot of flavor to your burrito.

Enchilada sauce:
1  8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups cold water
1  to 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and mix with a whisk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

Toppings: chopped onion, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, grated soy or rice cheese, assorted fresh salsas.

Assorted burrito shells, both flour and corn

To serve:
Place all ingredients in individual bowls and place on a serving counter or table.  Let each person take a burrito shell, warm it on a dry non-stick griddle if they wish, ( or wrap all of the shells in a kitchen tea towel and heat in the microwave) and then layer it with all the ingredients that they like.  For example:  burrito shell, beans, taco “meat”, guacamole, non-dairy cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and salsa.  To make a “wet” burrito, fold over the burrito shell and ladle on some warm enchilada sauce.