crispy bean burritos
cook the filling all in one pot!
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This recipe was inspired by two major topics of conversation in my life right now. Number one: stocking the freezer with easy meals in preparation for baby number three’s impending arrival. Number two: ways to grocery shop and cook less expensively right now since grocery prices are up so much.
stocking the freezer
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I’m preparing for baby, food-wise. Specifically: what am I stocking the freezer with to prepare for postpartum life?!
The honest answer: not much. When I had my first baby, the freezer was overflowing with individually portioned food. It was packed with chilis, soups, pastas, enchiladas — you name it.
But once baby Mattis arrived, I found that after eating something from the freezer once or twice, I was sick of it! I didn’t want to eat the same thing over and over again.
It was a major bummer. The 10 portions of chili staring at me every time I opened the freezer to freeze another bag of breastmilk were taunting me! I wanted nothing to do with them.
So while preparing for my second baby, Calum, and this third one who is due any day now, I have done things a little differently. Rather than batching and freezing huge portions of the same meal, I decided that, starting a few months before the baby’s arrival, I would just freeze leftovers of whatever I’m already cooking for my family.
For instance:
Earlier this week, I made miso-roasted veggies with coconut rice. We had tons of leftover rice, so I froze it all in a ziplock. When I want rice, I will just chip away however much I want out of the bag into a bowl and microwave it. To make it a meal, I’ll dump chickpeas and some masala or curry simmer sauce into a skillet, let them simmer, stir in some spinach, then serve over this rice. An easy, nutritious meal with very little effort.
I’ve been testing a white chicken chili for later this fall. George and I have been eating it for lunches, but I’ve also frozen a few individual portions in quart-sized ziplocks for easy reheating.
George and Mattis made cookies this weekend (Mattis’ fave activity) and instead of giving the leftover cookies away to neighbors like we normally do, I froze them all for late-night newborn-induced hunger attacks. Muahaha!
And now, I’ve got two bean burritos waiting for me in the freezer for when the mood strikes!
This week’s midweek topic will be all about freezer meals, so save up your best freezer tips and recipes to share then!
an inflation-proof recipe
Rice and beans! Perhaps the most classic low-cost meal of all time. So many cultures have their own version of this classic cuisine: the South has red beans and rice, Mexico has its simply seasoned rice and beans, the Caribbean boasts coconut rice with jerk-spiced beans. All so perfectly simple in favor, rich in plant protein, and packed with fiber.
You can serve your eaters a burrito bowl — AKA the rice and beans topped with whatever toppings they fancy — or go all the way and roll the rice and beans into inexpensive, filling tortillas.
P.S. Be sure to scroll through this week’s thread on inflation cooking tips — so many incredible inexpensive recipes, money-saving grocery shopping tips, and more! Thanks to all who participated, this was a great discussion!
find the best fresh tortillas in your area!
Store-bought tortillas don’t hold a candle to freshly made ones, and the tortilla makes or breaks a burrito.
My favorite brands that are pretty easy to find in grocery stores are Tortilla Factory and Mission, but I have a fun foodie outing for you this week, should you choose to accept: find the best freshly made tortillas in your area!
How? GOOGLE! Ask around! Chances are, you’re going to discover a bad ass taco shop or incredible Mexican market that you might have never stumbled across otherwise.
For my local peeps: IMO the best tortillas in Monterey County are at El Charrito, but you better get there early (like, by 10 a.m.) if you want to snag a stack.
Do you have a tortilla spot? Let us know what town you’re in and where to find the best tortillas!
crispy bean burritos
Makes 8 baby burritos or 4 big ole taqueria-style burritos
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