Bean Burritos

We have been trying to eat a lot more beans in place of meat, and this was an awesome recipe to incorporate them.  The bean mixture made a great meat replacement because the consistency had a "meaty" quality to it in that it held together tightly and was very flavorful from the garlic and chili powder. This was also pretty quick to make so was great for a weekday dinner. 

Bean Burritos

Makes ~ 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup water

1 (15oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15oz) can organic kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 Tbsp mild salsa

whole wheat or multigrain tortillas

3 small vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped (~1 1/2 cups)

1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

6 Tbsp organic light sour cream

Directions

1. Heat canola oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, chili powder and salt. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add water and beans. Simmer until liquid has cooked off. Stir in salsa and partially mash bean mixture.

2. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Fill  each tortilla with about 1/3 cup bean mixture and top with tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, green onions, and sour cream. Roll up and serve.

(Recipe adapted from myrecipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Kidney beans provide lots of protein, folate, fiber, and iron. 100% whole wheat tortillas are rich in B vitamins and fiber. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and lycopene. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamins, A,  K and folate, as well as the mineral molybdenum, and is a very good source of fiber, minerals manganese, potassium, copper, and iron, as well as vitamins biotin, B1 (thiamin) and C. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese.