Super Protein Burrito Bowls

Burritos were something I had never made at home before, since they are so readily available in Toronto but this is usually a “3 am, getting home from the bar” kind of food. Mexican inspired dishes are probably the easiest to make vegan. These bowls are fresh and full of flavour and plant based protein. You can easily do this with just rice or just quinoa if you prefer. I know this may seem like a lot of work for a humble bowl of beans and rice but I made this recipe in under an hour. First chop all your vegetables and herbs, make the guacamole and while the rice and quinoa are cooking, make the bean mixture. Easy peasy! This recipe makes a ton of leftovers for all your weekday lunches.

Chunky Guacamole

Makes about 3 cups

•  4 ripe avocados
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion (I bought 1 large onion and used 1 cup diced for the bean mixture)
• 1 small jalapeno, deseeded for less heat if desired and minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, very finely grated through a microplane
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

 Halve, pit and scoop out the flesh of two avocados. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except for two of the avocados, mash lightly with a fork or a potato masher. Halve, pit and cube the remaining two avocados. Add cubes to the mashed mixture and stir gently keeping the guacamole chunky. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto its surface to ensure it doesn’t brown. Making the guacamole before the rice allows the flavours to blend together.

 

Rice: Makes 3 cups

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1-cup long grain white rice, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½- teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups water
• Zest of 1 lime, very finely grated through a microplane

For the rice:

In a small pot with a tight fitting lid, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes (some of the rice should become opaque), stirring occasionally to ensure you don’t burn the rice. Add the cumin, pepper and salt and stir frequently for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the water slowly since it will bubble and add the zest. Crank up the heat to high and bring to boil. Place lid on pot and turn down to low. Simmer for 20 minutes until the water is fully absorbed by the rice. Fluff with a fork.

 Quinoa: Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup dried white quinoa, rinsed through a fine mesh strainer
• 2 cups water

Combine the water and the rinsed quinoa in a small pot and bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered under quinoa is tender, about 17 minutes. After both the rice and quinoa are cooked, you can add them together.

 **I tried to make the quinoa and rice in the same pot, but because of the water difference it was unsuccessful**

Bean Filling: Makes about 6 cups

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 2 large peppers, stemmed, deseeded and diced, about 2 ½ cups
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 small jalapeno, deseeded for less heat, minced
• 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (Pinto beans would be a good choice too)
• 2 cups frozen corn, preferably organic
• Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

 In a large non-stick skillet, melt the oil and when heated add the onions. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally then add the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cumin, cayenne, jalapeño and garlic, sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, corn, lime juice and salt, cook, stirring occasionally until corn and beans are thoroughly heated, about 8 minutes.

 

Garnish

•  1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

 Mix together in a small bowl and set aside until ready to layer the bowl. You can easily substitute salsa for this step if you wish.

Other Add Ins

• Romaine lettuce, sliced into thin ribbons
• Minced fresh cilantro
• Hot sauce

 Layering

Add the rice and quinoa to the bottom of the bowl then the bean mixture. Sprinkle cherry tomatoes around the bowl and top with a big dollop of guacamole in the middle. I didn’t photograph the dish with the lettuce since it covered almost the entire dish. Serve.