Well… I’m not losing baby weight as fast this time around. Probably because I keep buying chocolate bars that mysteriously disappear. Do you remember my blog post about our affinity for oreos? This is worse, much worse. Let me put it like this, oreos are the gateway drug, chocolate bars are the hard stuff. But on the plus side they are vegetarian!
Sometimes I feel like vegetarianism makes it so much easier to consume junk food. I know a lot of people who have told me “I became vegetarian for health reasons”. I’m becoming increasingly convinced that they secretly mean, “I became vegetarian in order to eat my body weight in rice every day”. Since I was vegetarian the entire time I was pregnant with Patricia I am extra careful about getting enough protein. For many types of meals though that really does mean eating your body weight in starches. Especially when you’re eating out. Sometimes the only thing on the menu for vegetarians is a grilled cheese sandwich or a cheese pizza. (Un)Luckily we have only ordered take out three times in the last year so I don’t have to worry about that.
In lieu of eating out, we’ve also been consuming way too many pre-packaged meals. Have you ever had those Amy’s Burritos? They are amazing. But I hate that they come wrapped in individual little plastic baggies. In this past year we’ve definitely tripled our trash output from the year before. This year I’m going to try to get back to 2019 levels of trash, but we have to start with the excessive packaging from convenience products that we never bought before the pandemic. Anyway I digress. All this is to say that I made an Amy’s-esque freezer burrito that is a fraction of the price (the Amy’s Burritos are like $3 a piece!) and that I can put into a big reusable bag so I don’t have to waste a ton of plastic. Solves two problems in one! They don’t really taste like the Amy’s burritos, but I think they are delicious. I hope you will too!
Vegetarian Freezer Burritos
Makes 20 burritos
- 1.5 lbs dry pinto beans
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 finely chopped bell pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese
- 1 6 oz can of olives, chopped
- 20 9″ flour tortillas
Cook the beans. I use the instant pot to cook the beans from dry. Add the beans to the pot, then add water to cover the beans by 2 to 3 inches. Add salt. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes and then let the pressure release naturally. (This will probably take another 30 to 45 minutes). Reserve beans and liquid.
On medium high heat saute the pepper and onion in a large saucepan until both are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for another minute or so until garlic is fragrant.
Add cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds. Add 2 cans of tomato sauce and lower heat to medium low. Add 2 cups of the cooked pinto beans and 1/4 cup of the liquid from the beans simmer for 10 minutes.
Grind the mixture up with a food processor or immersion blender, then return to the saucepan. Add cheese, olives, and the remaining beans (there should be about 5 cups) while the mixture is still hot. Stir until cheese melts into the sauce.
To make the burritos, spread ½ cup filling in the center of a 9″ tortilla. Fold the left and right sides in, then fold up the bottom, scooping under the filling and roll. Makes 20 burritos.
To freeze: Freeze the burritos overnight on a tray, then transfer to a ziplock bag. To reheat from frozen I cook for 1.5 minutes in the microwave, flip and microwave for 1.5 minutes more. I should note though that my microwave is from 1995… and 850 Watts.
