Lollyellen
06-17-2009, 02:03 PM
I googled a copycat recipe for Chipolte's (Mexican chain restaurant, I don't know if they're national or not...) "Cilantro Lime Rice" which they use in their burritos 'cause I had a hankering for it on black bean burritos and they came out SO good, I thought I'd share!
First, know that the "La Abeula" brand raw tortillas found (at least down here in Texas) at Walmart in the lunch meat/cheese/Mexican specialty cheeses section (if one exists where you are) are the very best tortillas EVER. Warm them til golden and puffy in a DRY skillet and reserve them on a separate, covered plate so they'll stay warm, to serve with all your burrito "fixins" at the table. Kristi's friend Nikki taught me that and that's ALL I ever use now, I'm hooked on them.
Ingredients for Cilantro-Lime Rice, which I prepared as I was preparing everything else (it's easy)...
about a tsp or two of butter (I used margarine 'cause that's all I had; otherwise I would've used real, salted butter)
a few small palmfuls of fresh cilantro (I wash and dry it, then just snip it with kitchen shears onto a plate)
1 cup white Basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 lime
Directions for cooking the rice
1. Heat butter over low heat in a heavy saucepan til melted. Add rice and lime juice. Saute in the butter for about a minute or so.
2. Add the water and salt, bring to a full boil. Once boiling, cover and turn down to a simmer, til rice is tender and water is absorbed - I think it took about 10-15 minutes for mine.
3. Reserve and let cool, while you're preparing the other stuff for the burritos. When the rice has cooled somewhat, add in the cilantro and fluff with a fork. Serve it with your burritos.
Black Bean Burritos
Ingredients
Tortillas - I use the "La Abuela" brand, and warmed them up as mentioned above, while the rice was going.
1-2 cans warmed black beans (enough for your family, I used 1 can and had leftovers). I rinsed and drained my black beans before heating, but if you prefer them kind of "squashy" like refried beans, you could heat them in some of their own juice and mush them up a bit.
Fresh salsa (fresh chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro, not bottled salsa), a few tablespoons
Shredded cheese of your preference (I just used sharp cheddar)
Sour Cream for garnish - you could add the juice from about half a lime and some of the cilantro used in the rice into your sour cream and it is SO good.
Instructions
Just set everything out on the table - the warm tortillas, the warmed black beans, the finished rice, the salsa, the cheese and the sour cream - and let everyone go to town making their own burritos as they like them. :) Easy as it gets! I served them with fresh pineapple and strawberries on the side.
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The other recipe I made was last night - Pasta Primavera with "Butterfly" (Farfalle) pasta. I make some variation of this frequently, but had never made it with artichokes, and OMG, it was mouthwatering-addictive good! So, I'm sharing it. :) We didn't have it with *anything* - mainly because everyone ate most of what was on their plates, and secondly because I forgot to get breadsticks at the store, LOL - but nothing else was really needed...it was so good - Ronnie and I both had seconds, and the kids ingested some of most of the veggies, and of course, all of the pasta, so we were all fat & full.
Summertime Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
Farfalle (butterfly shaped) pasta - I used about 3/4 of the Barilla brand box.
Fresh mushrooms - I used about half a container of whole mushrooms, but sliced.
Broccolli, chopped pretty small - however much your family will eat; I used a couple small palmfuls.
Carrots - sliced into thin circles
Red and green pepper - about 1/4 of each pepper, sliced in little, thin "julienne" style strips.
Canned (in water; not marinated) Artichokes, drained of course - I used about half a can of whole artichokes, after slicing them in half.
Butter and olive oil, about 2 tbsp each
Garlic - a clove or two, chopped (or if you're like me and don't like to mess with chopping garlic, about half a tsp. of bottled, minced)
Seasoned salt - a few dashes
Instructions
Note: I always try to chop all the veggies either in the afternoon or before I even start the recipe - it just makes it timed better; you're not chopping away when you should be throwing stuff in the pan already. :lol:
1. Boil your pasta til al dente (about 9 minutes for Farfalle, I believe). Watch it while you're doing the following, and don't let it get overdone. Strain when done, and reserve.
2. While pasta is going, add a tbsp or two of butter and a tbsp or two of olive oil to a large, heavy saute pan. Be kind of generous with the butter and oil because any extra will go toward blending into the pasta when that is added.
When your butter/oil begins to sizzle, add in a clove or two of chopped garlic (or 1/2 tsp or so of bottled, minced). Swirl it around in the pan until fragrant, then start adding your vegetables...
3. Add in your brocolli, carrots, or any other veggie that might take longer to cook, than the peppers and mushrooms, first. Saute those around for a minute or two.
4. Then add in your "softer" veggies - the mushrooms, peppers, whatever. Saute those for a few minutes - til they look and smell done.
5. Add in the artichokes and season with a couple dashes of seasoned salt.
6. Cover so the artichokes can warm equally with the rest of the stuff.
7. Add in your pasta to the vegetable saute. Blend thoroughly, so the pasta soaks up some of the butter and oil. Season again with seasoned salt, if necessary.
That's it! Yum yum! If your family likes feta, you could add that in and it would be good, or kalamata olives...mmm, yum, I'm getting all worked up again here! LOL!
First, know that the "La Abeula" brand raw tortillas found (at least down here in Texas) at Walmart in the lunch meat/cheese/Mexican specialty cheeses section (if one exists where you are) are the very best tortillas EVER. Warm them til golden and puffy in a DRY skillet and reserve them on a separate, covered plate so they'll stay warm, to serve with all your burrito "fixins" at the table. Kristi's friend Nikki taught me that and that's ALL I ever use now, I'm hooked on them.
Ingredients for Cilantro-Lime Rice, which I prepared as I was preparing everything else (it's easy)...
about a tsp or two of butter (I used margarine 'cause that's all I had; otherwise I would've used real, salted butter)
a few small palmfuls of fresh cilantro (I wash and dry it, then just snip it with kitchen shears onto a plate)
1 cup white Basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 lime
Directions for cooking the rice
1. Heat butter over low heat in a heavy saucepan til melted. Add rice and lime juice. Saute in the butter for about a minute or so.
2. Add the water and salt, bring to a full boil. Once boiling, cover and turn down to a simmer, til rice is tender and water is absorbed - I think it took about 10-15 minutes for mine.
3. Reserve and let cool, while you're preparing the other stuff for the burritos. When the rice has cooled somewhat, add in the cilantro and fluff with a fork. Serve it with your burritos.
Black Bean Burritos
Ingredients
Tortillas - I use the "La Abuela" brand, and warmed them up as mentioned above, while the rice was going.
1-2 cans warmed black beans (enough for your family, I used 1 can and had leftovers). I rinsed and drained my black beans before heating, but if you prefer them kind of "squashy" like refried beans, you could heat them in some of their own juice and mush them up a bit.
Fresh salsa (fresh chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro, not bottled salsa), a few tablespoons
Shredded cheese of your preference (I just used sharp cheddar)
Sour Cream for garnish - you could add the juice from about half a lime and some of the cilantro used in the rice into your sour cream and it is SO good.
Instructions
Just set everything out on the table - the warm tortillas, the warmed black beans, the finished rice, the salsa, the cheese and the sour cream - and let everyone go to town making their own burritos as they like them. :) Easy as it gets! I served them with fresh pineapple and strawberries on the side.
************************************************** ***
The other recipe I made was last night - Pasta Primavera with "Butterfly" (Farfalle) pasta. I make some variation of this frequently, but had never made it with artichokes, and OMG, it was mouthwatering-addictive good! So, I'm sharing it. :) We didn't have it with *anything* - mainly because everyone ate most of what was on their plates, and secondly because I forgot to get breadsticks at the store, LOL - but nothing else was really needed...it was so good - Ronnie and I both had seconds, and the kids ingested some of most of the veggies, and of course, all of the pasta, so we were all fat & full.
Summertime Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
Farfalle (butterfly shaped) pasta - I used about 3/4 of the Barilla brand box.
Fresh mushrooms - I used about half a container of whole mushrooms, but sliced.
Broccolli, chopped pretty small - however much your family will eat; I used a couple small palmfuls.
Carrots - sliced into thin circles
Red and green pepper - about 1/4 of each pepper, sliced in little, thin "julienne" style strips.
Canned (in water; not marinated) Artichokes, drained of course - I used about half a can of whole artichokes, after slicing them in half.
Butter and olive oil, about 2 tbsp each
Garlic - a clove or two, chopped (or if you're like me and don't like to mess with chopping garlic, about half a tsp. of bottled, minced)
Seasoned salt - a few dashes
Instructions
Note: I always try to chop all the veggies either in the afternoon or before I even start the recipe - it just makes it timed better; you're not chopping away when you should be throwing stuff in the pan already. :lol:
1. Boil your pasta til al dente (about 9 minutes for Farfalle, I believe). Watch it while you're doing the following, and don't let it get overdone. Strain when done, and reserve.
2. While pasta is going, add a tbsp or two of butter and a tbsp or two of olive oil to a large, heavy saute pan. Be kind of generous with the butter and oil because any extra will go toward blending into the pasta when that is added.
When your butter/oil begins to sizzle, add in a clove or two of chopped garlic (or 1/2 tsp or so of bottled, minced). Swirl it around in the pan until fragrant, then start adding your vegetables...
3. Add in your brocolli, carrots, or any other veggie that might take longer to cook, than the peppers and mushrooms, first. Saute those around for a minute or two.
4. Then add in your "softer" veggies - the mushrooms, peppers, whatever. Saute those for a few minutes - til they look and smell done.
5. Add in the artichokes and season with a couple dashes of seasoned salt.
6. Cover so the artichokes can warm equally with the rest of the stuff.
7. Add in your pasta to the vegetable saute. Blend thoroughly, so the pasta soaks up some of the butter and oil. Season again with seasoned salt, if necessary.
That's it! Yum yum! If your family likes feta, you could add that in and it would be good, or kalamata olives...mmm, yum, I'm getting all worked up again here! LOL!