Bean, Spinach, and Quinoa Burritos

Marcus Nillson

Bean, Spinach, and Quinoa Burritos: (Recipe shared by Alyssa Sprouse and modified from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bean-spinach-quinoa-burritos-00100000085215/index.html)

Prep Time: 40m | Cook Time: 1hr 00m | Makes: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 15.5-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
• 8 10-inch tortillas or wraps
• 12 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• salsa, sour cream, and sliced avocado, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, broth, and garlic and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes more. Fold in the spinach.
3. Dividing evenly, top the tortillas with the quinoa (about 1/4 cup each), bean mixture (about ½ cup each), and cheese (about ⅓ cup each). Roll up into burritos and wrap in heavy-duty foil.
4. Bake the burritos until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the salsa, sour cream, and sliced avocado.
5. The uncooked wrapped burritos can be frozen in freezer bags for up to 3 months.

NOTES:   This actually took a while to make.  It was fun to put together, but I would say don't try to do this with lots of little people under foot.  These can definitely be made ahead of time, however, and the recipe makes a TON of food.  My family of 5 ate 4 total burritos, and I have 2 in the freezer and 2 in the fridge as leftovers for lunches/dinners this week.  I will say that even my changing up the name of these to "Popeye" burritos didn't make my two little boys LOVE these, but I think this one is a stretch for youngsters to get on board with.  They ate about 1/4 of a burrito a piece...and in all fairness to them, we had just come in from playing in the snow and enjoying some hot chocolate by the fireplace, so that MAY have had something to do with their lesser appetites...or, it could've just been the spinach and quinoa ;)  We can definitely find out at a later date, however, because, as previously mentioned, I have 2 left in the freezer.

Happy Cooking!!