Make Ahead Lunch Wraps

Healthy, hearty, easy and cheap! I made a half recipe which yielded 10 stuffed 10-inch tortillas. I do recommend the following additions (based on half recipe): 1) season your rice when you cook it (try salt, garlic powder, chili powder) 2) substitute good fresh salsa for the canned tomatoes; my grocery store sells a decent one in the produce aisle. 3) add 1/2 cup chopped fresh cillantro; in my opinion, this makes it! 4) add 4 oz can diced jalapenos 5) add 1T ground cumin and 1T mexican oregano to the mixture. 6) use a one-cup measure to fill the tortillas

This recipe is great -- I've used it more times than I can count! I love having such a healthy, filling meal available whenever I need it. When I first started making these, I followed the recipe exactly (I rated it 4 stars), but over time, I've made a couple of modifiations to make these 5 stars!! If it's available, I really like to buy a 14-oz bag of frozen southwest vegetable blend (corn, black beans, poblano chiles, red peppers, and onions). When using this mix, I decrease the beans to 2 cans black, 1 can pinto. Not all grocery stores in my area carry it, so when it's not available, I use 3 cans black beans, 2 cans pinto, and 1 10-oz can Mexicorn (with green and red bell peppers). I started decreasing the cheese to half a pound quite some time ago -- I don't even miss it (I also use whatever kind is on hand). I add a packet of Taco Seasoning to the rice before blending with the rest of the ingredients, and add a can of sliced olives (yummm!). I love to serve Macayo's Taco Sauce over top -- made as described, and these are anything but bland!! These are a must try!!

This is a fantastic idea, and a great base recipe. Now I don't know about you, but when I'm pregnant I want restaurant-quality food and I'll spend the time sometimes to get it. To make these taste like high-quality fresh mexican restaurant wraps, add the following to the original recipe: 1 large white onion 2 large red bell peppers Lots of olive oil 2 T brown sugar juice of one lime I carmelized the onion and bell pepper together with 2 T brown sugar. This took awhile, but it was worth it. Towards the end of carmelizing, add the can of corn to the pan and sautee it with the rest. Add some salt and pepper to taste. (Since we didn't use the diced tomatoes, I just added one 4 oz can of green chiles to the mix towards the end of carmelizing.) Let this cool sligtly, then add the cheese to the onion mixture to help it melt. Mix with the rice and beans. Add the juice of one lime to the mix. Spoon into ezekiel tortillas or whole wheat tortillas and just to make yourself feel more like a chef, put a piece of dark lettuce under the burritos to serve. I cooked 1 c of quinoa to 2 c water for 15 min then let rest uncovered in place of 2 c uncooked brown rice. This comes out to about the same volume vs. 2 c rice and is a complete protein grain in itself. Rinse quinoa well before cooking if you try it.