Hearty, Tangy Sauteed Veggie Burritos

This recipe is easy-to-make and a health bomb, with proteinaceous beans, vitamin-rich veggies, and gut-loving sauerkraut. It's customizable, too, allowing you to add more or less for a heftier or lighter meal at home or on the go!

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This recipe is a spicy and hearty take on the classic burrito. Inspired by an article on foods that fight inflammation my mom sent me, the ingredients in this burrito recipe were based on the question: how can you fit as many anti-oxidant rich foods, using as few ingredients as possible, into a single meal?

Salads, which can be great, can sometimes be cold, not filling, and require a lot of expensive ingredients at the grocery store. Enter the simple yet hearty burrito. A staple of Mexican cooking, burritos can provide a fantastic combination of protein (beans) and grains (depending on the rice you choose). Our burrito is different than the rice-and-cheese-heavy staple you might be familiar with, but carries some of familiar tastes.

Bean Mix: You can use black beans, pinto beans, or other varieties you enjoy. For this recipe, we used a canned bean mix that included black, pinto, and kidney. We recommend warming the beans slightly prior to assembling the burrito (you can do this in the microwave after you rinse the beans). You should also mash the beans for best consistency.

Veggie filling: We use a few antioxidant-rich vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli, as well as jalapeno for additional flavor and spice.

Sauerkraut: This surprising additional adds great flavor and contrast, essentially eliminating the need for a dressing/sauce, while also providing another antioxidant-packed ingredient. This is the "tang."

Tortillas: Well ... it wouldn’t be a burrito without this, right?

Eggs: This adds some extra heft and protein to the burrito.

How to Make the Hearty, Tangy, Sauteed, Veggie Burrito

The name might be long, but this recipe can be done quickly on a weeknight. To make this recipe, you will first prepare the sauteed veggie filling, then you will assemble the burrito. To prepare the sauteed veggie filling, first dice the onion, carrots, and jalapeno. Add extra virgin olive oil to a medium skillet on high heat. All three diced ingredients can be added to the skillet. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Once the onions begin to brown, add an additional tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, cover pan, and heat on low heat for an additional 5 minutes. The goal here is to really soften the carrots.

Assembling the Burrito

With the filling now complete, you can begin assembling the burrito. First heat enough tortillas for one serving. Heat them either in an oven or toaster oven, on ~300 ̊F, for ~2-3minutes. Remove the tortilla from the oven, then add a layer of warmed beans. Add 2-3 tbsp. of the mashed beans to the center of a tortilla. Flatten the pile of beans into a disk shape a few inches in diameter. Scoop 2-3 tbsp of the sauteed veggie mix on top of the beans and spread similarly. Then add ~1 tbsp (or to your taste) of sauerkraut on top of the veggie mix. Fry 1 egg and add on top of the sauerkraut. Roll the burrito and done!

Recipe tip: Warming the burrito for a few minutes prior to rolling helps ensure that the burrito does not rip. However, if you heat it for too long, it will become overly toasted, crisp, and can rip more easily.

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Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 can of beans - such as pinto or black

• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons

• 1 small jalapeno pepper, diced

• 3 medium carrots, sliced into approximately 1/4-inch half-rounds

• 10 oz. frozen broccoli

• 6 tbs sauerkraut

• 6 spinach tortillas

• 6 eggs

• 2 tsp red pepper flake

Equipment

Skillet

Instructions

• In a strainer, rinse the beans until the water runs clear and move the beans to a bowl. In the bowl, roughly smash the beans with a fork or the back of a spoon - they do not have to be completely mashed.

• Slice the onion into thin half moons. Wash the carrots and slice into half-rounds, approximately quarter of an inch thick. You don't have to be too precise - the thinner you cut them, the faster they will cook, but go too thin and you'll lose their bite.

• Wash the jalapeno, cut off the top and slice longways, removing the seeds. If you like your burritos extra spicy, leave in some or all of the seeds. Dice the flesh of the jalapeno. Reserve the cut vegetables to the side.

• In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and jalapeno, and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until onions begin to brown.

• Add an addition tablespoon or oil, cover the mixture, and cook on low heat for an additional five minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.

• Add 2 the red pepper flakes and mix well. After mixing, add the broccoli and stir on medium heat until the broccoli browns and crisps (about 7 minutes).

• This mix will constitute the main filling of the burrito. Working in small batches, heat 1-2 tortillas for about 2-3 minutes at 300 ̊F. You could also do this in a toaster oven or on top of a toaster. Once warmed and slightly toasted, remove the tortillas.

• Add 2-3 spoonfuls of mashed beans to the center of the tortilla and spread them out with the back of the spoon, leaving approximately an inch rim around the tortilla. Then add 2-3 spoonfuls of the sauteed vegetable mixture, and one spoonful of sauerkraut.

• In your skillet, fry one egg per tortilla (or two to make these extra hefty). Add the egg to the top of the sauerkraut and repeat with the remaining burritos or until all the tortillas are topped.

• Roll the burritos and serve!