Recipe: Pantry Burritos: Quick, Easy Meal in a Pinch
I call this recipe Pantry Burritos because you can keep all of the ingredients on hand and make it when you’re overdue for a grocery run. Having a well-stocked pantry is a great strategy for cooking more and eating out less. But unless you’re one of those rare culinary magicians who can pull together a balanced meal from random cans and bags, I also recommend having a pantry plan: 2-3 go-to recipes you can make from those cans or bags you have stashed back there.
These Pantry Burritos are adapted from the Hurry-Up Fill-Me-Up Burritos recipe, which first appeared in the Dietitians of Canada cookbook Cook Great Food. I think the original intent was something quick and filling for kids, but with my clients typically being adults with (or at risk for) heart disease, I made a few modifications that gave it more fibre, less sodium, and healthier fats.
We have it for dinner every couple of weeks — usually when my husband is cooking (he prefers to keep things simple). My kids enjoy it, although — full disclosure — they like theirs with avocado and cheese. But my husband and I are happy to eat this vegan version, as long as we’ve got a good avocado ready to go.
Pantry Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 14 oz can kidney beans use "no salt added" beans or rinse very well
- 1 cup frozen corn with no sauces or salt added
- 3/4 cup prepared salsa
- 2 cups raw spinach or other dark-green vegetable
- 8 whole-grain tortillas
- 2 avocado or substitute 1 cup guacamole or 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Warm up the brown rice, kidney beans, corn, and salsa in a non-stick pan.
- Add the spinach and warm it up just enough so it wilts.
- Meanwhile, warm up the tortillas with a few seconds in the microwave.
- Scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto a warm tortilla on a plate. Add about 1/4 of an avocado, and wrap tightly. Enjoy!
