I strongly believe that burritos are, in fact, the perfect food. Selected delectable’s all smooshed together, and encased in a warm tortilla – it just doesn’t get any better. And although it’s true that I’m sort of totally addicted to this one burrito Eden, I also roll my own from time to time.

What you choose for stuffing is totally up to you. As far as I’m concerned, if it’s served up warm and in a tortilla, then it’s a burrito. I’ve wrapped every vegetable under the sun, and plenty of fruits as well. But there are some staples that stay the same: rice (brown and seasoned) and beans (black or pinto, saucy or refried, it don’t matter to me), and fresh veggies representing a spectrum of colors. Remember: more color equals more nutrients (and more tasties!), so variety is key.

The day I took these photos I added:

• corn (fire roasted)
• olives
• chives (from my herb garden)
• tomato (from a friend’s garden)
• mango (oh yes, soooo good)
• avocado
• vegan sour cream

Other interesting additives include:

• Alternate grains like quinoa, wild rice, millet, barley, or freekah
• Alternate legumes like lentils, chickpeas, split peas, or other beans like adzuki, kidney, navy, or anasazi
• Root veggies like roasted beets, turnips, seasoned potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Asian veggies like snow peas, water chestnuts, Thai basil, bamboo shoots, etc
• ANY VEGETABLE
• Seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, or toasted sesame (quinoa is technically a seed as well, but most people put it with grains)
• Tropical fruits like mango or papaya, grilled pineapple, plantains, or grilled strawberries
• Hummus!!!
• Alternate sauces like BBQ, Asian peanut sauce, chutneys, etc
• Oh my god, I could go on but you get the picture, right? CREATIVITY

Bonus Feature!!! : The Right Way To Roll A Burrito
So growing up in Southern California, I’ve been eating Mexican since before I could walk. One of my earliest memories is of sitting on the kitchen counter in our tiny kitchen, constructing burritos with my Mother, naming each ingredient out loud as we added it into the mix (except the olives which went on my fingers). So needless to say, I’ve got my rolling technique down. It always surprises me how many people improperly package the goodness – and the goodness ends up in their laps! Here’s how the pros fold:

Step 1
Begin by constructing your burrito, starting with the hot sloppies and moving on to the cold crispies.

Step 2
Always with the fun nail polish, always with the fabulous rings – I like big sparkly cocktail ones – ready yourself at one side of the pile. Remember, however tempting those toppings may be, do not overfill. Remember also, always roll ‘lengthwise’, so that each bite will have a bit of everything.

Step 3
Carefully tuck in the top and bottom, keeping them in place with your ring and middle fingers (pinkies will rest on the plate for stability).

Step 4
Grasping the tortilla between your index fingers and thumbs, lift it up and fold it over on top of the goodness. Some of the goodness will try to escape.

Step 5
Gently holding the tortilla in place with one hand, use the other hand to tuck the goodness back up under the flap. Then complete the fold of the tortilla onto itself, carefully pulling back to make it tight around the goodness (see the telltale smear in the second pic – this is from pulling it back tight).

Step 6
Finish by rolling it over onto the final flap.

¡Que bueno!  ¡Que perfecto!  Está terminado, y come ahora.

The Two-Finger Test
Your burrito should easily balance on two fingertips, without splitting or spilling. Now *that’s* a well-rolled wrap!

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Tags: how-to, quick/easy/cheap

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