Chipotle Black Bean Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Rice

After acquiring this amazing jar of ground Morita Chipotle chilies from a local spice shop, I knew I needed to make something with it immediately. These burritos were the answer - the smokey, rich flavour lent to the beans by the chilies is contrasted with the bright flavours of the rice and easily became my at-work-lunches for a week. And honestly, I found the avocado creamy enough that I didn't add cheese to my last couple of burritos, so don't feel obligated unless you are a cheese fiend. I realize that this particular chilie powder might be a bit of a specialty item, so feel free to substitute with 1-2 chilies in abdo sauce (usually found in the Mexican food aisle), or even cayenne powder or dried red pepper flakes. You may not have that same smokey notes with the cayenne and the red pepper flakes, but the burritos are still delicious enough to make it worth your while.

Note: this recipe is labeled vegetarian despite the chicken base. You can easily skip the chicken base and add 1 teaspoon of salt instead. For a vegan option, omit the chicken base and cheese.

Recipe
Makes 6-8 burritos.
Difficulty: easy
Author: Amanda

Bean Salsa

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 yellow onion
• 3/4 teaspoon ground Morita Chipotle chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cilantro-Lime Rice

• 1.5 cups white rice
• 3 cups water if using stove top, otherwise follow rice cooker directions
• 1 teaspoon chicken base
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• zest and juice of one lime

Burritos

• 2 avocados, sliced
• 6-8 10 inch tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (optional)

Directions
First, prepare the rice either using a pot or rice cooker. Add chicken base. Cook per package instructions until done. Zest and juice the lime and finely chop the cilantro. Once rice is cooked, allow to cool slightly before adding lime juice, zest and chopped cilantro. Stir to combine. Set aside until ready to add to burritos.

Dice the onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes to prepare for the salsa. Mince the garlic. Add the oil to the pan and allow to heat for a couple of minutes, then add the onion and garlic in the pan. Once translucent, add the bell pepper. Once the bell pepper is softened, add the beans, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until tomatoes lose their shape.

To assemble burritos, place 2 tablespoons of rice mixture on the first third of the tortilla. Add 3 tablespoons of the bean salsa, 2 avocado slices, and a sprinkle of cheese to burrito. Fold in the sides and roll together while attempting to keep the fillings intact. Serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

First, prepare the rice either using a rice cooker or a stove top. Add the chicken base and cook per package instructions. Personally, I love my rice cooker. I can set it, leave it, and have perfect rice every time.

Once the rice is cooked, stir in the lime juice, zest, and finely chopped cilantro. Set aside to keep warm while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Dice the onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Mince the garlic.

Heat a pan with oil on medium heat, and add the onion and garlic. Stir often, until onion is translucent.

Add the bell pepper, and cook until softened. Stir the mixture often to prevent sticking to the pan.

Once the bell pepper is softened, add the black beans, Morita Chipotle powder, cumin, and salt. (I snapped this picture before adding the seasonings, oops!)

This is the chipotle chilie powder pictured with some alternatives if you can't find something similar. Confession: I have opened the container only to smell it more than once. Spices are my weakness.

Continue to cook on medium to medium-low heat, until the tomatoes have lost their shape and look like this. Your kitchen will also smell amazing at this point.

If you haven't already, slice up those avocados for the burrito toppings.

To keep the avocado slices from browning, you can place them in an airtight container and juice another lime if you have it to cover the avocado slices. That should help keep them fresh in the fridge for a couple days.

To assemble the burritos, scoop roughly two tablespoons of the rice onto a third of the tortilla.

Add three tablespoons of your bean salsa on top of the rice. It's easy to go crazy here, but remember at some point this burrito needs to be rolled up.

Add the avocado slices and (optional) cheese.

Fold in the sides and roll it up, and you're ready to go!