#19: Make Your Own Frozen Burritos!

Hi Tiff!


So what do you do with all that leftover chili?  You make your own burritos!  These are really easy to make, and then you have an easy go-to meal for when you don't want to spend a lot of time or effort cooking.


There are 2 ways to do this.  First, my mom's method to cook for a group, and second, my method for individual servings (that you could microwave in a rush or take in your lunch).  I'll list both here.


The Basics:
Prep time: About a minute per burrito, plus cook time (see below as the 2 methods have different cook times)
Good for leftovers: hmm. haha. they ARE leftovers. so yes.
servings:  however many you have extra beans for.
cost: about 25-50 cents per burrito or less.


Ingredients:
"large" burrito size tortillas.  You can also use extra large but this size burrito is easier to store I think.
leftover chili or pinto beans, even black beans
grated cheese (optional)
salsa or your favorite hot sauce or taco sauce (optional)
nonstick spray



The Process:
Place 1-2 scoop of beans on your tortilla, closer to one side rather than in the middle.  Add salsa and cheese if desired.  Roll your burrito- if you have trouble with this like I do, check out this video I found which was really helpful.  I'm no expert burrito-roller, so it took me a few tries to get the right amount of beans so it wouldn't explode, and to get the folding process down right.  Thus, my first few are a little sloppy-looking, but once I got it figured out they worked out fine.  Repeat to make as many burritos as you want.


Mom's multiple serving method:

you can fit more burritos in a larger
casserole dish...but I can't, since it
wouldn't fit in my toaster oven! 

Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray, line up those babies, even 2 deep (I spray the top line of burritos with the nonstick spray too).  Cover tight with aluminum foil, and put in a plastic bag, and freeze it.   The next time you need a carefree hot meal that stays hot for a really long time, cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour or more depending on how many and if they are still frozen.  You can wrap the casserole dish with a thick towel, place it in a cardboard box, and 1/2 hour from then they are still too hot to eat.  Serve plain, or with salsa and tomatoes, sour cream.  They are complete hand warmers for an out door event.


I have a mini fridge (not much freezer space!) and no oven (just my toaster oven).  Plus, I like to have some burritos wrapped in smaller portions to microwave instead. So here's the way I do them:


My individual serving method: 
Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray, line up your burritos, and cook them at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Let them cool a bit, then place in freezer bags.  I found 3 burritos to fit one quart size bag just perfectly if they were rolled will; for my ones that didn't roll so perfectly I fit 2 burritos to a bag.  Freeze them, and next time you need a meal, pop one of those in the microwave for 3 minutes or so.  OR if you have a toaster oven, defrost in the microwave for about 2 minutes, and then cook in the toaster oven for another 2-3 minutes so it comes out crispy :).






Enjoy!


-joy

#18: Mom's Chili

Dear Tiffany,
Whenever there's something I've eaten at home but don't remember how to make (or what combination of spices, or how much space a cup of beans will take up when cooked...), I ask my mom.  As much as I love to find recipes online, I trust Mom's first because I know they are solid.  They're usually healthier too.


Such was the case when I wanted to make chili: first, email mom.  She's the one who tells me that "6 cups of dry beans make 5 1/2 quarts of cooked beans.   that is a full  (6 qt) crock pot with no room for meat or onions.  (I have to leave a little room so it doesn't boil over.)" 
My rule of thumb: a cup for every quart, minus 1 so you have room for the goodies.  So, for my 6 quart pot I used 5 cups of beans.  If you want your chili a little more beany and a little less soupy, add an extra half cup or so.


This is Mom's recipe: the chili we had at church this week.


The Basics:
Prep time: About 10 minutes prep time and then in the slow cooker all day...or longer.
Good for leftovers: yes!  You can even freeze them, or make your own frozen burritos!
servings:  24 (for a 6 qt pot)
cost: about $10


Ingredients:
5-5 1/2 cups dry pinto beans
2-3 lbs of whatever beef or pork is the best price (I used ground beef) Ground turkey is good too but not as cheap. If its not ground, cut into small chunks.
1 onion, chopped
fresh garlic (I used 2 tablespoons minced) (If you use garlic powder, make sure it doesn't have salt!)
1 tsp New Mexico chili powder
1 tsp california chili powder (If you can't find these chili powders, your basic chili powder will do fine)
lots of cumin, 3 or 4 tablespoons, Cumin is that bold spice without the 'heat'. the chili powders give the burn...
1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 tbsp Italian seasoning. crumble it with your fingers.
salt to taste


The Process:
Soak the beans overnight in a large (very large!) bowl or tupperware of water.  They will expand as they absorb the water, so you may need to add more water partway through.  While you can technically cook them without soaking, they're better this way and it reduces the "gas factor."


Drain the bean water, rinse, and quickly pick through to make sure there are no rocks or icky pieces (don't spend too much time on this).  Add the beans to the crockpot, along with your garlic, onion, meat, and spices...but do NOT add the salt.  If you add the salt, the beans won't soften.  Trust me.
  Fill to near the top with water- make sure to cover your beans completely with an extra 2-3 inches of water.  Cook on low all day (at least 8-10 hours), or longer- the chili we had at church had cooked for about 24 hours, believe it or not!  With beans, as long as you make sure its covered with water, you're safe for quite awhile.  If you're going to cook for more than 8-10 hours, you might want to stir every once in awhile and just check that there's still enough water.  (If the water is absorbed while its cooking, the beans on top get dry and burn)  A longer cook time means softer beans and more thoroughly absorbed flavors.


Once the beans are cooked, and about an hour before serving, add salt and extra chili powder (if needed) to taste, depending on how spicy you like your chili.  You may wish to add some more cumin as well.  Stir well and serve as a soup or with tacos or nachos.


Notes
Worried about your electric bill? Don't be.  The crockpot lady found this nifty chart from First Energy Corp. Ohio, which states that a crock pot costs about 2 cents per hour to run.
Spice it Up! The best place to get your spices is at a Mexican market, or in the little plastic bags they have in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store.  These are much cheaper than the little glass containers in the spice aisle.  If you can't find "New Mexico" or "California" chili powders, just go with regular chili powder; this is what I used.
Leftovers are great to freeze, but I used mine to make my own frozen burritos!
Where's the Beef?! If you're using ground beef, you may want to cook it on the stove top separately and add to your crockpot at any point in the cooking process.  Why?  Well, when you cook ground beef, you know all that fat that cooks out of it and ends up in the pan?  Do you really want all of that in your soup?
Vegetarians can eat great chili too!  Just leave out the meat in this recipe.


Enjoy!
<3 joy

#17: Stir-Fry is crock-pot-able!

Sorry, this picture is kind of dark!

Dear Tiffany,


Stir-fry is one of the first things I learned how to make as a kid, other than macaroni and cheese and scrambled eggs.  My mom grew up in Japan, so a lot of what we ate was Japanese (or other Asian)- influenced.  This week I wanted to make stir fry, but I was going to be where there wasn't a stove to use, so...yay for the crock pot!  I will list both methods below.  This kind of thing is so easy, its pretty tough to ruin!  The nice thing about using your crockpot (other than the convenience factor) is that the meat absorbs all the sauce flavors...yum!  You can also do without the oil (though I used a little) when you use your slow cooker.


I used yakisoba noodles (Japanese style "fried noodles") this time, but you can also use rice, or another asian frying-type noodle (such as chow mein or lo mein noodles- cooked soft, not crunchy).  In a pinch, angel hair spaghetti is an ok substitute as well.


The Basics:
Prep time: About 10 minutes to chop your meat and veggies, then about 10-15 minutes laboring over the stove or all day in the crockpot
Good for leftovers: yes.
servings:  8-10
cost: $10-$15


Ingredients:
1 package Yakisoba noodles (sometimes available at Safeway, but Berkeley Bowl Marketplace always carries them, as well as Koreana Plaza and other Asian markets).  Or you can substitute rice or another noodle (see above).
1-2 lbs chicken, beef, or pork, cut into small strips or chunks
tofu, cut into small 1-2 inch chunks (optional)
splash of vegetable oil
soy sauce
4-6 carrots, cut longways into 3 inch strips
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic (optional)
1 teaspoon minced ginger (optional)
stir-fry sauce, teriyaki sauce, or other asian sauce such as Yoshida's - they carry it at Costco
1 can baby corn (available at Safeway or asian markets)
1 can water chestnuts (available at Safeway or asian markets)
12 oz bag of broccoli (or just chop it yourself)
handful of chinese peas
OR you can just get a bag of the frozen stir fry mix in place of the veggies above, and add your own onions and whatever else the bag is missing


The Process: 
Stovetop method:
Saute meat, onions, garlic and oil in a wok or large (Very large!) skillet until the meat is mostly done.  If you have them, use a long pair of cooking chopsticks to stir.  It makes you feel special.  Remove the meat, and add the rest of the veggies, tofu, and sauce, and saute until veggies are almost crisp-tender, then add back the meat, add soy sauce to taste and cook a few more minutes.  Prepare noodles according to package directions, and enjoy!


Slow-cooker method:
Place meat, onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot in slow cooker; cover with stir-fry sauce.  Cook on low for about 6-7 hours, or on high for 3.  Add other veggies, and more stir-fry sauce or soy sauce if you need more liquid. Stir together and cook for another hour or 2. Prepare noodles according to package directions, and serve.  Add soy sauce as needed to taste.


Noodle notes: You can stir your noodles into your meat and veggies before serving, but my family has always found it easier to divide portions if you serve the noodles separately (this way, one person doesn't take all the noodles!  Or end up with only veggies.) and then each person stirs their own noodles into their stir-fry.


Make it Vegetarian: just use tofu instead of meat!  If you do this, make sure you get a "harder" variety of Japanese-style tofu, the softer ones will fall apart on you.