chicken burrito, veggie burrito

we've had a stressful week. companies being bought, sold and acquired, children with demanding tests and schedules, too many events on the calendar. not nearly enough sleep. new, stressful situations. big storms. ladybugs attacking our house (really, thousands of them). okay okay. that's enough dwelling on that. on to what to feed this tired, stressed out group. something soothing. something simple. something warm and comforting. something fresh and delicious. something to take advantage of the tomatoes corn and squash still fresh and delicious at the the farmers market. once you do the math, the answer is obviously burritos. this is hardly a recipe. but then the best food never is. you just assemble it. here's what we do:

chicken or veggie burritos

first, make the beans. since we didn't have a day to soak i started with 3 cans of black beans. two cans of black beans whole. 1 can of black refried beans (no extra flavors or spices added. just beans.)

yummy beans (that started in a can, it is possible)

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, smashed

3 cans of black beans

salt

saute onion, then garlic until translucent. add beans and their liquid. simmer for 1 hour. add salt to taste.

next

simple salsa

1 large or two medium chopped fresh tomatoes

2 ears of corn, steamed, kernals off the cob

1 shallot, sliced thin, chopped

large bunch of cilantro, stems minced, leaves lightly chopped

juice of 1 lime

fresh jalapeno minced, as much or as little as you desire

simple guacamole

2 avocados, mashed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small shallot, sliced thin, chopped

nice bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped

juice of 1 lime

salt

pepper

zucchini and or yellow squash 

thinly sliced. lightly salted. sauteed in olive oil. butternut squash works well here also as long as it is cut into matchsticks. (harder to chop than the summer squashes so i didn't use this time...nobody wants a stressed out cook).

for the chicken i usually use a rotisserie chicken from whole foods. only 7 dollars for a whole chicken, already roasted. hard to beat the convenience or thrift of that. i shred the chicken, sautee it briefly with some sort of seasoning, a little salsa or cumin, cilantro lime, whatever i have on hand.

heat the tortillas. i have found for me the easiest way is to wrap a giant stack in a tightly sealed foil pouch and put it in a hot oven for 10 minutes. then keep them warm with kitchen towels covering the foil. they stay hot a long time.

meanwhile, crumble some queso fresco or grate some kid friendly cheese that melts well: medium cheddar or monterey jack or colby jack cheese. also, put a little sour cream out in a bowl with a spoon on the assembly line.

when the tortillas are ready. assemble and layer.  first the beans and cheese, then the meat or veg and guac and salsa. roll up, wrap up, secure. now, hold the warm soft stuffed tortilla in your hands for a short pause before eating. so nice and warm. take a nice deep breath. relax. enjoy.