Spicy Black Bean Burritos

It's been a few days since my last post and it's not that I don't have anything delicious to share, but my body and brain have both been very tired from the 10 hour shifts at work (along with taking care of a home and playing zoo-keeper with my animals).  I honestly don't know how people do it everyday (not to mention with kids, too)!  Maybe it's something you get used to with time, in which case I really hope that I get used to it soon. I am so thankful to have this semester off from school or else I probably never would have never had the time to start my little blog baby which I love and care very, very much about.  Which is why I do not want to post unless the reading and recipe are worthwhile.  And in this case, I feel I have fulfilled both requirements!  Aside from me whining just a little...  

I'm not quite sure what came over me the other day, but I had a serious hankering (I think I'm one of the few out there who would shamelessly use that word) for a burrito the other day.  I absolutely LOVE them, but I haven't exactly mastered how to eat one gracefully.  I'm thinking it's probably a good thing Dave didn't take me out for Mexican on our first date, because if that was where he got his first impression of me, he probably wouldn't have ever called me back to go out a second time.  Lets just put it this way, calling me "messy" is a complete understatement.  Whenever I eat a burrito, it reminds me of the scene from an old Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie called "It Takes Two" where one of the girls, Alyssa, eats her first sloppy joe and her face gets absolutely covered with it.  I'll admit, I'm a close runner up to her, but I do try to be somewhat ladylike when I eat one.  But honestly, I can't even be bothered to use a napkin until I'm done because somehow I am capable of getting it everywhere.  I always manage to get my hands and face completely covered in yummy burrito goodness, but hey..that's the fun of it, right?  Attractive, I know.

I have never made my own burritos because I figured I should leave it to the pros at Moe's (my favorite!) but unfortunately there aren't any very local to where I live, and I wanted one, bad...so I decided to take the plunge and try them myself.  I have to say, I was definitely impressed and extremely satisfied with how awesome they came out!  I had it for dinner one night, and lunch the following three days.  I didn't even get sick of it of it once...but unfortunately I finished it all and am sad that it is now gone.  There is so much flavor squeezed inside and all of the components just compliment each other perfectly.  And they are definitely a great thing to just wrap up and save for dinner after a long day.  But I should probably warn you to not be wearing something nice when you eat them if you're messy like me...but if you must dress to impress, my suggestion is to invest in a big ole' bib.  That's at least slightly more attractive than burrito-face! 

Yield: about 6 servings
Ingredients:

For the bean filling:

• 2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• ¼ tsp. kosher salt

• Dash cayenne pepper

• 1/3 cup water or vegetable broth

•   2 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 6 tbsp. fresh salsa

For serving:

• 6 (9- or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

• Shredded cheese (optional)

• Diced tomatoes

• Shredded romaine lettuce

• Chopped green onions

• Sour cream, Greek yogurt, or Tofutti Better than Sour Cream
• Guacamole

Directions:

• To make the bean filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt and cayenne; stir, cooking just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.  Add the beans and the water or broth to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and lightly mash the mixture with a spoon or fork.

• Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each serving with a pinch of shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions, guacamole, and sour cream.  Roll the tortilla up tightly, burrito style, and serve immediately.

Adapted from: Annie's Eats