Breakfast Burritos Baby!

This past weekend, I whipped-up a Brewer breakfast favorite, Breakfast Burritos. What I love about breakfast burritos is not only are they super yummy (yes, super yummy – I live with a five-year-old) but they are so easy to make very healthy and to customize to individual tastes. They are incredibly versatile and just beg for you to change-up the ingredients and experiment a little.

See, super yummy!

My intention with these particular breakfast burritos was to go healthy and lean and also to share with you a few of my favorite things – well, food things anyway.

Eggs – I LOVE eggs! My family goes through eggs (and bananas) like other families go through milk and bread. I also love …

Tillamook medium cheddar cheese, from the block please, I’ll shred it myself thank you. Light sour cream – I can’t do fat-free anything; I’d rather not eat, and that is saying something. Frozen turkey sausage links – because they are lean and quick and easy and taste pretty good. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t pancetta or bacon or chorizo but they are a good lower calorie substitute. Smart and Delicious low carb tortillas are my favorite – well aside from the real thing, fresh from a traditional Abuela’s kitchen; but were talking low cal and healthy today so whole wheat, low carb, high fiber it is. Jalapeno slices, we eat so many in this house that we buy the giant jar from Costco and store it in the spare fridge where it waits to frequently replenish a smaller, repurposed jam jar. And Chollula, tangy and spicy and awesome (live with a five-year-old).

So, in the Brewer house, those are the beginnings of a just about perfect breakfast burrito.

Here’s what happens next …

Scrambled eggs. For the five of us, I whisk together six eggs with about 1/4 cup of milk.

I sprinkle in a few chives after the eggs are in the pan and have just begun to start setting up. Another favorite of mine are the Litehouse freeze-dried herbs, I love the fresh herbs from my garden but these are great to have on hand. Toss a pat of butter into the pan. Okay, I know we are talking healthy today but it is one pat for 5 people, just one tiny pat for f-i-v-e people. Did I mention butter is also one of my favorite things. Moderation. M-o-d-e-r-a-t-i-o-n.

Now that the tiny pat of butter (for five people) has melted in a non-stick pan, pour in the beaten eggs and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat. DO NOT go past 4, don’t do it.

Many a pan of scrambled eggs has been ruined on a burner that is just too hot. The other trick is to take the eggs off the heat just before they are cooked all the way through. They will finish cooking on their own and will come out silky and creamy instead of rubbery or possibly even crusty, which is what happens when you go past 4 and don’t baby them. When the are off the heat, season with a little kosher or sea salt and pepper.

Silky and creamy. Baby your eggs, baby!

All that’s left is to make sure all of your filling items are prepped and ready to go and then,

you can start building your burritos – or overstuffing them as is the case with me.

I start with a warm tortilla and put a layer of cheese on first.

Eggs next (heat from eggs makes cheese melty).

Follwed by the turkey sausage – or whatever meat you decide (pick chorizo).

Add the jalapeno pepper slices, remember there’s a big jar in the spare fridge so its okay to be generous.

And finally, sour cream and Chollula – guacamole or avocado would be great too, I sadly didn’t have any on hand. Sniff. Roll it up and sprinkle it with a little more cheese, jalapeno and chives and pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm through and make everything melty. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on the side and guacamole if you have it. Sniff.

Such a happy plate. Enjoy!

Incidentally, if you noticed that my cooktop has a crack in it, you are a) correct and b) very observant. Glass cooktops DO NOT respond well when cast iron dutch ovens are dropped right smack in the middle of them. Sniff. Just one more reason I miss my gas cooktop. Sniff. Sniff. A replacement cooktop will be here soon and maybe, just maybe, someday gas lines will come to our little “ruralish” homestead.

A girl can dream.

Family Dinner Favorite: Taco Soup

Installment #3 in the Family Dinner Favorites category comes from my little sister, Rachel and is pretty new to my family but is an absolute favorite of hers; and she has some P.I.C.K.Y. eaters. I’m not sure how this recipe came to her originally, but I am sure glad it did.

Taco Soup is a cross between a soup and a chili or a “Stoup” as Rachael Ray would call it – oh wait, that is stew and soup. Oh well, you get the idea. However you want to classify it, the great thing about this quick, simple and nutritious dinner (actually, those are all pretty great things) is that the most difficult thing about it is opening the cans. Low fat and packed with fiber (lots of beans) and the kids will love it. You can’t go wrong.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Can Corn
• 1 Can  Creamed Corn
• 1 Can Pinto Beans
• 1 Can Kidney Beans
• 1 Can Black Beans
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (or Rotel with Green Chilies)
• 2 Packages Taco Seasoning
• 1 Package Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
• 1 Can Whole Black Olives, drained (Optional but Awesome)

One of the really cool things about this recipe is that the liquid from the corn, tomatoes and beans is what makes the liquid in the soup. No additional water or stock.

It is also a great “kids in the kitchen” recipe – they LOVE dumping the cans into the pot. And, if you are weird like us, while you chop the onions you can have a who can stand the onion fumes the longest contest with your eight year old. He won. I was cryin’ like a baby.

Now that the onion contest is over, brown them with the ground beef.

Have your helper start dumping in the canned ingredients and stir until combined.

Add the taco seasoning packets and the ranch dressing packet (I know it sounds strange, but somehow it works).

Give it a good stir and simmer for at least 20 minutes to heat through and give the flavors a little time to develop.

Serve with corn tortilla chips and your favorite toppings:

Topping Ideas:

• Sour Cream
• Avocado Chunks
• Grated Cheese
• Sliced Green Onions
• Jalapeno Pepper Rings
• Pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes

That’s it. This is also a great crock-pot meal. Brown your meat and onions and the put it all together in the crock-pot – everything but the black olives that is – and let it simmer on low for 6-8 hours; add in the olives, sprinkle with your favorite toppings and have a little mid-week fiesta!