Southwestern Burrito Bowls
In Southeast Texas, burritos are not only a major food group, they are a way of life. Stand on any street corner and I can guarantee there will be a taco stand within burrito-throwing distance. So, naturally, how can I possibly be Texan and not have a burrito recipe on here yet? Today, that changes.
I just joined the blogging collective, 37 Cooks. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re a group of cooks that create recipes for a specific challenge (most recently hosted by The Spice House) or purpose. As a new member, I was asked to complete the “Meet the Cooks Challenge” and develop a recipe that describes me. “How can I possibly narrow myself down to a single recipe?” I wondered aloud. Oh, right. I love Mexican food. Duh. So I created a new burrito bowl recipe loosely inspired by one of the very first recipes I ever mastered, Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch.
Now call me crazy, but I prefer burrito bowls over actual burritos. You get all of the delicious innards (paints a lovely picture, doesn’t it) without killing your appetite with a tortilla. Don’t get me wrong, I love tortillas. I may even throw up my recipe on here soon. But choosing a bowl over a burrito offers more versatility, larger portions and is much easier to reheat.
Not to mention, it’s much easier to appear like a classy lady eating a beautifully dressed dish such as this. Not so easy shoving a giant burrito down my fat gob, as I’ve been known to do.
But I digress.
Earlier I mentioned versatility. The recipe below is what I enjoy in my burrito, but by no means is it a comprehensive and concrete list. Add or subtract toppings as you please and build the whole thing à la carte. The only thing I really have to stress though, is that cooking proper Mexican rice requires NO OPENING THE LID. Short of burning down the house, I ask that you refrain from lifting the lid. Otherwise, the rice will come out gummy. I’m sure the last thing you want to dig into is a straight up brick of rice. Using a rice cooker is a super easy way to complete the rice portion of this recipe. Just make sure your rice cooker has a saute function for the first step or fry the rice in a skillet before transferring everything else to the cooker.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you feel so inclined, hop on over to my entry at 37 Cooks to see some fabulous recipes and learn a little more about yours truly.
Looking for something to go with your burrito bowl? Check out my recipes for Tex Mex Queso and Ultimate Green Sauce.
Until next time. X
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Southwestern Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 4 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
For the Toppings:
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into rings
- 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- black beans, cooked, rinsed and drained
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- corn, steamed and drained
- carrots, diced, steamed and drained
- spinach, chopped, steamed and squeezed dry with a paper towel
- red cabbage, chopped roughly
- 1 jalapeño, sliced thinly into rounds
- 1 avocado
- sour cream or plain greek yogurt (optional)
Instructions
- Place the oil and uncooked rice in a medium skillet over medium heat and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the rice turns white.
- Add the tomato sauce, cumin, garlic salt, oregano and broth to the skillet and stir until combined.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered with a heavy lid, for about 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid.
- After the 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes.
- Uncover and fluff with a fork. The rice should be dry and not gummy (unless the lid was lifted) and can be made ahead of time if needed.
- While the rice is cooking, heat the canola or vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.
- Toss in the onions, making sure to coat each piece in oil.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring or tossing often with a pair of tongs. The onions should be soft and translucent, slightly browned and smelling sweet. You can continue cooking for a deeper caramelization or stop now, as they should finish around the time the rice does.
- For easy preparation, use the steam-able frozen bags of vegetables for the corn, carrots, spinach and black beans. Using canned or cooking from fresh is also an option but takes more time.
- In a bowl, layer about 1/2 cup of rice, the sautéed onions, black beans, tomatoes, corn, carrots, spinach, red cabbage and jalapeño to your tastes.
- Remove the pit from the avocado and make a cross hatch pattern in the flesh, then scoop onto the top of the bowls, leaving the skin behind.
- Drizzle with sour cream or plain greek yogurt and enjoy!
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