Chicken Peanut Sauce Burrito

I got some peanut butter from Harvest Share last month and discovered that it actually is pretty good on celery. When the jar was close to empty, I thought it might be interesting to toss some rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and dried red pepper flakes, shake it up so the peanut butter sticking to the sides of the jar did not go to waste. I tried it on some lettuce and it was delicious. So this is the peanut dressing I made.

• 2 TBSP peanut butter
• 2 TSBP seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lg. clove of garlic, crushed and macerated with salt
• Juice from 1 lime, squeezed.

I thought it might be good with some chicken. So I sauteed a chicken breast with just some salt and pepper in olive oil. While it was cooking, I chopped 2 TBSP of yellow onion,   thawed out 2 TBSP of frozen peas by running them in cold water, toasted 6 pecans in a dry pan and chopped them up.

I removed the chicken breast and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then I heated up my burner and with the air vent on high, charred two flour tortillas against the coils of the stove. If I had a gas stove, I would grill, but this is my “electric grilling.” Just lay them on the medium-high coil with half hanging off the edge so you can grab them.  Flip with your fingers as soon as it begins to char, I generally “grill” on each side a few times to grill the whole tortilla. You cannot be doing anything else when you do this because you don’t want to start the tortillas on fire.  It adds a really great flavor and makes delicious tortillas.

I compiled my dish with a small handful of lettuce, the sliced chicken breast, onions, pecans and thawed peas. I then added the peanut dressing and rolled them up.

This is delicious. Chicken is such a mild ingredient that it embraces nearly anything you do. I liked the peas (And yes, fresh would be better, but needs must,) They added a bit of texture and freshness. It all went together so well. It’s zingy and spicy from the lime and red peppers and then the peanut adds this kind of hearty sweetness.

 

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Bacon & Kale Breakfast Burrito

Ah, the breakfast burrito. When I used to work in downtown Portland, I was a connoisseur of the food cart breakfast burrito. Of course, buying flour tortillas at the grocery store, we don’t get those huge tortillas for those huge burritos. A home cook making a burrito is just going to have to focus on the filling, not the wrapping. This filling is powered by the magic of bacon.

Take two slices of bacon and cut into fourths. Start frying the bacon on medium heat. Cut a slice of yellow onion and chop it up, making about 1 TBSP of chopped onion and add to the bacon as soon as there’s a bit of grease cooked out. Let cook until nearly done and drain, leaving just a bit of bacon grease to cook the kale.

Meanwhile, on a large, ungreased pan or griddle, lay down your burrito and spread some about 1 oz of shredded pepper jack chease on it. Let cook on low so the cheese begins to melt.

While the bacon is cooking, clean and chop up on leaf of kale, removing the rib. Chop as fine as you can. I like to roll the leaf up like a cigarette and then chiffonade the kale and then chop the thin ribbons of kale.

Add the kale to the bacon and cook for about three minutes, until it just starts to get tender. Add one or two eggs, depending on your preference and scramble in. By the time your eggs are done, the cheese should have melted so you can wrap up your burrito. For me, I spread the stuffing closer to one side, roll up that one side and then tuck in the edges and roll the rest of the way, but I am no expert at rolling a burrito.

I love the earthiness that the kale adds and of course, everything tastes better with bacon.

Simple Turkey Wrap

Fast and easy comfort food you can eat with your hands!

In a small pan, add 1/2 tsp of olive oil and sautee 1 tbsp of chopped onion, add 3 ounces of ground turkey, salt and pepper and a dash of garlic powder and let it brown, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Add 2 TBSP of green salsa and 1 TBSP of ranch-style dressing and stir. This makes two wraps.

Heat flat, ungreased griddle on medium.

Place half of the mix in the middle of a large flour tortilla, add a handful of chopped romaine lettuce and about an ounce of shredded pepper jack to each tortilla. Squeeze fresh lime juice all over the lettuce and cheese. !/2 of a fresh lime will do both wraps. Roll into packet and repeat for the other tortilla. Place on the griddle and heat until browned on each side.

This has such a tasty blend of creamy and spicy flavors from the ranch-salsa sauce. The lettuce stays firm and adds a pleasant crisp freshness to it.