Grilled Chicken Burrito

I've always had trouble wrapping burritos.  I can never get the filling to stay inside, and I've discovered the reason is because I've never used the proper tortillas.  Burrito tortillas are HUMUNGOUS!  And the only place I've found them at are Mexican grocery stores.  Having the right tortillas really makes a difference.

Oh, and you know those Grilled Burritos that they have at Taco Bell?  They're really on to something!  Grilling burritos may not be authentic, but it sure does make them tasty!

Ingredients:

- Chicken breasts

- Salsa

- Shredded cheese

- Burrito tortillas

- Mexican rice

- No-fried beans

Directions:

- Put chicken breasts in a heavy bottomed pot and pour in salsa.  You don't need to cover the chicken all the way because it will release a bit of liquid on its own.

- Bring the chicken/salsa to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.

- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender enough to shred with a fork.

- Shred the chicken and flavor with salt and pepper (or other spices of your choice) if necessary.

- Take a tortilla and layer the cheese, beans, rice, chicken and any other extras you like (tomtatoes, guacamole, sour cream, etc) and wrap up the burrito.  Be generous with the fillings, those tortillas can hold a lot!

- Grill the burrito on each side until brown and crispy.

- Share with a friend...these suckers are big!

Mexican Rice

Oh poor neglected food blog.  Hello again and happy new year.  Have I really not posted since last year?  Ack.  So sorry.  I'll try to post here a bit more regularly in 2011.

Mexican rice is so much more fun than boring old regular rice and is so easy too.  I'm assuming you can dump all these ingredients in a rice cooker and it'd turn out great too, but since I'm already dirtying a pan for sauteing the onions, I just finish it in the pan instead of dirtying the rice cooker too.  I've never cooked rice without a rice cooker and still depend on it to tell me how much water to put in, but who knew cooking rice was so easy?  This doesn't mean I'm giving up the rice cooker though!

Ingredients:
- Oil
- Rice
- Water or broth
- Minced garlic
- Diced onions
- Tomato paste
- Salt
- Cumin
(optional - bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, etc)

Directions:
- Pour a bit of oil in a pan and add the onions.  Saute until soft.
- Add the other veggies if you're using any.
- Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds.
- Add the rice and saute until the grains are coated with oil and are a bit toasty.  Then add the water/broth.  Or, if you're like me and have no clue how much water to add without using the lines in the rice cooker, add the rice and water together.
- Stir in the tomato paste (to taste/color) until melted.
- Add salt and cumin to taste.
- Bring everything to a simmer, turn the heat down and put the lid on.
- Simmer until the water is gone and the rice is cooked through.
- Fluff the rice, garnish it with cilantro, and serve it with whatever Mexican goodies you want.