Fast and Easy Veggie Burritos and A Big Announcement

So it has been a ridiculously long time since my last post and for this I am very sorry. It's not that I have forgotten about this little blog, I just have been cooking very basic dishes that I've made a million times or relying on take out. Why do this when usually I love creating new things and get bored of too much repetition, you might ask? The reason is simple and very exciting...I'm pregnant! And for anyone who has been through it themselves, or knows anyone who has, the first trimester is not a time to be whipping up exotic new creations and experimenting with new flavors. If you're nausea doesn't prevent you from entering the kitchen altogether, the exhaustion will keep you from putting in much effort when all you want to do is eat something that sounds remotely appealing and then lay back down.  I was fortunate in that I did have nights where I was able to cook simple dinners for me and my hubby. But as far as creating new recipes and then writing about them, that was more than I could handle.

I did, however, manage to take some pictures of a couple of the things I made over the last few weeks. Now that I am feeling better and have more energy, I will share them with you. This first one is a great recipe to have in your arsenal since you can always have the ingredients on hand and it takes very little time to whip together. Like many of my recipes, this one is based on a recipe my mom used to make us as kids. It's always fun to eat things with your hands and there's lots of healthy things all mixed together with flavorful spices. Although I generally like to use fresh produce, frozen is almost as good and great when you haven't been to the store in awhile and don't feel like making an extra trip. We used flour tortillas growing up but if you prefer corn, or can't eat the flour ones like me, those work just as well. I'd probably just heat up a few more since they tend to be much smaller. Feel free to play around with the toppings, adding whatever you have or whatever sounds good, like sour cream, hot sauce, avocados, etc.

Fast and Easy Veggie Burritos (serves 4)

• 8 10-inch flour tortillas
• 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks or small cubes
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 16oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
• 1 10oz bag frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Dash, or more, of hot sauce, depending on your taste
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• Shredded Cheddar or your favorite cheese
• Salsa, sour cream, or any topping of your choice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute onion, carrot and garlic for a few minutes to soften. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir in tomato sauce, broccoli, corn, black beans, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and let the mixture simmer for about 5-8 minutes, until everything is heated through.
Warm the tortillas in a low oven or, covered, in the microwave.
Serve the burrito mixture in the tortillas topped with cheese and any other toppings you like.

For a printable recipe click here