Seven-layer burritos via Rachael Ray

I’ve been getting Rachael Ray EveryDay magazine for quite few years now and I’m pretty sure I will never cancel my subscription. I don’t have time to watch her show, but I can flip through a magazine and tear out a recipe that looks good in 5 minutes flat. She’s taught me how to properly dice an onion, how to peel my garlic, and how to make cultural foods that I was afraid to tackle. And I have to say, she almost never steers me wrong. Most, if not all, of the recipes I have tried have been delicious – even if I was initially skeptical.

I pretty much knew this one would be amazing… I mean, how can you go wrong with a seven-layer burrito? A few things I love about it:

Seven-Layer Burritos Rule Because:

• They’re amazingly cost-effective, particularly because it’s meatless
• They’re really filling
• They’re full of fresh ingredients (the homemade pico de gallo and guacamole are delicious)
• They’re quick and easy to make

So I am slowly inching my way toward clean eating, and once I pop this baby out, I fully plan on focusing more time and energy on it (I’m sure I’ll be blogging about it along the way). I am bookmarking some of my favorite recipes that I think I can get away with, and this one just about fits the bill; though you would have to replace the tortilla with a whole wheat one and make the beans yourself. But it’s well worth it, because this recipe is a winner for a quick meal when you are craving Mexican food.

Seven-Layer Burritos Recipe

Via RachaelRayShow.com
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 16-ounce cans vegetarian refried beans
• 3/4 cup vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot (I used Tapatio)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped, divided
• 3 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped, divided
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Salt
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1 romaine heart, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped (I skipped these)

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the beans with the stock, hot sauce and cumin over medium-low, stirring until warm, about 10 minutes.
2. Make the guacamole: In a medium bowl, combine half the onion and jalapeños with the lemon juice and garlic. Season with salt; let stand 10 minutes. Mash in the avocados.
3. Make the salsa: In a small bowl, toss the remaining onion and jalapeños with the tomatoes and cilantro; season with salt.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add one tortilla and cook until it starts to blister, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place one tortilla on a work surface.
5. Spread beans, one-quarter of the cheese, some romaine, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and olives (if using). Roll up, burrito-style. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings. Cut burritos in half; divide among plates.