Freezer-Friendly Brown Bag Burritos

Freezer-Friendly Brown Bag Burritos

http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-brown-bag-burritos-day-7.html

Makes 20 burritos

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cans refried beans (you can make your own refried beans)
• 2 cans enchilada sauce (you can make your own enchilada sauce)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup diced onion (you can also use dried or minced onion)
• 1 taco seasoning packet (Amy’s recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. I used the taco seasoning packet instead because that’s what I already had on hand and I didn’t have any chili powder on hand.)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 20 burrito-sized flour tortillas (you can make your own tortillas)

Brown ground beef with onions. Drain and add all remaining ingredients except tortillas (and cheese, if you want to sprinkle the cheese on instead).

Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Spoon 1/4-cup of the meat mixture onto a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese (if you didn’t melt cheese into the mixture when you simmered it). Fold sides in and roll up tightly.

To freeze: Wrap each burrito in a paper towel and then in a foil square. (I skip the paper towel part since we don’t buy paper towels.) Put burritos in two airtight ziptop freezer bags and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

To serve: Pull out desired number of burritos. Remove foil (you can save the foil and reuse it the next time you make brown bag burritos!) and heat a single burrito in the microwave for about a minute or leave the foil on and heat one or more burritos in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

These can be eaten plain or served with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and/or sour cream.

Jessica Kozol Quinoa Salad

Jessica Kozol Quinoa Salad

Off the top of my head it's quinoa (1 and a half cups?) cooked in vege broth (or chicken) and let it cool.

Then the veggies are tomatoes, cucumbers, canned artichoke hearts (optional but good), red onion, parsley, cilantro.

The dressing is a few tbls. olive oil,1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, juice of a half lemon or so, a clove or two of garlic finely chopped. Top with feta at the very end just before serving.

BLACK BEAN & COUSCOUS SALAD

BLACK BEAN & COUSCOUS SALAD
http://fortheloveofgrub.blogspot.com/2008/08/black-bean-couscous-salad.html
~ allrecipes

 1 c. uncooked couscous
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
3 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

 Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2-quart or larger saucepan and stir in couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans. Toss to coat. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Rachelle's notes- I used Quinoa instead of couscous and added feta.

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne
http://annies-eats.com/2008/11/26/roasted-red-pepper-and-basil-pesto-penne/

 Ingredients
 3 cloves garlic
 1/3 cup pine nuts
 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 1 cup roasted red bell pepper (fresh or jarred)
 1 cup basil leaves
 ½ tsp. salt
 ¼ tsp. pepper
 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
 1 lb. penne pasta
 ¼ cup heavy cream, optional

 Directions Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add Parmesan, red pepper, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. With the motor running, add olive oil through the feed tube and process until incorporated. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the pesto to the pasta and stir to combine. Stir in heavy cream if desired for a creamier sauce. Heat until warmed through. Serve immediately.