Vegetarian Burrito Filling

My sewing machine is broken again. Or still. I am not sure. I have never used the manual buttonhole feature before, so maybe it never worked. I will never know for sure.

At any rate, it is back with the repairman, who is not sure he can fix it. The machine does the zigzag stitch just like it should, but in buttonhole mode it does straight stitch. If you can con it into zigzagging, it refuses to do the sides in a narrow stitch and the bar tack in a wide stitch like it is supposed to. He said something about never seeing a problem quite like this before. I am just trying not to think about it. Now is not the time to buy a new sewing machine, particularly when I am dying for a serger.

Anyhoo, my friend Tracy is kind enough to let me stop by later this week to sew some buttonholes and then play (Dana and her son play together), so I will at least be able to put Nora in the dress for the wedding, as planned. But I am not sure Dana will get her dress in time for Saturday. We'll just see how the week goes.

So I thought I would post a recipe. I make this about once a week, as everyone loves it at this house. And that is such a rarity that I have to keep it in high rotation. It's a vegetarian burrito filling. We think it is great!

Burrito Filling (aka beans and rice)

1/2 cup brown rice
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tomato, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can black or pinto beans
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
cheese
sour cream
tortillas
etc .


Put the brown rice, water and lime juice in a rice steamer, or cook on the stove, according to directions on package (mine takes about 45 minutes in the steamer).

Put the vinegar and oil in a bowl. Throw the tomatoes, green onions and cilantro on top. Mix and let it sit while the rice cooks. This gives it a chance to soak up the flavors.

Do useful things as you wait for the rice, such as grating your cheese and setting the table.


When the rice is done, rinse the beans in a colander under hot water. Add them to the tomato mixture. Put the hot rice on top and mix it all together. The hot rice will warm the beans the rest of the way. It is a nice little time saver if you are running late on dinner, which I often am.

Spoon the filling onto a tortilla and top with cheese, sour cream, taco sauce, and anything else you like.

Roll up the tortilla and eat.

Sometimes, if there is leftover filling, I will throw it over romaine for lunch the next day. It doesn't even need dressing because of the oil/vinegar/lime juice combo. I love that it can be salad or filling.