The last time I tried to make burritos out of ground turkey, it was an absolute failure.  The meal was edible, and my roommates were kind enough to not say much, but I certainly was not sneaky enough in my attempt.  The flavor was far too bland.  The chipotle chiles added a smoky flavor underlying everything, and my favorite Jack’s Special Salsa was the perfect topping.  I experimented with an expensive Mexican cheese which was not as exciting as the price would indicate.  Next time, I think I’ll spring for the more expensive but certainly more appropriate “melting cheese”.

Photo by Nathan Clendenin

Ingredients:

• 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (depends on your preference for spiciness), minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 lb. ground turkey (you could easily use beef here)
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
• 2 cups cooked rice
• cheese
• tortillas
• salsa and sour cream (optional)

Procedures:

1. Cook the ground beef in a greased frying pan.  Add spices, onions, ad bell pepper as it cooks.  If necessary, add 1/4 c. water to keep the meat moist.
2. Stir in beans, rice, and cheese.
3. Roll in flour tortilla.
4. (optional step) Top with additional cheese and place in oven set to broil for a few minutes.
5. Add salsa and/or sour cream as desired.

Notes:

• One trick to delicious rice: cook in chicken broth.  It’s pricey, but it sure does add to the flavor.  What I normally do to accommodate the flavor without the price is add a chicken bouillon cube as it cooks in the rice cooker.  Small cost, little effort, nearly as good results.
• Things to consider adding:
  • Mashed sweet potatoes make a great bean-like addition.  Be aware of the fact that you made need to add more spices to accommodate for the blandness of their flavor.
  • Chopped eggplant can “beef” up the filling without all the fat and calories of meat.  An excellent healthy alternative.
• Where to shop: while none of the ingredients I used are particularly obscure, they’re not necessarily ingredients regularly used by white, middle-class Americans.  I’ve found Harris Teeter to be the worst possible place to find good selection in canned Mexican food products, with Kroger not too far behind.  A better alternative: consider tracking down a more authentic Mexican grocery.  In Durham, my favorite is La Superior.  They’ve got excellent produce, a large selection of canned chiles and sauces, fresh corn tortillas, and, of course, meat. If that’s a bit too out of the way for you, I’ve found Food Lion to have a large selection of Mexican food products, most of which are not made by Ortega.  :)