Baked Chicken Burritos with Refried Beans

This is weight watching food at its best for me. Poached chicken breast with no skin, low fat crème fraiche, low carbs. Okay so there is some cheese involved but its not loads and we can't be perfect can we?!

I actually made this last night because I wanted something quick and flavourful and filling enough to not notice that it was 'dreaded diet' food. It is such a nice dish to cook and tastes lovely.

You can, of course, buy tins of refried beans - I have in the past and it works well for the burritos, but its simple to make yourself and tastes so much nicer than the tinned variety, that I serve some on the side with a sprinkle of cheese to melt into the top.

Comforting Refried Beans

For the refried beans:

Ingredients:     (Serves 3-4)

1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained (butter beans work too)
2 fat cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 pint vegetable stock ( a cube is fine)

Method:

Fry the garlic in a wide frying pan for 2 minutes to cook, but not brown. Add the drained beans and the stock. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes. Then mash. Its as simple as that.

For the baked chicken burritos:

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
200g chopped tinned tomatoes
80ml (few large spoonfuls) low fat crème fraiche
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper
pack of flour tortillas
150g grated cheddar cheese

Poach the chicken breasts by covering with water (about an inch over the top). Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. turn off the heat and leave the chicken in the water for another 10-15 minutes and they should be perfect. Cool and shred the meat into a bowl. Set the oven to 190 C.

Add the spices to the chicken along with the tomatoes and crème fraiche. Season with salt & pepper and stir well.

To assemble, ideally use a square 9 inch lasagne dish (you can use any shape but this one fits the tortillas perfectly). Take one tortilla and spread about 2 tbsps. of the refried beans down the centre. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and add 1/5 of the chicken mixture. Roll up and lay into the dish and repeat with 4 more. This recipe will fill 5 tortillas and they will fit snuggly in the dish. Any remaining tomato cream sauce can be poured oven the top of the filled burritos. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and put in the oven for 30 minutes until piping hot and bubbling.

Serve with a salad and a little more refried beans on the side.

Baked Chicken Burritos

Quick, low fat and delicious for a week night meal.

Blackened Salmon, Mango & Black Bean Salad with Mofongo

You know what I love most about cooking? Its the fact that yesterday I took some salmon fillets out of the freezer and could have done salmon ravioli with a basil sauce, or pan fried the salmon with griddled asparagus, or en croute. By using flavours from over the world can take you any where! It so happened that yesterday it took me to the vibrant Puerto Rico.

Mango & Black Bean Salad

Firstly the salad:

1 small red onion, sliced
1 400g tin black beans (drained)
small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 large ripe mango, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
zest and juice of 2 limes.

Whisk together the lime zest, juice and olive oil. Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl and dress with the lime dressing. Zingy, colourful, refreshing and vibrant!

Then the Salmon.

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
2 salmon fillets, skin removed

Mix the herbs, garlic and oil in a shallow bowl. Marinade the salmon fillets for 20 mins. Put a frying pan on hot with a tbsp. vegetable oil and put the salmon in. Leave for 7-8 minutes to blacken and pop in the oven  at 180 C for a further 8 minutes to cook through. Serve.

Blackened Salmon

Finally, let me talk about the Mofongo. Now anyone who has been to Puerto Rico is likely to have either heard of, seen or eaten this. It is basically mashed cooked plantains (green bananas) with garlic, olive oil, a little stock and bits of bacon. It is sometimes stuffed and usually served with a cooked meat or in a broth with fish. Traditionally it is also used as a turkey stuffing during celebrations!

To make Mofongo:

2 green plantains
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
40g bacon bits (I fried a little diced pancetta)
about 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock.

In a bowl, crush the garlic with the salt until a paste, using the end of a rolling pin (or similar). Add the oil and mix in. Leave to one side. Peel and cut the plantain into 1 inch pieces and fry gently on both sides until golden (but not too browned). Drain on kitchen paper and add to the garlic oil. Add the bacon and start to crush the plantain against the side of the bowl. Keep crushing, slowly adding the stock as the plantain will be quite stiff. Keep crushing and mixing until nicely mashed. Oil a ramekin or small bowl and tip out onto a plate. Garnish with coriander and squeeze over a little lime juice. Very different - and very, very tasty!

Colourful and delicious!

This dish is moist enough as it is but for extra yummy - I made a simple vinaigrette for the Mofongo, with olive oil, white wine vinegar and a pinch of saffron.

On a final note - its certainly not traditional - but next time I make this I think a thinly sliced red chilli would work in any of these dishes!! But I like chillies in everything!