spicy turkey burritos!

My roommate and I made a trip to The Meat House in Brookline to stock up on some high quality meats and some fancy treats.  This little specialty shop located in Coolidge corner--and several other locations in MA including one in Beverly-- has everything a "foodie" could ever want (boasts the website).  As a self-proclaimed foodie, they couldn't have been more right.  With so many different things to choose from, we were undoubtedly overwhelmed.  The butcher behind the counter gave us the recommendation of Caribbean jerk turkey tips.  I love a good marinate so we decided to give them a try.  With no grill at my apartment and a busted broiler, I was quite puzzled on what to do with them... 
In related news, I've been in my apartment since September 18th and I have not yet (re)visited El Pelon --only the best little burrito place this side of Mexico.  If you've ever been to El Pelon, you'd understand how crazy this is, some may say even sacrilegious. Did I mention I live only a 15 minute walk from said burrito haven.  But rather than spending the money and the calories on a big (and oh so delicious) burrito, I decided I can try to recreate my own using the turkey tips, black beans and veggies to make the burrito filling.  Don't worry if you can't find a marinated meat-- leftover Thanksgiving turkey can work just as well!  Just look for a good bottled marinate at the grocery store.  I added a Mayan Fajita sauce to my veggies to add extra flavor.  This dish was SO filling but very healthy! By using no extra oil, tons of fresh veggies, black beans, turkey breast, light sour cream, 75% reduced fat Cabot cheese, brown rice, and high fiber tortillas they are low in fat, high in fiber and loaded with flavor! 

Spicy Turkey Burritos (serves 3)
3/4 lb turkey breast 
1/4 cup spicy marinate (I used Culinary Circle Mayan Fajita)
1/4 yellow onion
1/2 zucchini
1/3 red pepper
1/3 green pepper
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
cooking spray
1 cup cooked brown rice 
3 high fiber tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Traditional wraps)
Optional: salsa, light sour cream, guacamole, reduced fat cheddar cheese, veggies of your choice...


Start by prepping all of the veggies.  I only had onions, peppers, and zucchini in my fridge so I was limited to that.  If you have a preference for other veggies, add them as well (corn, mushrooms, summer squash etc).  Slice everything into bite size pieces.

 Spray a large frying pan with a little cooking spray and add the veggies on medium heat.  Toss the marinate/sauce in and stir.  

As the veggies start to sizzle, cut the turkey into bite size pieces and add it to the pan.  Next add the black beans.  Reduce heat to low-medium and cover with lid or foil, cook approximately 10-15 minutes. If you are using left over turkey, you'll have less cooking time.  If the pan/sauce gets dry, add a little water- about 1/4 cup at a time.  I probably added 1/2 - 3/4 cup water during the cooking process. Cook until the turkey is cooked through.  The smaller you cut them, the quicker the cook time.

While the filling is cooking, prepare the brown rice.  Look for a microwavable instant precooked rice (usually cooks in 60-90 seconds).  If you can't find that, buy the boil-a-bag rice.  Don't bother with flavored rice, there will be plenty of flavor from the marinate you choose.
Once the filling and rice is done, you can assemble the burrito-- herein lies the tricky part.  I've yet to master wrapping a burrito and it remain intact through the duration of a meal.  Start with a warm tortilla and add a strip of rice (about 1/3 cup) and 1/4 cup shredded cheese.  I am loyal to the 75% reduced fat Cabot Cheddar in a block and I grate it myself.  When you grate the cheese yourself, use the smaller grate and it'll seem like you are getting a lot more out of a 1 oz serving (more surface area--great mind trick!). 

Next add a hearty spoonful of the turkey-bean-veggie filling.  You don't want to add too much or it'll be impossible to roll up. Now's your chance to add sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc.  and then roll up!  Fold the ends up first then roll it into a burrito.  If you actually want to put the burrito down while you eat then you may want to wrap one end with foil so it doesn't unroll when you put it down.  

 I really wish I could take the credit for the deliciousness of this recipe but I think the marinates had a lot to do with it!  I will definitely be making this recipe again soon ...and most definitely polishing off the leftovers tomorrow.  I think you'd have a hard time finding a healthier burrito in a restaurant, enjoy!