Bean and Rice Burritos

I love this dish because it highlights cloves, which are usually hiding in the background in Mexican cooking. This is a simple dish but tasty which is made even better if you make your own tortillas (which makes it a less simple, of course). I used some store-bought tortillas that where more like pressed sawdust that wheat tortillas. Lesson learned.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10 large burritos

- 1 cup long grain rice

- 4 cups water

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

- 2 tsp ground cloves

- 2 tsp oregano

- 2 cup diced canned tomatoes, with juices

- 2 cups mixed beans (pinto, black, chickpeas) or finely chopped seitan

- 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- salt to taste

- 10 large wheat tortillas

METHOD

1. Bring water to boil in a medium pot and add rice. Cook for 8 minutes then drain, rinse thoroughly in cold water, and rinse again. Set aside.

2. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onion, garlic, pepper, cloves, and oregano for 4-5 mins until onion softens. Add rice and mix well. Then, add in tomatoes and beans and cook over low heat until all the juice has absorbed and rice is cooked. Add a little water if it gets too dry, or rice is not cooking.

3. Get a cast iron pan heating over medium heat.

4. Add in cheese and sour cream and mix well. Season with salt, if needed.

5. Put 1/10 of the mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Fold over both sides, then bottom and top into a squarish package. Repeat. Place a few burritos, folded side down, in cast iron pan. Cook for a minute or two, until golden brown. Flip over and cook other side. Serve.