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Lentil & Rice Burritos

December 17, 2008 By Kate 8 Comments

These burritos make a wonderfully frugal, meat-free, delicious meal. The texture of the lentil and rice combination is surprising similar to ground meat too.

Lentil & Rice Burritos

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/2 green pepper, diced
  • 1 T. Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 c. brown rice, fully cooked
  • 1 1/2 c. lentils, fully cooked
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 3 t. cumin
  • 2 t. salt
  • 1 t. oregano
  • 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
  • 1 c. shredded cheese, optional
  • 10 tortillas (I use homemade, but store-bought will work just as well)

1. Cook onion, green pepper and garlic in hot olive oil for 5 minutes. Cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooled veggies with the lentils, rice, tomatoes and seasonings. Stir to combine.
3. Generously scoop filling into tortillas; sprinkle optional cheese on top of the filling, if desired. Roll up tortillas, place in a casserole dish. (If making this ahead of time, store in the refrigerator at this point.)
4. Place casserole dish in a 350 degree oven and cook until heated through, about 15 minutes. Top with sour cream, if desired.

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Improv in the Kitchen

December 17, 2008 By Kate 4 Comments


Our crockpot is currently out of commission. I’ve been avoiding all crockpot recipes for a long time because of this. But today I really had a craving for a favorite crockpot recipe. I knew there had to be another way.

The dish I wanted to make wasn’t one that could be simmered on the stove though. So a quick google search told me the standard temperatures that most crockpots cook at on high and low. (For those of you that are curious, high is 200 – 250 degrees, low is 150 -200 degrees.)

I decided I could easily improvise. I covered my baking dish with foil and set it in the oven at 220 degrees for 6 hours. It turned out perfectly and just like I remembered.

I’m sure cooking this way isn’t as frugal as using a crockpot, but it served its purpose today. That definitely worked for me. (And hey, maybe it was frugal if our heat didn’t run as much from having the oven on…right?)

The recipe I made is very similar to this Creamy Mushroom Chicken recipe that I’ve shared before. I found the original recipe about 10 years ago in a Taste of Home magazine. It called for 4 chicken breasts, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 c. sour cream, 1 t. thyme and 5 slices cooked and crumbled bacon. The whole thing was cooked in a crockpot for 6-8 hours on low. My recipe above is my from-scratch version of that recipe. But when cooked in a crockpot, or in the oven for 6 hours, the texture of the chicken is incredible.

Head over to Rocks In My Dryer for more WFMW.

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Apricot Chicken with Garlic and Green Onion Couscous

December 12, 2008 By Kate 2 Comments

This dinner is a favorite for those days when there are no stolen moments! It comes together so quickly and tastes delicious. I take 15 minutes while eating breakfast to do some very minimal prep work, and then the rest is done just before we eat.

Apricot Chicken with Garlic & Green Onion Couscous
For the chicken:

  • 1 lb. chicken breast tenders (or 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut in half)
  • salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste
  • 1 c. apricot preserves

1. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder over both sides of the chicken. Place in a baking dish and cover with preserves. Cook immediately or refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld.
2. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until chicken is done.

For the couscous:

  • 2 T. Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 green onions, thinly sliced
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 c. chicken stock
  • 2 c. couscous

1. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until dinner time.
2. In a saucepan, bring 2 c. chicken stock to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in reserved garlic and green onions.

Stop by Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipes.

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