Recipe review: Chicken burritos with mojo

Since Thanksgiving was last week, I sought out recipes I would be able to use with leftover turkey. I really enjoyed this one and will happily make it again with chicken or turkey. The rice to me was the weakest component of the dish. It was okay, but nothing special. The beans were good in the burrito, and Sara LOVED them! They took longer than the 1.5 hours to cook fully for me, though.

Easy Chicken Burritos with Mojo

Ingredients

Mojo Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 serrano chilies, seeds removed
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice 2 limes
• Juice 1 orange
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 large flour tortillas
• 1 (3 to 4 pound) whole roasted chicken, shredded (I used leftover turkey)
  
• Yellow Rice, recipe follows
• Spicy Black Beans, recipe follows
• 2 avocados chopped
• 1 cup grated queso blanco or Monterey jack cheese
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Make the Mojo Sauce: Put the garlic, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, and olive oil into a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To make the burritos: Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in a dry skillet or on the grill until pliable. Place some chicken down the center of a tortilla and top with rice and beans, avocado, grated cheese, and Mojo Sauce. Roll up the burrito and serve topped with a generous drizzle of sour cream; garnish with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

Yellow Rice:

2 cups long-grain rice

4 cups water

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Spicy Black Beans:

2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quick soak the beans: Put beans in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season them with salt and pepper.

Yield: 8 servings