Skip to main content

Calexico Burrito

I like my salsa on the side for dipping, but normal people could simplify and just put it inside.

Of the many specials I've had at Laughing Planet over the many years (12 years since I started eating at the one in Bloomington), the Calexico has been my favorite. I've only seen it once. It had a long list of ingredients, which I wrote down and saved so I could try to make it at home, and here's my first attempt.

I set out knowing that I wouldn't be able to replicate Laughing Planet's deliciousness, because I've never been able to do it even with simpler ventures like spinach / black bean burritos. I think the secret is the way they heat the burritos after wrapping them in foil. Whatever magic they do while you're waiting for your order, it melds the flavors and elevates the burritos to something I can't make at home. My best approximation has been to bake them in the foil for 20-30 minutes, but they come out a bit more crisp. Do they steam them, maybe?

Anyway, I was still excited to make my own inferior burrito with the flavors of the Calexico, simplified a tad. Here's what I did.

This slaw will be great on grilled shrimp tacos tomorrow.

Ready to roll.


The Recipe:
Flour tortillas
Red beans
Brown rice
Queso fresco
Guacamole (avocado, red onion, salt, and lime juice)
Slaw (cabbage, carrots, cilantro, green onion, garlic, honey, lime juice, and salt)
Chicken, shredded
Salsa (I think theirs was a smokey chipotle-type salsa, but mine wasn't.)
  • Put ingredients in tortilla.
  • Roll, then wrap the whole burrito in foil.
  • Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Or figure out what Laughing Planet does, and do that instead.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: B+
Overall reason: Guacamole in a burrito is genius.
Time to prepare: 30 minutes, though it's best to make the slaw ahead of time and let it sit.
Husband quote: No quote, but I'd like to document the fact that after he'd finished his burrito, he started staring at me and imitating my face while I was finishing mine. Because every girl wants to be imitated while she's eating a burrito. He claims it wasn't a weight-loss tactic... he was just amusing himself.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from  Tea for Turmeric  and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...

Curry Fried Rice

Excited for these leftovers. One of the things I wanted to try with my  new jar of curry powder  was fried rice. Years ago, Miles got fried rice at  Korea House  and it was the best fried rice I'd ever had. I suspected there was curry powder in it, but at that time I had never really cooked with curry powder, so I tucked that knowledge away for a later date. After reading a few recipes, I went rogue on this one. I couldn't even begin to effectively guess at what proportions I ended up with, so the recipe below is more of a rough guideline of ingredients. The "Recipe" (sorry no quantities; follow your heart): leftover jasmine rice tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven with avocado oil and salt vegetables: garlic, onion, cabbage, red bell pepper salt curry powder (I used a Vietnamese one) soy sauce sugar sesame oil future topping ideas: runny egg, sesame seeds, green onion Saute the vegetables in avocado oil until softened, and salt them to taste Add the tofu and toss to...