Baked Black Bean and Avocado Burritos

WEEKNIGHT DINNER RECIPES FROM THE KITCHN

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Lean ground beef or turkey can stand in for the beans in these burritos — season it with salt and pepper and brown it in a skillet, and drain and cool slightly on a plate lined with paper towel before combining it with the chipotle sour cream. Also, pump up the nutrient power by adding sautéed chopped bell peppers, zucchini, or leftover cooked vegetables such as cauliflower.

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Make your own salsa in just minutes, if you prefer. Chop by hand or with a blender or food processor: 4 plum tomatoes, 4 tablespoons onion, 4 tablespoons cilantro, and 1 jalapeno. Combine with 2 teaspoons lime juice, and a pinch each of salt and ground cumin.

Serve this meal with:

• A big green salad with cherry tomatoes
• Leftover cooked vegetables and shallot vinaigrette

Tester's Notes

These burritos reminded me of a hybrid burrito and enchilada, but were really simple to make and great for vegetarians. I would recommend tasting the filling and adjusting that seasoning as needed, as you never know what the salt content of the canned beans may be.

I would also recommend spraying the foil with some cooking spray before covering the baking dish — this will keep the foil from sticking to the cheese so that it stays on the burritos instead!

- Christine, April 2015

Baked Black Bean and Avocado Burritos

Makes 8 burritos

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely minced
1 cup light or regular sour cream
2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 medium avocados, cut in 1/2-inch dice
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded light cheddar or Monterey Jack

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine chipotle and sour cream in a bowl. Purée half the beans in a food processor; add to the sour cream mixture. Stir in the whole beans and corn until well combined. Gently stir in the avocado.

Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Working one at a time, spoon one-eigth of the bean mixture down the center of each. Roll the tortillas closed and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the salsa over the tortillas and top with the shredded cheese. Cover and bake 20 minutes until cheese is melted and burritos are warmed through.

Recipe Notes

• Depending on your appetite and your side dishes, you may end up with leftovers burritos. They are great warmed up for lunch, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

ecipe: Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

WEEKNIGHT DINNER RECIPES FROM THE KITCHN

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Chimichurri is an Argentinean sauce most commonly served with red meat, but it is also delicious on grilled poultry or drizzled over poached shellfish. This recipe makes enough sauce to allow for leftovers. Use it during the week on sandwiches or vegetables, or freeze it in ice cube containers for single servings.

Serve this meal with:

• Smash Roasted Potatoes
• Sautéed Green Beans with Shallot Vinaigrette: Make a full recipe of the dressing, but just use a couple of tablespoons. You’ll use more tomorrow night for a salad and the remainder keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Tester's Notes

Herby, garlicky, and tangy chimichurri sauce is so delicious slathered over anything! I made the chimichurri a day ahead and just stored it in an airtight container in the refrigerator with some plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to keep it from browning.

The beefy skirt steak was really quick and easy to cook in the broiler and a great option if you don't have a grill or want to dirty your stovetop. I couldn't stop snacking on the pieces of skirt steak and it was great on top of a big green salad. The leftovers were also delicious in a quesadilla the next day.

- Christine, April 2015

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

Serves 4

For the chimichurri:1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the steak:1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Ground cayenne to taste (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon)
1 1/4 pounds skirt steak

Preheat the broiler and coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.

For the chimichurri: Combine the parsley, basil, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper in a blender. Process, shaking the blender if needed, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

For the steak: Combine the chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the steak. Place the steak on the prepared rack and broil 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and allow the meat to rest 5 minutes. Cut across on the diagonal into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch wide strips. Serve drizzled with the chimichurri sauce.

Recipe: Yotam Ottolenghi's Legume (Noodle) Soup

RECIPES FROM THE KITCHN

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One of the most important qualities of a great lunch is its appeal at the midday hour, when you're tempted to go out with colleagues or eat at that new burger stand instead of reaching for the container waiting for you in the office fridge.

We're exploring five great recipes this week from Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks, and part of what makes them so good is exactly this appeal. If I make a recipe from an Ottolenghi book, I really can't wait to eat it at lunch. Take this Persian-inspired soup, for instance, packed with chickpeas, lima beans, and noodles, and with healthy dose of sunny turmeric and tangy lime. Try getting something this good at the corner deli. No way.

This was another recipe Ottolenghi mentioned directly when I asked him about his favorite dishes to eat for lunch. "Anything noodle or pasta based is always a favorite – the legume noodle soup or tagliatelle with walnuts inPlenty More, for example."

The recipe, he explains in his notes, is inspired by Persian cuisine. He was inspired by this rich cuisine's "use of spices and herbs, by the ingenuity of its rice making, by pomegranate, saffron, and pistachios, by yogurt, mint, and dried limes."

The soup is directly inspired by a Persian soup called ash-e reshteh. As he says, it is the Iranian answer to minestrone. It calls for reshteh noodles, which he notes can be found at Iranian grocery stores, but it's fine to substitute linguine. And, he notes, "as suggested by the parentheses in the recipe name, you can dispense with the noodles altogether if you like. There is plenty going on, body-wise, without them."

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Tester's Notes

If you're looking for a hearty soup that can be a meal in itself, this one's for you! I loved the dried lima beans and chickpeas in here, but I would check on them after they've been cooking for 10 or 15 minutes, as they were almost overcooked at the 20-minute mark when I simmered them. Lots of fresh herbs and a little vinegar and sour cream at the end really perk things up, plus the pasta noodles in there make this really satisfying and a great option for vegetarians.

I didn't have clarified butter on hand, so I just used regular unsalted, and the soup turned out fine!

- Christine, May 2015

Legume (Noodle) Soup

Serves 8

2/3 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight with 2 tablespoons baking soda
2/3 cup dried lima beans, soaked in water overnight with 1 tablespoon baking soda
5 1/2 tablespoons clarified butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (4 cups)
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 rounded cup yellow split peas
8 1/2 cups vegetable stock
About 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
About 2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup dill leaves, chopped
Rounded 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
5 cups baby spinach leaves
3 1/2 ounces reshtesh or linguini 
2/3 cup sour cream, plus 1 teaspoon per portion to finish
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 limes, halved
Salt and black pepper

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and lima beans and place them in 2 separate saucepans with plenty of water. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until just tender. This should take anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Put the butter, onions, and garlic in a large pan and place over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown. Stir in the turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper and remove one-third of this mix from the pan to use later.

Add the chickpeas and lima beans to the pan, then add the split peas and stock. Simmer for about 35 minutes, skimming the froth occasionally, until the peas are tender.

Add the herbs, green onions, and spinach, stir well, and cook for another 15 minutes; add more stock or water if the soup is very thick. Add the noodles and cook for about 10 minutes, until they are just done. Stir in the sour cream and vinegar and serve at once, garnished with 1 teaspoon of sour cream per portion and the reserved cooked onion. Serve lime halves to squeeze over each portion.

NEC 2015 Movie

19 Delicious Turmeric Recipes to Spice Up Your Life

RECIPE ROUNDUP

Yotam Ottolenghi's Legume (Noodle) Soup

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OPEN SLIDESHOW

Have you fallen in love with turmeric yet? This potent and aromatic orange spice adds a ton of flavor to recipes while providing a slew of wonderful health benefits.

Whether you have a jar of it lurking in the back of your pantry and want to use it up, or simply have a strong desire to add more of the spice to your diet, these recipes will help you in your mission.

You don't need a lot of turmeric in a recipe for it to have a powerful impact in terms of flavor and color. Scrolling through the 19 I've listed here, you'll notice that each recipe is tinted slightly yellow or orange due to the spice.

There are a few different forms turmeric takes in cooking: dried ground spice, dried whole pieces, and fresh. Here's a quick guide on what the difference between the three are, and how to use them in your cooking.

If you're looking for more general ideas on how to consume more turmeric, this turmeric guide is also very helpful.

→ Read more: 7 Ways to Eat (& Drink!) Turmeric

1. Fire Cider

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This super spicy drink combines fresh horseradish, garlic, onion, ginger, chile pepper, turmeric, citrus, and herbs (like parsley, rosemary, and thyme). Crazy, right? Your winter cold won't know what hit it.

2. Bryant Terry's Curried Corn and Coconut Rice

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This vegan side dish from Bryant Terry includes a ton of spices in the corn, including 2 tablespoons of turmeric. Put that over luscious coconut rice and find true happiness.

3. Yotam Ottolenghi's Cauliflower Cake

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This cauliflower cake from Yotam Ottolenthi is all over Instagram. Have you tried it yet? You can basically justify eating it for any meal, and it's good hot or at room temperature.

4. Kerala Coconut Chicken Curry 

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This gorgeous chicken recipe comes together with the help of your pressure cooker. There's only one teaspoon of turmeric in this recipe, but it melds super well with the other spices.

5. Spiced Yellow Dal with Rice (Kitchari)

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This recipe transforms a mess of beans and rice into something dinner-worthy. If you want something cheap and delicious and full of spices, this is the meal for you.

6. Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

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Everyone knows cauliflower is the most magical vegetable. Like tofu, it takes on all the stuff around it and makes it better. Only 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric makes this soup a golden yellow-orange.

7. Yotam Ottolenghi's Legume (Noodle) Soup

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Ottolgenhi was inspired by Persian cuisine for this recipe. The soup is thick enough by itself that you can skip the noodles and it would still be delightful.

8. Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger, Turmeric, and Cumin

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Turmeric and cauliflower are BFF, and this recipe proves the relationship. You sear the steak on the stovetop, sprinkle it with a spice mixture, and then roast. So easy, right? Serve with cilantro and quinoa.

9. Sunshine Smoothie with Coconut, Clementine and Turmeric

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Feeling a little under the weather? This smoothie packed with vitamin C and turmeric will help you ride the storm.

10. Persian Herb Frittata (Kuku Sabzi)

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Fresh parsley, cilantro, chives, and dill are the stars of this recipe, although you can substitute leeks, scallions, tarragon, spinach, or other tender greens you have on hand. Turmeric adds a nice touch of color to the whole dish.

11. Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons

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This deeply satisfying chicken recipe is full of preserved lemons, olives, and a ton of spices. The whole thing is entirely warming and perfect for a dinner party.

12. Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry

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The next time you have a giant squash staring at you in your kitchen, turn it into this flavorful curry.

13. Wild Rice Bowl with Red Lentil Curry and Spinach

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Lunch, is that you? This grain bowl is not messing around. You can't go wrong with lentil curry.

14. Southwestern Tofu Scramble

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Tofu scrambles are a great recipe to have in your back pocket because they're so darn simple and can often trick even the most ardent tofu-hater into sitting down to a hearty, vegetarian breakfast.

15. The Superfood Baked Potato

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If you're going to create a whole meal dedicated to "super" foods, you better believe you have to include turmeric. That yellow stuff oozing from the potato? That's turmeric mixed with yogurt.

16. Turmeric-Ginger Tea

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This is the easiest recipe that features turmeric. Just combine water, turmeric, ginger, and maybe some milk and honey if you're into that kind of thing. Perfect for flu season.

17. Paneer Mughlai Curry

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This recipe is incredibly adaptable. If you're pressed for time, or if you want a lighter version of the recipe, there are directions for how to make it happen.

18. Popeye Pesto Tofu Scramble

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This delicious tofu scramble includes homemade pesto and turmeric for added flavor and color. Serve it in a tortilla or eat it straight.

19. Lamb Korma

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Combine lamb, coconut milk, and all the spices in your apartment, and this is the end result. It's a great