Veg*n Cooking and Other Random Musings: Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps and a Trip to the Lou!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps and a Trip to the Lou!

I made some really flippin' tasty Pinto Bean Wraps the other night, but sadly, I forgot to take a picture of them. I usually end up not blogging about things I forget to photograph - that is, at least until I make it again and can get a picture, but these, they were super tasty, and I just had to share this simple, super easy recipe, picture or not.

This is one of those dinners that can be put together in about 10 minutes, and I love those kinds of meals. The ingredients used can also be made in quantity as they are very versatile and can be used for burritos, taco salads, quesadillas, bowls, etc., with just a few other ingredients.

Without further fanfare, here is the recipe.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps

Bean Mixture:
2 cups pinto beans, cooked ****
1 cup sweet corn, cooked
4 tbsp Salsa Diablo (or other super, super spicy salsa)
dash salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:
2 cups long grain brown rice, cooked ****
1-2 tbsp dried cilantro flakes +
1 tbsp lime juice
dash of cumin
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Fixin's:
Cheese
Sour Cream (tofu or regular, Brett used organic sour cream)
diced tomatoes + (the first local ones of the year!)

Layer rice and bean mixtures in warmed tortillas, adding any fixin's you desire. Roll up and fry.

This evening, I am off for a trip, all by my lonesome to good 'ol St. Louis, Missouri for a weekend of wedding planning. Brett, lucky for still being in school, is inundated with homework, and I know how it is trying to do homework and traveling, so we decided it would be best for him to stay home. I am really going to miss him though, in the entire six and a half years we have been together, we have only spent a night or two apart, and that was when Brett went to Illinois for something a few years ago. Sigh. But I have left him well prepared, I've made him pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, I seasoned up some lentils for him, defrosted some Super Beany Chili for him, made sure he had tortillas, local colby cheese with hot peppers in it, sour cream, and I baked him two dozen chocolate chip cookies, and a tray of granola bars. Whew! At least we know he will be fed. It is hard to believe Brett is thin, but he is.

Anyway, you may wonder why I am going to St. Louis for wedding planning since we are supposedly having the wedding here in Columbia... Well, plans changed. I don't want to get into all of it, but we are now going to be having our wedding in some garden in St. Louis proper, and selected family members will be invited. From my side, we are inviting my Dad, step-mom Stacey, step-brothers Josh, Zac, and Jordan, my step-grandmother Barb, and my grandparents from my Dad's side (they are coming up from Houston!). Brett will be inviting his Mom, Dad, brother (and his wife and kids I guess), his sister (and her husband and kids I guess), and both his grandmothers. Everyone is a lot happier with this arrangement but it does mean a lot more planning. We are going to try to get our good friend Neil to officiate the ceremony, and now Selina and Matt (Brett's brother) have to be "real" Matron's of Honor/Best Men, including, sadly, a dress which I hope Selina doesn't spend the rest of her days resenting me making her look like some sort of green puff ball (S, this is why I put picking out the gown in you and Stace's hands, I can't be the target of your later resentment. :-))

I feel horrible for poor Selina, she is such a rockin' friend and I don't know what I would do without her, but she has had to field all of my crazy questions including, I kid you not, asking her what a "boudanear" was (yes, I didn't know what it was and I also didn't know how to spell it - but she can be thankful that she wasn't Brett trying to explain to me what a "garter" was, I found out it is some sort of belt that has some really silly symbolism). I never thought about weddings until Brett proposed - ever. I'm also not much of a "girlie girl" flowers, hair, shoes (aside from sneakers, I like sneakers), invitations, all that is beyond me.

I am also thankful for Stacey; she has been Super Mom to me in all this planning. Let me tell you, planning even a small wedding in two months is a lot of work and she has taken the lead. Since I never really imagined a wedding or planned the things I want, all I had to go on are the things I knew I didn't want - Brett has taken to calling me Dr. No after I called my Dad with a list of no's not limited to, but including the following: No Dancing, No Singing, No Speeches, No Flowers (I have been overridden on that one), No Veil (I may be overridden on that one too, but I WILL NOT wear one over my face), No Bachelorette Parties (Brett doesn't want a Bachelor Party either), No Toasts, No Vows (too personal and private), No Pink (at least on me), No Standing Up When Bride Reluctantly (because people will be looking at me) Walks Down the Aisle (the eyes on me is enough as it is, what the hell is the standing up for? It's not like I brought about World Peace.), No Arbor or any weird Arch Type Thing, No St. Charles County (too many "Mom Memories"), and finally No High Heels. I may add to this list as we go along, but surprisingly the things I don't want aren't all that important of details. Stacey has also been very attentive over the years to what I like and who I am, so she has made sure to have Brett and I's personalities and styles in mind when she has been doing to work that I should be doing, or at least paying her to be doing. :-)

So anyways, we will see how I survive this weekend that will include: hair appointments, looking at flowers, looking at invitations, looking at places to hold the wedding, perhaps looking at shoes and undergarments, and who knows what else. Oh, and my Dad's birthday was yesterday, so we will be celebrating that sometime as well. WHEW!

That is the latest, I suppose. I think the biggest "next step" since I found the dress I want is to get Brett a tux (I am SO excited to see him in a tux, I bet he will look really good), is to pick a location, and then a time so we can send out invitations.

Selina, if you are reading this, I may be "blowing up your phone" this weekend, so watch out. You may need a vacation when all this is over, but I love you for it, and will happily begin paying you in mailed baked goods if necessary.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I hope I survive without having a panic attack over the difference between "Fern Green" and "Clover Green".

'Til next time.

10 comments:

Daphne Gould said...

It sounds a little like my wedding. Though I wanted the veil and flowers. No dancing, no high heels, no singing, no speeches. I had one attendant and I let her pick out her own dress. The only requirement was blue. I did have one of those arbors. It was a jewish wedding and had most of the things required by tradition. A chuppah (typically a canopy, but we used an arch) is a symbol of the house you make together. But unlike most wedding ceremonies it was tiny.

jessy said...

that's just too sweet of you to make all those yummies for Brett to enjoy while you're away, Jennifer! i love it! you guys are just too awesome! and i think you'll have fun in St. Louis! that's great that you've got some help with planning things there and that you'll be celebrating your dad's birthday as well. very cool! sounds like you've got some good friends to support you with all the wedding details, too. that rocks! and they called me "the no girl", too. i said no to the word "wife" being used in our ceremony, i made them take out any mention of god, jesus, etc. i also said no to a cake, a veil, flower tossing, weird introductions, typical wedding music and a whole lot more! you've gotta do what you love the most - it's your day - so enjoy it and make it your own! i didn't have a bachelorette either - just invited my closest friends over and we all had a cookout. and i wore flipflops with my dress! ahahaha! yay! no one saw my feet anyways! :)

thanks for the pinto bean wrap recipe, too! it's been far too long since i've had a tasty wrap and i need some more deeeeelicious pinto beans in my life! mmmmmmm!

have fun, Jennifer! and thanks for keeping us updated with all the wedding details! :)

cj said...

Have fun planning your wedding! It sounds like you're on top of all the things YOU want...I did a lot of my wedding stuff based on what I thought other people would like, and I kind of regret it...that, and I've changed a lot since I got married and if I could do it over, I would do it completely differently! So I'm living vicariously through your experience! If you have any questions about wedding planning and stuff, I can definitely be of assistance. Especially if you need refs for vendors in Columbia, but since you're going to STL you may not...have fun planning!

Anonymous said...

Love it--I see a taco salad in my very near future! You gotta love those quick and easy recipes :o)

Good luck this weekend! I am so happy that your step-mom is being helpful and taking some of the stress off of you.
Enjoy yourself!

Courtney

Anonymous said...

I love pinto beans, and actually just cooked a huge batch a few nights ago... so this comes at a great time :-)
Ooof, wedding planning *is* stressful. Hang in there - and keep on standing up for yourself, Brett, and the things you both want the wedding to be. Compromise, yes, but hang firm on the important things to you both. Sounds like you have good support in doing exactly that... good luck this weekend!

Lisa said...

hope you have a good planning weekend! I know it can be stressful. Hang in there, married life is worth it!

SusanB said...

We do something very like your roll ups with black beans and corn, so easy and yummy. I like to make extra and freeze it for nights when we need quick eats (yeah, I love my microwave).
Have fun planning your wedding.

Boston Bachelorette Parties said...

I love the whole wedding process. So glad I have a few to go to this summer.

J said...

Daphne - Well, I am getting the veil and flowers, I changed my mind on the veil when I tried one on. I won't be wearing it over my face though, no way. That is how I am handling the bridesmaids dress. Selina can pick out whatever she wants so long as the color is "clover".

Did you guys get to break the glasses too?!

Jessy - I just wanted to make sure that he had plenty to eat, though it turns out he DID end up going out to eat a few times. Men.

Yep, our ceremony sounds like yours. No god, no jesus, no stupid traditional stuff, no "obeying" (what the hell? Have we reverted back to the 1700s?!), no tossing of flowers, no introductions, just the basics, that is all we want.

Oooooh, a cookout, well I guess Selina and I can make the day before a quasi-bachelorette party, we can hit STL just us girls.

I love me some pinto beans, they are one of my favorite beans, but I always tend to forget about their versatility!

Callina - Aw, that sucks! Maybe you guys could do a recommittment ceremony or something and do it more your way.

I think it is going to be very much a reflection of Brett and I, but also a way for our family to experience it with us as well.

I will definitely do that! I hope you are feeling better.

Hey, email me sometime, we can get together one weekend soon, the farmer's market is open now!

Courtney - Ooh, this would make a killer taco salad, I really hope you like it.

I am so thankful for her as well, I don't know what I would do without all her help.

Living in a Local Zone - I do too, I wish I didn't forget about them as much as I do.

It is stressful, but it is also a lot of fun. Brett, my step-mom Stacey, my Dad, and Selina have all helped out so much.

Oh we are, there are certain things that will just not have a place in our wedding - period, and nobody has a problem with it.

Lisa - We had a lot of fun. I bet it is!

Susan B - Oooh, that is a great idea of making extra and freezing some, I will keep that in mind.

Boston Bachelorette - Thank you! I hope they are fun.

Anonymous said...

You definitely left Brett well-stocked with treats and meals! I'd be a pretty happy camper with that awesome selection.

Speaking of food, I made your Granola Bars, and they are probably the best ones I have ever tasted!!! So good! I added chocolate chips to mine while the mixture was still quite warm, and they melted into a chocolaty mass of yumminess. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Have fun in St. Louis!