Kid Friendly Recipes - Burritos

Let me start out by saying making burritos is something my kids love to do. They even like to make the tortilla you make a burrito with. I’m calling this a Kids Can Cook recipe because kids like them and kids like making them. I also like to call this a “What’s On Hand” recipe. Yes, there are some traditional ingredients that typically go into a burrito like black beans or rice but that doesn’t mean you can use this dish to clean out the refrigerator.

Have some leftover turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce? How about a post Thanksgiving burrito? I know my Mexican friend would add some hot peppers to this and call this a success but then she adds hot peppers to just about everything. How about some leftover fish from the night before? Combine it with some wild rice and fresh herbs and you have a fish burrito.

So do try the recipe below for a more traditional Mexican burrito or try some of the other suggestions, but get adventuresome and experiment with lots of ingredients on hand. Great way to learn more about food combinations while making some room in the fridge.

Mexican Cuisine

Mexico is a huge country, and its many states have very diverse cuisines, so it is a bit of a simplification to talk about “Mexican food” and “Mexican flavors.” On the other hand, making foods inspired by Mexican cooking while using some authentic ingredients honors the spirit of the cuisine, if not the letter. And besides, I don’t know about you, but for our family, wrapping “regular” food in a tortilla automatically makes it exotic.

Making burritos with your kids is also great way to teach them a bit about another cuisine. Traditional burritos might only be filled with refried beans or maybe some meat, but in America, they have swelled to contain everything from seasoned rice to guacamole to bacon and eggs. Keeping the cheese to a minimum and adding a lot of fresh vegetables makes a burrito a not only a fun dinner option, but a healthy one.

Burritos are always made with flour tortillas. You can use plain tortillas from the store or make your own like my daughter Maddie did in this post - How to Make Homemade Tortillas.  Flavored tortillas made with spinach or peppers are also available in some grocery stores, so look around and find one that you like.

How to Wrap (Fold) a Burrito

Burritos are really made to be picked up, even though many people eat them with a knife and fork. I think that most people choose the cutlery route because they are afraid their burrito is going to fall apart. If you don’t wrap them correctly, they will fall apart, so here’s how you fold them so you can pick them up without worrying.

Actually, there a several ways to wrap a burrito. I did a little research on YouTube and found some very “interesting” videos of how America is folding their burritos. You want a good laugh, go to YouTube and do a search on How to Fold a Burrito.

There are several techniques, but I found it really comes down to two - Open At One End Fold and Completely Closed Fold. With either one, you want to heat up the tortilla for a few seconds in a hot pan or even the microwave if need be so it will be pliable and easier to work with. Don’t heat it up and there is a very good chance it’s going to rip.

Open Ended Burrito

These are more traditional and by leaving one side open, the burrito can be longer and slimmer and much easier to hold than those short and fat chain store versions that require eating with a knife and fork. The open ended burritos also work much better with a classic 8″ to 10 inch sized tortilla.

1. Think of the tortilla as the face of a clock. Add a strip of filling down the middle from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock but leave a little room on the left side of the tortilla.
2. Fold the left side of the tortilla up and over the end of the strip of filling.
3. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up over the filling and pull back with your fingers, tightening up the filling and tucking the edge of the tortilla under the filling.
4. Roll the tortilla up the rest of the way, leaving it seam side down.
5. Let the tortilla rest for two or three minutes for the tortilla to mold itself to the filling.
6. Enjoy.

Big Fat Closed Ended Burritos

These are the kind you find at some of the chain Mexican restaurants like Qdobo and Chipotle. They are very big and usually start with 12″ - 14 inch tortillas. We Americans want our burritos big and filled with as much as possible. My daughter and I will split one of these for lunch if we are out doing something fun and get hungry. In fact, I told her I was writing this post and she said let’s go out tonight for a burrito even though I purchased some beautiful fresh fish.

1. Again, think of the tortilla as the face of a clock. This time add a strip of filling down the middle from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock but this time leave room on both ends.
2. Fold both the left and right side over the strip of filling.
3. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up over the filling and pull back with your fingers, tightening up the filling and tucking the edge of the tortilla under the filling.
4. Roll the tortilla up the rest of the way, leaving it seam side down.
5. Let the tortilla rest for two or three minutes for the tortilla to mold itself to the filling.
6. Enjoy this one too.

As I said before, burritos are a great way to use up leftovers, from Thanksgiving turkey-stuffing-cranberry burritos to last night’s roast chicken or stir-fry. But, here are is a simple recipe for chicken or pork filling, just in case you’re starting from scratch.

Shredded Chicken or Pork Filling for Burritos

Ingredients

• 4-6 chicken thighs, skinned and deboned or 1/2 pound pork butt, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 can tomatoes and chiles, such as Ro-Tel*
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Place all ingredients into a medium pot. Cover and just bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the meat is cooked through.

Shred the meat with two forks right in the pan.Cook on medium-low, uncovered, until a lot of the liquid has evaporated but the mixture is still nice and moist.

Other Ideas for Burrito Fillings

• sautéed peppers and onions with leftover roast beef (fajitas)
• roasted vegetables
• seasoned ground beef
• leftover meatloaf, crumbled
• a simple salsa of tomatoes, onions, lime juice and cilantro
• refried beans
• scrambled eggs, sausage, onions and peppers (for breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner)
• seasoned rice
• chili
• fish, shrimp or lobster
• shredded cheese

Carving A Turkey - Videos

I have been asked in emails, “How Do I Carve A Turkey?”

Great question but difficult to answer with words. I guess I could discuss which turkey parts to start with and how to find the leg joint connected to the body and whether to slice the breast meat or cut off the entire breast and slice but I think it will be a lot easier to show you.

I have found these videos demonstrating professional chefs carving a turkey. There are some subtle differences in technique but all in all, the end results are the same. Watch these videos a few times and you’ll have the knowledge you need to stand up there and carve your turkey with confidence.

I hope you enjoy these videos and want to thank you for all of your support this year. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and may all your turkey be moist and delicious. - RG

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Thanksgiving Pre Game Tips

I say pre-game because Thanksgiving can be complicated cooking match especially if you are cooking for a crowd. The good news is there is plenty of great advice in your favorite cooking magazines (you probably received them in September) and a never-ending supply of ideas on the Internet with the click of your mouse.

I thought I’d share some of the better tips I’ve found in my magazines and favorite websites and blogs for getting ready for what I consider the “biggest cooking day of the year” for home cooks. If you are cooking for a large group, this is as close as you may ever get to understand what it is like for a professional cook who does this every day for a lot more people.

I invite you to share some your own favorite tips that may make it easier for the rest of us home cooks this holiday. The pros offer lots of great advice but I trust everyone who reads this has suggestions of their own from real life experiences. So here we go.

Have a Plan

Sunday morning I listened to my wife and youngest daughter going over all the recipes, creating a shopping list for those items missing. My wife is much more organized than I am so I trust her talents when it comes to holiday cooking. For every day cooking, I like to make stuff up with “what’s on hand” ingredients but when it comes to big parties events, you MUST have a well thought out PLAN.

There is a very cool Thanksgiving Menu Planner at epicurious where they ask you 6 questions and based on your answers offer you some menu ideas. This is a great resource for finding tasty recipes, but what if you already know what you want to cook and are looking for ways to organize your week leading up to Thanksgiving?

My friends at Rouxbe also have a good “Multi-Task” Meal Planner that shows you how to handle multiple recipes with some of the best cooking videos (if not the best) on the Internet. This is a paid tuition site with multiple options but the quality of instruction is as close as going to culinary school as you can get without actually attending. Worth a look.

Daily Planner

There’s plenty you could have done before today like ordering your turkey, making your guest list, reading your back issues of Food and Wine for recipes but now it’s getting near crunch time so lets look at some of the chores you want to take care of this short week.

Many Thanksgiving Planners I’ve seen break tasks down by two weeks before, then one week before, then three – two – one days before, then in the morning and so on, but I’m just going to offer up some ideas and let you figure out how to apply them to your schedule. Everyone has their own style of planning and cooking so here are some ideas to think about before the big day.

Clean Out the Refrigerator

I don’t mean scrub it down but you are going to need a lot of room for Thanksgiving ingredients so now’s the time to use up some of those leftovers and while you’re at it, make some room in your freezer too.

Plan Your Menu

I mentioned earlier about the importance of a plan so figure out what you are going to serve and breakdown the recipes so you know how much of each ingredient you’ll need.  Everybody asks me how much of this or how much of that should I figure for 16 people? My answer is, “it depends on who the 16 people are.”

Are they young or old, football players or ballerinas, on a diet or ready to overindulge?  There are so many factors; it’s just impossible to give an exact answer. So think of whom you are inviting and plan accordingly.

Shop Early

My wife and I did a lot of our shopping this Saturday at the Farmers Market. We picked up a lot of fresh local produce, fresh eggs and I picked up a bunch of cheeses to serve before dinner. Yesterday my wife went to the supermarket very early to beat the rush. Don’t wait until Wednesday to shop unless you enjoy shopping with a crowd.

Defrosting Frozen Turkeys

Turkeys are big and frozen turkeys take a while to defrost in the refrigerator. Depending on the size, I would give it 3 to 4 days to defrost in the fridge. If you bought a fresh turkey, you won’t have this situation. You can also defrost your turkey in your beer cooler. Just make sure you purchase enough ice to keep the bird at 40°F or less to prevent harmful bacteria growing.

Here are some rough estimates that might help:

(Whole turkey)

• 8 to 12 pounds……….1 to 2 days
• 12 to 16 pounds……….2 to 3 days
• 16 to 20 pounds……….3 to 4 days
• 20 to 24 pounds……….4 to 5 days

If, once Thanksgiving eve has arrived, your turkey is still on the frosty side (its wings and/or legs do not move freely), you can finish defrosting it in a deep sink.  Just plug the drain and run cool water in a very thin stream over the turkey.  Make sure that any overflow water has a way to drain since this process could take an hour, two or even more.  While this works well, it can be pretty stressful on the cook who is facing a still-frozen turkey, so plan accordingly and use this option as a last resort.

Brining The Turkey

Lots of home cooks are brining their turkeys these days. I’m not so sure if it’s worth the fuss. Food scientist Harold McGee says, “You’ve got a nice turkey with lots of turkey flavor. When you brine it, you’re basically diluting that flavor with salty tap water…. A better route may be salting the bird for a couple nights. It gets some of moisture retention qualities of brining, without diluting flavor.”

He also suggests that if you are going to brine your turkey, do it for at least two days in your refrigerator or ice chest and be sure the water temperature stays below 40°F.

Prep and Make What You Can Early

Go over your menu and see if there is anything you can prep or prepare before Thursday. My wife made the cranberry sauce on Saturday and we made soup yesterday.

You can make pie dough the day before or wash the salad greens or cut the bread into cubes for homemade stuffing.  How about chopping vegetables or peeling potatoes and storing in water the night before? You’d be surprised at how much you can do beforehand so you can relax just a little on Thanksgiving Day.

Wine & Other Beverages

Figure out who’s going to be drinking what before, during and after dinner.  Do the adults drink beer or wine or some other adult beverage? What about the kids? Do you need extra milk and juice.

If serving wine, do a little research on what wine goes best with turkey. Me, I like a pinot noir and recently read on another web site, “the grape that the comic movie Sideways made famous. Smooth, complex and balanced, with flavors of red fruit and earth and a texture that makes you think of velvet, an excellent Pinot Noir”

If serving white wine, be sure to get it in the refrigerator to chill in plenty of time.  But remember, optimal serving temperature for white wine is between 48°F - 55°F and 58°F - 64°F for red wine, so don’t go overboard and serve your wine at refrigerator temperature.

Flowers

It’s not as bad as Valentines Day, but again try to buy flowers and centerpiece decorations early this week rather than wait.  If you are going to make something unique for the centerpiece, now’s the time to make it.  You don’t want to be messing with crafts on Thanksgiving Day.

Set the Table Early

If you know how many family and friends are coming to dinner, why not get the table set today or tomorrow. Just one less thing to think about.

And if you are going to use the good silver handed down or received as wedding gifts, you might want to see if it needs a little polish. You don’t get to use it that often so why not make it shine?

Recruit the Kids

Thanksgiving prep is a great way to get the kids involved with sharing some of the responsibilities in the kitchen. There are plenty of tasks that your children can help with no matter what their age. Check your recipes and make a note of what can be handed over to each of your children. It can be a big help to you and most kids love to mess around in the kitchen with their mom and dad.

Help Lines

The New York Times Thanksgiving Questions & Answers – here you’ll find great questions and answers like :

• Can I Reheat My Turkey Without Drying It Out?
• What Do I Need to Know to Make Delicious, Not Lumpy Mashed Potatoes?
(be sure to check out my post on Perfect Mashed Potatoes)
• How Far in Advance Can I Buy a Fresh Turkey?
• What Are Some Easy Side Dishes That Will Break Up the Monotony?
• And then some like this one: Is It Safe to Cook a Reagan-Era Frozen Turkey? Hmmm!

Butterball Turkey Talk Line – 800- Butterball – call Monday thru Friday from 8am to 6pm CST and all day starting at 6am on Thanksgiving day.

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline – 888-674-6854 – weekdays from 9am to 3pm CST where you can get answers on food safety, handling and turkey preparation.

Perdue Farms – 888-674-6854 – known more for their chickens, Purdue will help you your cook your turkey and what to do with leftovers.

Ocean Spray – 800-662-3263 – Cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving is a must so if you need help with your cranberries, call these guys from 9am – 4pm EST and 9am to 3pm on Thanksgiving day.

US Department of Agriculture – 888-674-6854 – have a safety question? – check out their meat and poultry hotline between 8am to 2pm on Thanksgiving.

Baking Questions Hotlines

Fleishmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line – 800-777-4959 – call Monday thru Friday from 9am – 7pm for help with your Thanksgiving breads and rolls.

Libby Consumer Hot Line – 800-854-0374 – Call Monday thru Friday between 8am – 8pm EST if you need help with your pumpkin pie. These are the guys to call.

King Arthur Flour – 802-649-3717 – Need help with your baking questions, call them Monday thru Friday between 8am to 9pm but not on Thanksgiving, they are closed.

Share Some Of Your Favorite Thanksgiving Tips Below and Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving