Hosting dinner? Here's an idea

Recently, we had a friend over for dinner. I was craving Mexican food and immediately thought of this recipe from the Vanilla Tulip. I tweaked my version, not because her's needed it, but because I was so inspired by the 'grilled burrito' part that I forgot to look back at her recipe. Instead, I created a 'make your own burrito' bar.

Everything turned out great! Except I only took one picture. Blogger fail.

Grilled Burritos

Here's what you'll need:

Can of corn
Can of black beans
Cheese
Red pepper (2)
Onion
Tortillas- consider using this recipe for homemade
Salsa
Lettuce or spinach- chopped
Sour cream or plain greek yogurt
Avocado
Steak and/or chicken
Cilantro
Limes- 3-5
Garlic
Worcestershire sauce
salt

1. Cut onion and red peppers into strips. Sauté on medium in coconut oil (or olive oil). Add salt and garlic, stirring occasionally. I believe this took 20-30 minutes- I like my veggies super soft. If you'd prefer crispier peppers, adjust your cooking time.

2. Season steak and chicken with salt, garlic powder, and a heavy dose of worcestershire sauce on both sides. Either cook on the grill or bake in the oven. After all is cooked, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips and squirt with lime juice.

3. Cut up spinach, cilantro, and avocado (or make guacamole- yummo).

4. Drain and rinse corn and black beans.

5. Once everything was cooked, I placed each item in white serving bowls and made a line starting with plates and tortillas, ending with the griddle where my hunk of a husband stood ready to grill our creations.

6. To grill the burritos follow Ashley's instructions here. Basically, wrap burritos enclosing all ends, place on greased griddle, and as it cooks use a spatula to flatten each side.

Tip: Be sure and squirt lime juice on your burrito filing before grilling. I promise, it's worth it.
I added sour cream and more salsa on top of my burrito after it was grilled. You should too.

Spanish Rice

 I made Spanish rice as our side dish. The recipe made so much I was able to use it for dinner the next night.
 This recipe was my inspiration.

What you'll need: 

Instant brown rice
Can of green chilies
Salsa
Chicken stock (or broth)
Butter (one stick)
Coconut oil (or olive oil)
Onion- diced and about half an onion.
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt
Garlic
Cayenne

1. Melt a spoonful of coconut oil in a skillet.  Add diced onion. Cook until onion is translucent on medium heat.

2. Add green chilies, salsa (about 1/2 cup), cook a couple of minutes.

3. Add butter. When melted, add in a little over a cup of uncooked brown rice. If I had to guess I'd say I used 1 and 1/4 cup of rice. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add chicken stock. I started with a cup and added as I saw fit. Generously season with salt, garlic, chili powder, and a touch of cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Check occasionally, because you may need to add more chicken stock. Once cooked, I tasted and added a bit more seasoning.

I was amazed at how good the rice turned out and it was even better the next day.

Next Day Recipe

I made another Vanilla Tulip recipe, her Mexican crockpot. I threw two frozen chicken breasts into my crockpot, my leftover corn and black beans from the night before, added a can of pinto beans, can of rotel, block of cream cheese, and a heavy dose of cumin. I cooked it on low for 8 hours and served the mixture over my leftover spanish rice. I added cilantro and avocado to my helping, as well.

And, to blow your minds a bit more. I took the leftover Mexican crockpot, wrapped it in a tortilla with some spinach, my last bit of peppers and onions, and made another grilled burrito for lunch today.

Seriously, how could you not give this a try. It's delicious, easy, and makes so much food!