Some evenings are just not made for fussing over dinner. After a long work day; kids' sports-music-dance-chess club-art-study group activities; community meetings; and who knows what, all cooks need some go-to quick, hot, hearty, tasty things we can make with our eyes closed.

This recipe got me through the flurry of raising my then-tween and teen-agers, and still is a completely comforting and serviceable years later. Over the years I've done a lot of "Making It My Own" improv riffing, and it's always forgiving and welcome.

A big plus to this recipe guideline is that it easily accommodates a range of dietary needs within a household. It's easy to make a burrito cheesy-gooey for one person and dairy-free for another, and it offers the same flexibility with gluten-free and vegan options.

If you're into left overs, plan to make some. It's a jump-start to a hearty Joe's Special egg scramble the next morning, or a great topping for a plate of Friday night nachos.

In my real-world life, not every meal is a multi-course beautifully plated affair. Nope, some nights are just about getting it done, and that's good enough, especially when one of my adult sons still asks, "Hey, Mom, can I come over for spinach burritos?" That's a sign of a successful recipe.

Cheap Quick + Easy 20-Minute Beefy (or Beany) Spinach Burritos

Course: Main Dish, Quick + Easy

Cuisine: Mexican

Season: Bounty (August - October), Evergreen (April - July), Mist (November - March)

Preparation: One Pot/One Pan

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 small burritos

The perfect veggie-filled busy-night dinner when you need something hot, delicious and NOW! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan option, too!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lb. ground beef, vegan ground meat substitute OR
• 3 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil for the pan
• 6 cloves garlic, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ¼ Cups store-bought salsa
• 1 4 oz can diced green chilies, or add another ½ cup salsa
• 8 to 10 oz. fresh spinach
• 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 medium flour or GF tortillas
• canola or other cooking spray
• cilantro, additional salsa and sour cream for garnish

Instructions

• In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef or meat substitute, garlic, cumin, and salt.
• If replacing the meat with canned beans, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan before adding the beans.
• When the meat (or beans) and spices are well-browned, stir in in the salsa and green chilis.
• Add the spinach leaves, two or three handfuls at a time, stirring them in until they wilt before adding the next few handfuls, until all the spinach is wilted and mixed through.
• Heat a separate large skillet to medium high. Spray one side of each tortilla with the cooking spray (this will help them crisp up.*) Place the sprayed side down in the heated skillet, and sprinkle a little of the cheese down the center. (Omit the cheese for vegan/dairy-free options.) Spoon the beefy spinach filling down the center of the tortilla. Fold the edges over the filling, burrito-style. When the first side is browned, flip the burrito over to crisp it too.
  
• Place the burritos on serving plates and garnish with additional salsa, green chilis, cilantro, and sour cream (omit for vegan/diary-free versions) as desired.
  

Notes

Make It Your Own:

• add a chopped onion to the skillet when browning the ground beef
• try this with ground chicken or turkey
• experiment with adding chili powder and/or dried Mexican oregano
• add a chopped stems from a bunch of cilantro with the spinach
• fancy expensive salsa is not needed in this recipe, but have fun experimenting with different inexpensive ones. 
• bump up the heat with spicier salsa, or add a chopped jalapeno to the meet as it browns. 

*This cooking spray tip is also how I soften corn tortillas for tacos and enchiladas. No need to pour oil into a skillet to do this task, just a simple shot of cooking spray. 

The Oregon season of mist is starting to pull back and make way for our evergreen season. It is uplifting to feel how just three more minutes of sunlight a day warms ones bones. The daffodils and crocus, a little late this year, are poking up their cheery heads. Even the dog beginning to shed in never-ending tufts is a welcome sign of spring. The one true sign it is time to shift from winter foods is when the grasses turn intense chlorophyll green.

Still, mornings are cold and the mist is more present than not. Something lighter than a dense soup or stew but still hot and nourishing just sounds right. Honor the shift in cravings you may have as the grasses and clover green up brightly. This Healing Chickpea + Orzo Bowl in Ginger Broth couldn't be an easier solution. Be sure to check out the Make It Your Own options in the recipe, as this one has a lot of ways to make it work for whatever it is you need.

When you're feeling under the weather-- be it a little (or worldwide proportioned) virus, heartache or disappointment, this bowl is a perfect year-round healer and cheer-giver. The simple ginger-turmeric tea and coconut milk broth is as easy as boiling water, and would make a nutritious snack all on it's own. The whole thing comes together with zero fuss in under 20 minutes. The gingery goodness and light but complete protein will have you feeling as sprightly as a bright yellow daffodil in no time.

Healing Chickpea + Orzo Bowl in Ginger Broth

Course: Quick + Easy, Soup + Stew

Cuisine: Fusion

Season: Bounty (August - October), Evergreen (April - July), Mist (November - March)

Dietary: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Preparation: One Pot/One Pan

Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Pam Spettel

Made with tea broth and light yet hearty ingredients, this bowl will revive all forms of sorrows and ills. As uplifting a daffodils in the spring.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 cups water boiled
• 5 ginger turmeric tea bags
• 1 13.5 oz. can full fat coconut milk
• 3 limes juiced
• 1 lime cut in six wedges
• 1 ½ tsp Asian fish sauce for vegan option use coconut aminos
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
• 1 lb. GF or traditional orzo, cooked, or see rice Make it Your Own option
• ½ bunch cilantro chopped
• Sriracha or spicy Asian chili sauce

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil and add teabags. After they are fully immersed, add coconut milk, put a lid on the pot, and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
• Stir lime juice, fish sauce, and salt into the tea/coconut milk broth. Keep at a low simmer.
• In a blender, blend together one cup of the garbanzos and a few ladlesful of the broth. Once it is blended smooth, add it back to the broth and stir.
• Pile garbanzos and orzo into shallow bowls. Ladle broth around them.
• Garnish generously with chopped cilantro and Sriracha to taste. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Make It Your Own:

For a warm restorative to coming in from the cold, forget the garbanzos and orzo. Ladle the hot broth (with or without blended chickpeas) into a cup. Use the cup to warm your hands while the broth warms your soul.

Replace the orzo with jasmine rice and replace the garbanzos with tiny cubes of silken tofu.

For a non-vegetarian meal, add 4-6 peeled shrimp per person to the broth and simmer 4 minutes until just cooked through. 

Experiment with various Asian chili sauces to kick up the heat. 

Add to or substitute thinly sliced spinach whiskers for the cilantro.

Makes excellent breakfast or lunch leftovers. Store any remaining broth, garbanzos, and orzo in a jar. Gently simmer to reheat.