Veggie Burrito Bowl: Like Chipotle...but better

Oh dear me.  We've had quite the crazy week/weekend.  I try pretty hard to keep my personal life personal on here and have this be mainly yummys, but let me tell ya, I've had quite the weekend.  This recipe would have been up here on Friday if my sewer hadn't backed up Wednesday morning, flooding a small section of my basement, making it impossible for me to do the 4 loads of laundry I had planned for the day, and really, just messing up my week.  Add to that a whirl-wind out of town wedding with another few loads of laundry for when I got home Sunday night and you can kind of see why it's the following Wednesday that I'm finally getting this recipe up here.

Chipotle is one of my favorite places to eat. Fresh food.  I decide what I want or don't.  Big portions, little (comparatively) price tag.   It has a lot of great college memories attached to it since I had to walk by one on my way home from campus and would stop and eat there at least once a week.  I've met countless friends there to enjoy the fresh fare, and when Scot and I started eating healthier, it was a safe place to go when we didn't know what we were doing.

A couple weeks ago it was hot. Too-hot-to-turn-the-oven-on hot. I had either mis-meal-planned or something and instead of making pancakes, my go-to, easy, I-always-have-it-on-hand meal, Scot suggested Chipotle.  It had been quite a while and I was so excited to have a big veggie burrito bowl for dinner.  It was delicious as always, but it dawned on me how simple it would be to make myself.

Enter Pinterest.

I found countless recipes for copy-cat Chipotle guac, rice and salsas.   I took those basics and just created from there.  Here is the fabulous combination I came up with considering our personal preferences.  Do what you want, just enjoy it.  You really can't go wrong.

Oh, and did I mention that a Chipotle burrito bowl is about $6 now and I made this (4 huge portions) for just over $7!  Oh yeah...cha-ching cha-ching!

Veggie Burrito Bowl:  Like Chipotle...but better
Serves 4

Rice
Can be made up to a day ahead of time

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 T lime juice
• 3 T fresh, chopped, cilantro
• 2 t vegetable oil

-- Cook rice in water and 1 t veg oil.
-- Meanwhile,combine other ingredients.
-- When done, mix all together.

Beans

• 1 can black beans, rinse and drain
  
• 1 can sweet corn, rinse and drain or 2 cups frozen, thawed

-- Mix together.
(You can use pinto here or just black.  I like the corn salsa, but not the spice of it, so this was my way of getting corn into the bowl!)


Fresh Tomato Salsa
Can be made a day ahead of time

• 1/2 - 3/4 lb ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 small red onion, diced fine
• 3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 T lime juice

-- Chop the tomatoes and pulse them in a blender or food processor just a little.
-- Add everything else and let the flavors get to know eachother


Veggies

• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 2 large colored peppers, sliced
• 1 cup packed kale
• 1 t brown sugar

-- Saute the onion and the peppers until soft.  Add sugar and let caramelize a little.
-- Add kale and let wilt.

Gauc

• 1 large, ripe avocado 
• 1/4 small red onion, chopped fine
• 3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 T combined lemon and lime juice at a 80/20 ratio
• itty bitty pinch of salt if wanted

-- Mash all together and enjoy fresh



TO LAYER: rice, beans, salsa, veggies, guac
Optional: cheese, sour cream, extra salad greens