Food for New Parents

Like a lot of people in their late twenties/early thirties, many of my friends are starting families - it's such an exciting time!  I just can't get enough of cute, adorable babies, as long as they aren't my own. You may remember a few weeks ago when I made these Rattle Cupcakes for my dear friend Randi's baby shower.  As her due date quickly approaches, my other friend Jill just gave birth to an adorable son named Dezmond Orion.  Isn't he just the cutest?! I decided to make something for these amazing couples as they begin their new role of Parents.  Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, I was introduced to a whole slew of recipes appropriate for the occasion.  I chose to make some tasty Freezable Burritos from Shutterbean.  I've listed my recipe below, but you can find the original recipe here.  Jill & Aaron are omnivores and Randi & KC are vegetarians, so I made 10 chicken burritos and 10 veggies burritos.  Here's how I did it: You'll need:

• 20 flour tortillas, large burrito size
• 2 packages finely shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 2 cans of black beans
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes with jalapenos
• 3 cups of instant rice
• 2.5 c. veggie broth
• 1 onion
• 1 pkg cilantro
• 1 large squash
• 1 large zucchini
• 2 red peppers, 2 orange
• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 2 tbsp Tapatio, or other kind of hot sauce
• Taco seasoning
• Foil
• Sour cream
• Avocadoes

Drain juice from the 2 cans of tomatoes into a measuring cup and add vegetable broth until you have 3 cups of liquid.  Heat liquid and 1 tbsp of taco seasoning in a sauce pan until boiling.  Add in instant rice and canned tomatoes.  Stir, cover and remove from heat.  Let stand for at least 5 minutes. In a large skillet, saute onions in olive oil until tender.  Remove from pan and add to rice mixture.  Stir until well blended.  In the same pan, add chopped peppers, 1 tbsp of taco seasoning and olive oil.  Saute until softened and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Still in same pan, add sliced zucchini and squash, 1 tbsp of taco seasoning and more olive oil if needed.  Saute until softened and cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.  Remove from pan. Shred rotisserie chicken into a large bowl and add 2 tbsp. Tapatio.  Mix well.  Rinse and drain black beans.  Chop cilantro.  Place tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel.  Microwave on high for about 45 seconds to make them more pliable for wrapping.  I would do this about 4 tortillas at a time.  Set up an assembly line of ingredients and get ready to make some burritos! Place tortilla on a large sheet of foil, add 1 scoop of rice, a spoonful of black beans, forkful of pepper mixture, and scoop of chicken (for veggie burritos, add squash and zucchini mixture instead of chicken).  Top with cheese and cilantro.  Wrap very tightly in foil and voila! After I made the burritos, I put them into gallon-size freezer Ziploc bags to prevent freezer burn and stuck them in the freezer.  Now all mom has to do is unwrap the burrito, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave on High for 3 minutes.  What could be easier?  Make sure to include some sour cream, avocados and extra hot sauce when you deliver these goodies. What are your favorites things to bring to new parents?

3 Responses to “Food for New Parents”

1. jess mordo says:

   November 8, 2010 at 1:33 pm

   love the blog, nat! nice post. here are some other ideas on hearty, freezable/easy-to-reheat meals for new parents: lasagna, chili, ratatouille (or any stew/soup, really)

   Reply
   • Natalie says:

     November 8, 2010 at 3:27 pm

     Thanks Jess! Glad you enjoyed :) I can’t wait to try out more recipes for all my mommy friends.

     Reply
2. Randi says:

   November 8, 2010 at 3:32 pm

   We REALLY appreciate the delicious burritos Nat! Great blog!

   Reply