It’s snowing today in Chicagoland.  Ah yes, everyone is cranky and has spring-fever.  I know, it’ll get here, but not soon enough!

Personally I’m looking forward to taking walks with the new baby, and getting outdoors.  My son loves to go to parks, and we have a multitude of them around the area.  I have a feeling that most of my maternity leave might be spent walking to & from different parks in the area… and that sounds perfect to me!

Somehow, with my impatience and my swelling ankles, I’m still managing to cook.  Don’t get me wrong, tonight I plan on ordering out!  But throughout the week I’ve made some good, and easy, dinners. 

This one is definitely a keeper.  I do think it was too spicy for a 4 year old, so I made my son a cheese quesadilla.  But, my husband and I loved the burrito bake.   The rice was super-simple and terrific too. 

Black Bean Burrito Bake
courtesy of Cooking Light, March 2003

serves: 4
WW PointsPlus: 10 (Seems high, but I didn’t finish mine since they were pretty big)

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.

Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Low-Fat Spanish Rice
courtesy of Cooking Light, May 1995

serves: 3 (big, 1 cup servings… we all ate less than this)
WW PointsPlus: 5

Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (5.5-ounce) can tomato juice

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add rice, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

~M