THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2013

On my quest to fill my brain with new recipes, I am specifically trying to incorporate as many "clean" meals as possible. I am a long way away from becoming vegetarian, and do not have any plans to outwardly pursue the lifestyle. But the more knowledgeable I become about food sources, I can feel myself naturally having an aversion to meat. 2017 Edit: I outwardly pursued the lifestyle in 2015, and continue a plant-based diet.

When my friend, Cat, told me that she made some vegan "Black Bean Burritos," I was immediately intrigued. Partly because my favorite cuisine is Mexican, but also because it came from a book titled, "Eat To Live," by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. This book has popped up a few times in conversations, so I was familiar with its content.

Long story short, I made them for dinner today, and they were pretty frickin tasty. Even better, they satisfied my always-existing burrito craving, AND I didn't feel like a pile of shame two hours later.

Black Bean Lettuce Bundles

~RECIPE~

Ingredients

- 2 cups cooked black beans

- 1/2 avacado, peeled and mashed

- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

- 3 green onions, chopped

- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

- 1/2 cup mild salsa

- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tsp cumin

- 8 romaine lettuce leaves

Procedure:

- Mix beans and avocado until chunky

- Combine other ingredients

- Serve on rolled up lettuce leaf

As usual, I made some tweaks to the recipe. 1.) I used a whole avocado, and 2.) I made mango salsa (primarily because I had a mango that was about to go).

Also, when I took the photos, I didn't mash up the beans and other ingredients, because I was sure it wouldn't be too photogenic. But I did so for the remaining tacos, after I ate the model.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think. Or, let me know if you have tried some clean recipes too. Thanks!