Vegetable and Bean Burrito Bowls: Buffet Style

If you're a parent you know that the best laid plans often end up off track. I think parenting is a constant adjustment and readjustment. Before I had kids I worked with all ages of children and I would tell my staff that the key to a successful day is flexibility. This is true in the kitchen cooking with kids. We envision everyone in aprons and flawlessly following the recipe with clean hands. In reality sometimes no one wants to cook or half way through they pick their nose and then touch the food before you catch it and have to start over!

This is what happened Sunday. I had expected to have both kids learn how to make rice and help with veggie chopping for our burrito bowls. They both resisted and one even melted down (the end of a long weekend!) at the thought of helping.

I adjusted my kitchen sails and turned on Audible and went to work... without them!

I didn't take it personally I just readjusted. 

I did put toppings in bowls with spoons and let them choose and scoop their own toppings. The non-negotiable base to their burrito bowls were beans and rice but they had freedom to choose from there. They turned out delicious... all three variations! 

See recipe below:

Rice (I always make extra for other dishes so you decide the quantity based on servings and if you want leftovers)

Beans (I used 1 can of both black and pinto beans)

1 can Corn

1/4 Yellow Onion chopped

EV Olive Oil 

Dash of Cumin

1 cup Shredded Jack Cheese

1 cup Pico de Gallo Salsa

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper chopped

1/4 Red Bell Pepper chopped

10 sprigs of Cilantro chopped

1 Avocado

Make rice. 

Saute olive oil, beans and corn in pan on low/med heat until onions are soft and salt and pepper to taste. Add a dash of cumin at the end and stir well.

Chop bell peppers, avocado and cilantro. 

Place shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and chopped veggies in bowls and on plates! 

Set all finished ingredients up buffet style and let the kids create their own magic in their bowls! 

Challenge them to try 2 or more vegetables in the burrito bowls while modeling serving yourself all of the ingredients and talkitalking to the kids about it along the way. 

Sit and enjoy together... and keep the conversation going!