Chicken and Bean Burritos With Pineapple Salsa

Tonight my roommate and I were back in the cooking mood (the heat is finally fixed!), after grocery for the week we started to make a new recipe. She got a new cookbook for Christmas and wanted to cook from it all this week.  So every night this week we will be cooking from the “Cook Yourself Thin” cookbook from the Lifetime television show “Cook Yourself Thin”.  Tonight we made Chicken and Bean Burritos with Pineapple Salsa, and although it took a while, it was delicious!  I cannot wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  The recipe calls for flour tortillas, but we bought low carb tortillas that were only 90 calories with 10 grams of fiber. So if you are concerned about your calorie intake I would shop around for the healthiest tortilla. 

Chicken and Bean Burritos With Pineapple Salsa

 Serves 4

Calories per serving, chicken and bean burritos: 436

Calories per serving, pineapple salsa: 28

 For the chicken and bean burritos

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained, if frozen

1 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeño (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 pound bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts

3 peppercorns

1 carrot, sliced

1 bay leaf

3 medium tomatoes (2 quartered, 1 diced)

1 white onion, quartered

6 garlic cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 medium flour tortillas

1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheddar

1/4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

 For the pineapple salsa

1 cup ripe pineapple, chopped

1/4 cup red onions, chopped

1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

 (We started with #2 first b/c it takes about 30 minutes)

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add beans, cilantro, lime, jalapeño, salt and cayenne, and stir until well mixed; set aside. 

2. Put the chicken, peppercorns, carrot, bay leaf and 3 of the garlic cloves in a large saucepan, and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and then simmer over medium heat until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly in the broth. Remove the chicken from the broth, and remove the skin and bones. Shred the chicken into small pieces, and return the meat to the broth.

 3. Put the quartered tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring until thickened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shredded chicken to the tomato mixture. Stir until well mixed.

 4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortillas, one at a time, until pliable, about 1 minute. Divide the cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, bean mixture and chicken with its sauce among the tortillas, spreading the ingredients in a line down the center. Fold in the top and bottom, and then roll in the sides. Serve immediately.

 5. To make the pineapple salsa: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Set aside.

 Enjoy!

 -K