Burrito Salad

The hubs and I had a picnic to go to, and I wanted to make something that could survive a morning trip and hold out until lunch time. Hubs never says no to Mexican food, and I was hankering for some avocados, so this salad was born. I called it burrito salad out of a lack of a more creative name, and due to the fact that the ingredients all belong in a burrito even though it does not have rice. I packed it up in a bowl, paired it with some chips and a blueberry black iced tea, put all of that into a freezer bag and off we went. I did make a naked burrito for our Labor Day picnic which is pretty similar except that it actually had rice. This meal is so cheap and so filling (with or without the rice) that it is a great family meal for those on the go or those needing to trim their budget a bit. I was a huge fan of the salad, it could have used a bit more heat though. If you do not have access to green zebra or heirloom tomatoes for the salsa, any medium sized tomato would do. This also really depends on how tomato-y you like your salsas. I am still a convenience cook at times, and enjoy just being able to throw together a salsa in about 3 minutes. This is a rough version of what I do every week when I get a fresh batch of tomatoes from the farm. Taste, taste, taste. That is the best advice I can give about throwing together recipes. And never forget a bit of salt, even if you are trying to cut back. A pinch of salt added to homemade salsa is still substantially less than if you purchase salsa. Burrito Salad (printable version) Burrito Salad 2 avacados, diced 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed handful cherry tomatoes, sliced 1/3 c cubed manchego cheese 1/2 -3/4 c salsa (recipe as follows) Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and serve with chips. Salsa: 4 green zebra tomatoes, cored and seeded 4 heirloom tomatoes, cored and seeded 2 small jalapenos, sliced and seeded 1 lime, juiced 1 medium shallot 1 generous handful cilantro 1/2 t sea salt Throw all ingredients into a blender, putting the onion and jalapeno in first. Blend until desired consistency. Pour into a fine mesh sieve and let the water drain out, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into a bowl.