HAVE A MERRY ... CHRISTMAS BURRITO
Arecent trip to Whitefish, Montana, reminded me the significance of setting to the Christmas season. There Lori and I were strolling through an idyllic town of 5,000, downtown illuminated by twinkling lights on a 15 F evening at the foot of snow-capped Rocky Mountains, when what before my wandering eyes should appear ...
But an enormous burrito adorned by two spicy sauces to remind me Christmas conveys itself in many ways but basic colors: red and green.
Most folks will either host or be hosted Christmas Day for a formal feast, but wouldn't a bodacious festive burrito hit the spot Christmas morning? (Or any day?)
Since the holidays are about pulling things from packages, I decided to cater this recipe to convenience.
Breakfast sausage or bulk chorizo can be purchased in advance, along with flour tortillas and eggs. I chose a simple, decadent technique for jazzing up the eggs. Adding a little goat cheese to slow cooking scrambled eggs is a trick I learned reading food-blogger and Oklahoma City native Molly Wizenburg (she's got some books that would make fine stocking-stuffers!). You can skip the chevre and just add grated cheddar if it suits you.
You also can purchase green and red chile sauce from a can, and since it's Christmas, judgment will be withheld. If you want to push just a little, try these very easy, very fast semi-homemade versions. I always freeze green chilies in August, so I have some handy. But you now can purchase frozen green chile at the grocery store. If it's too mild, grab a handful of fat fresh jalapenos or serranos. All you have to do is rub them with a little oil and roast them in a 400 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to blend well with frozen mild chilies.
I found a nice avocado at the grocery store and tossed half of it in with my green sauce to make it a little creamier. Otherwise, it makes a great garnish along with chopped onion, crema, cilantro and anything else you like with a burrito.
For the red sauce, I decided to do a Chirmol rather than red chile. Chirmol is garlicky tomato sauce with plenty of mild pepper flavor. To make it, blend roasted red peppers with roasted tomatoes and fresh garlic. Everything you need can be found in a jar or made from scratch.
Prep ahead, and the whole thing can come together in minutes.
MERRY CHRISTMAS BURRITO
1 pound sausage or chorizo 4 to 6 eggs
2 to 4 ounces goat cheese ¼ cup whole milk 2 tablespoons butter
2 cups Chirmol
2 cups quick green chile sauce
Garnishes
Fried potatoes
Sliced avocados Chopped onions
Fresh grated cheese Crema
4 to 6 large flour tortillas Prepare the sauces ahead and refrigerate, see below.
Fry the chorizo or sausage according to package directions and set aside.
Whisk eggs in a bowl with milk and set aside.
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low
flame. Add eggs and gently flip the pan a few times as the eggs begin to set. While stick soft, crumble the cheese over the eggs and gently fold together. Decrease flame to low to finish. Add salt to taste.
Warm tortillas on a dry skillet over high heat then stuff with sausage and egg. Add extra grated cheese here, too. Fold in the ends of the tortilla, then roll up and seal.
Serve with fried potatoes or hash browns. Pinto or black beans also work well. Smother with red, green or a combination of both sauces for the Christmas effect.
CHIRMOL
1 14.5 ounce can fireroasted tomatoes
1 16-ounce jar or can roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
2 to 4 roasted Fresno or red jalapenos (optional)
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 cloves fresh garlic ½ onion chopped finely 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter Salt and pepper Combine roasted peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a blender and pulse to desired consistency.
Heat a skillet over medium flame and add
oil. Once the oil is hot, add onions and sweat 10 to 15 minutes.
Add chile mixture and stock and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to medium-low, salt and pepper to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.
QUICK GREEN CHILE
12 to 16 ounces roasted green chile (frozen, canned or fresh)
2 to 6 fresh roasted jalapeno or serrano peppers
2 cloves fresh garlic
½ onion, finely chopped ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock Salt, pepper
½ avocado, optional Combine green chile, garlic and optional extra hot peppers and avocado, in a blender and pulse to desired consistency.
Heat a skillet over medium flame and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add onions and sweat 10 to 15 minutes.
Add flour to sweating onions and stir continue cooking, stirring often, until it make a light roux — about five minutes. Add chile mixture and stock and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to medium-low, salt and pepper to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.