Meatfree Monday: Beans and Greens Burrito

Chili cheeseburger & Chili 3-way @ Blue Ash Chili-Cincinnati

     We took a vacation to Cincinnati last week. That is about as far as we thought could go with a toddler who we like to call "Mimi Banshee." Somehow long car trips seem to induce screaming to no end. Two hours is plenty of time in the car.
     While we were there we visited Great Wolf Lodge, Ikea, EnterTRAINment Junction, and the Cincinnati Zoo. We had so much fun. I was pleasantly surprised by the train museum. I really thought I wouldn't like it, but we all agreed that we'll be going back. In addition to all of our fun activities, we ate. We did try a few local places...or at least places they don't have here in Indy. A couple of highlights include Quaker Steak & Lube. Be sure to heed their warnings about their hot sauces and order their apple nachos for dessert. Another must-eat is the ice cream at the historic Aglamesis Brothers.  The original on Madison Rd is complete with marble, Tiffany lamps, and of course really good ice cream. Finally, you must have chili in Cincinnati. We decided to go to Blue Ash since it had high recommendations and it was featured on a Food Network show. I loved it for the nostalgic feel and of course their chili  was awesome. (See picture).
      Now that we are back and supposedly on track, it's time for Meatfree Monday. This week's recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's cookbook Food Matters. I really liked this one and his approach to moderating the meat in your diet. These bean burritos tasted pretty standard the night we ate them, but they were delicious the next day. I almost recommend making the bean filling ahead of time so the seasonings can meld together.

whole wheat tortillas
2 Tbl olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbl garlic, minced
1 Tbl chili powder
salt/pepper
1 lb spinach, chopped
2 cups black beans (I used two cans)
shredded Mexican blend cheese
Pico de Gallo or salsa

• Heat oil to medium. Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle with chili powder, salt and pepper. Add spinach until it wilts. 
• Stir in beans. Add liquid if it seems dry. 
• Put into a tortilla and top with cheese and a little salsa. Roll up burrito style and place in a  panini press to lightly toast the outside.

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

Pizza Spinach Wraps at Cooking Creation
Don't you think these look awesome?

Caprese Pizza with Pesto at Double Dipped Life
What's my deal with pizza this week? I don't know, but this one looks yummy too.

White Pizza at the Sugar Plum Blog
Well, now I'm I have a pattern that I didn't want to break. This white pizza sounds so good...and a homemade crust to boot!