My favorite Mexican restaurant, Qdoba, serves an outstanding vegetarian burrito wrapped up in a steamed tortilla. For customers wanting to cut calories they even offer what they call a "naked" burrito, which is simply a burrito without the tortilla. This is my homemade version of that entree. Serve it with or without the shell.

Vegetarian burrito

(makes 2)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced zucchini squash (1/4 inch slices)
1/2 cup sliced yellow summer squash (1/4 inch slices)
1/2 of a red bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 of a green bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 of a medium onion sliced
Fajita seasoning
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup canned black or pinto beans
1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Cooking oil (preferably olive oil)
Burrito size flour tortillas

Put beans with juice in small saucepan and heat on low while you prepare the other ingredients. Heat small amount of cooking oil in frying pan on stove. Stir-fry the red and green pepper strips with onion in oil for 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash. Sprinkle with fajita seasoning to taste and continue stir-frying until vegetables are still crisp but starting to get tender. Warm the tortillas for about 10 seconds in microwave to soften. Put 1 cup of warmed rice on each tortilla. Divide vegetable mix and put half on each burrito. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese. Add sour cream and salsa if desired. Fold bottom and top edges of burrito over filling and then roll up from one of the sides. You now have a very healthy and hearty burrito. Enjoy!

Another favorite of the vegetarian burritos is the bean burrito. This one is very simple. I did not include ingredient quantities, because personal taste varies. Put on as much or as little as you like.

Bean Burrito
(makes 2 or more)

Ingredients:
1 15-16oz.-can refried beans
Your favorite shredded cheese
Taco sauce or salsa
Chopped lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped onion
Chopped or sliced black olives
Guacamole or chunks of avocado
Sour cream

Simply heat the refried beans in a small saucepan on stove-top until warmed through. Spread up to of the beans on each warm tortilla (less if you don't want so much). Sprinkle cheese over beans. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, olives, guacamole, sour cream and salsa, or any other toppings that you like. Roll up in burrito fashion and enjoy! This burrito is delicious served with a side of Mexican rice!

Breakfast burritos can also be served vegetarian style. The next time you fancy a hot breakfast that doesn't take a lot of time to fix you might want to try this next recipe.

Breakfast burrito
(makes 2)

3 eggs
3 TBSP milk
1 medium potato (cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
1-2 TBSP chopped onion
2 fresh mushrooms (chopped or sliced)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (any kind you like)
salsa
sour cream
flour tortillas
cooking oil

Wash or peel potato (leave the peelings on for added nutrition and taste). Cook potato cubes in hot oil on stove-top until almost tender. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions have softened. Beat eggs together with milk and pour over vegetables. Stir, cooking until the eggs have set up. Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring to blend well. Serve up 1/2 of the filling onto each warm tortilla shell. Top with salsa and sour cream and roll up burrito style.

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