Burrito Bowl & Chipotle-Style Corn Salsa Recipe

Steak Burrito Bowl - Full of yum!

A year ago, when my husband and I vowed to eat out less, I started trying to figure out how to make my own versions of some of the take out I was missing. Chipotle was at the top of the list for recipes I needed to figure out. Last July, I shared my recipe for Chipotle-Style Cilantro-Lime Rice, and I've used it as a side or the base for a burrito bowl many, many times since then.

I don't know what cut of steak Chipotle uses or how they marinate their meat, but I already had a favorite way to grill up some delicious tri tip, so I didn't bother trying to figure it out. You can find my favorite recipe here: Grilled Tri Tip with Tequila-Lime Marinade.

The last piece to the puzzle was the salsa. I like the fresh tomato (pico de gallo) and the corn salsa on my bowl. The pico de gallo is easy to throw together, but I had to play with the corn salsa recipe a few times before I felt like it was a winner!

I've been making my own burrito bowls for a little over a year now, and it has saved me a lot of gas (and extra hidden calories). No more trips to Chipotle when I have a hankering for some deliciousness in a bowl!

Now you have everything you need to make your very own Chipotle-style steak burrito bowl at home too. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Chipotle-Style Corn Salsa

2 cobs sweet corn (yellow or white)
2 medium jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped (measure before chopping)
juice of two limes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (optional, but I like it)

Mix everything together in a bowl. The salsa tastes better if you give it a little time for the flavors to develop.

Super Easy, Super Delicious Brownies

I first made this recipe a little over a year ago. I was dying for some chocolately goodness and had my mind set on some brownies. I had just had my son and didn't have a fully stocked fridge or pantry, and running to the store wasn't an option. I found it unbelievably difficult to find a brownie recipe that I had the right ingredients to make.

After searching for a recipe much longer than I had anticipated, I found this beauty. The brownies it makes are soft and a little gooey, almost like fudge. What started out as an "OMG, I just need some brownies right now and I'll try anything" recipe has become my go to dessert recipe. I hope you try it and love it!

Yummy chocolate fix

Super Easy, Super Delicious Brownies

Makes 9-12 brownies - Or one really big one!

1 cup sugar (super fine if you have it)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, very soft or melted
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease an 8"x8" pan with butter or a light coating of cooking spray.
3. Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly - a hand mixer is best. You can't over-mix the batter, so have at it.
4. Pour the mixture into the greased pan.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until it pulls away from the edges of the pan slightly. The brownies will still be soft and slightly wet inside.
6. Let the brownies cool before cutting.

Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites & Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

A few months ago, I was searching for a new recipe to make for book club. I usually stick with items that are chilled or room temperature so the food travels well. But, when I get the opportunity to host, I try to make something hot or more complicated to take advantage of being able to cook it right before people arrive. I found a recipe that involved bacon, and I was sold! The book club ladies raved.

This weekend included a visit with my parents. My mom commented about needing to come up with some appetizers to serve family friends that would also be visiting. Remembering the awesomeness that is this recipe (and really wanting to eat some), I shared the recipe with her. I forgot to get a picture before everyone attacked the plate, but you can tell they were great.

They're so good I couldn't get a picture before they were almost all gone!

Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites With Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

For the potatoes:

1 lb small or medium red potatoes (one-bite sized potatoes would be even better)
1 1/2 tsp chopped, fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
12-16 oz bacon
toothpicks

For the dipping sauce:

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 tsp hot sauce - or to taste (Any brand you like will do. I've used Tabasco and an Asian chili garlic sauce, and both were great.)
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the potatoes. Chop them into 1-inch pieces, keeping the chunks roughly the same size. Put the potatoes in a medium pot, cover them with cold water, and salt the water.
3. Bring the water to a boil. Let it boil for about 3 to 4 minutes, until you can stick a fork into the potatoes without too much resistance. You want the potatoes to be almost, but not fully, cooked so they don't fall apart while being wrapped.
4. Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the rosemary, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.
5. Cut the bacon strips in half. Wrap each piece of potato in a half-strip of bacon, securing it with a toothpick.
6. Put the potatoes on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. You may need to cook the potatoes in two batches so the baking sheet isn't too crowded.
7. Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, then flip each piece. Bake them for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and crisp.
8. Mix the sour cream and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Pile the potato bites on a plate and serve them alongside the dip
10. Eat more than you probably should!  :)

Grilled Tri Tip with Tequila-Lime Marinade

This is seriously the best tri tip marinade ever. I think I might be a little addicted to it.

Grilled Tri Tip with Tequila-Lime Marinade

I wish I had grilled it a little less.  :(

 2 2-lb. tri tips, trimmed

For the marinade:

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tequila
7 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Easy, right?

Optional meat preparation (optional because some will tell you to leave the fat on the tips and that it is sacrilege to pierce meat before cooking): Trim the tri tips - remove as much fat as you can. Using thin, sharp knife, pierce the meat all over.

Place the meat in a resealable plastic bag, and add the marinade. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, and seal it all up.

Let the meat marinate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. Keep the meat refrigerated, and turn the bag occasionally. Make sure to take the meat out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you are ready to grill. You never want to grill cold meat. The outside will cook and the inside will be raw!

Prepare your BBQ and set the heat to medium-high. Remove the tri-tips from the marinade and grill it to your desired doneness (about 10 minutes per side for medium).

Transfer the meat to a plate or cutting board. Tent the meat with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. After the 10-minute rest, cut the tri tips diagonally, across the grain. Yum!  :)

Grilled Tri Tip With Foil Tent

Grilled Tri Tip After 10-minutes Rest

* You can freeze this! Prepare your meat and cover it in the marinade in a resealable freezer bag. Having one of these in the freezer, ready to go, has saved my butt numerous times. You never know when you'll have last-minute dinner guests or you just don't have time to go to the grocery store.

In Need of a 12-Step Program

I love lists. I'm a master list-maker. If there was a job where all you had to do was make lists and then list out all of the lists you made, I would be a shoe-in. I have lists that have sub-lists. I am addicted to color-coding my lists (which is a sickness itself). I have lists in multiple locations, some of which list the same things as other lists. When Apple added the Reminders app to iPhone, I was excited because I could have all of my lists with me wherever I go.

My top ten best (longest) lists are for:

• General Crap To Do
• Things To Buy (separated by store)
• Things To Return
• Gift Ideas
• Crafts To Make
• Reviews To Write (for Amazon)
• Blog Posts To Write
• Deep Cleaning List (separated out by frequency of cleaning - weekly/monthly/seasonally)
• Home Improvements To Make (separated out by room/zone)
• My ever-lengthening Shop To Do List.

Whew! Uh oh. I just realized that is another list of lists.  :-/

If only list-making resulted in actually getting stuff done. By the time I pull out my list(s), cross off the very minimal amount of items I have completed and re-evaluate what's left, I don't have time to actually do anything on the list! I think list-making might be the ultimate procrastination technique. You get to put off actually doing work by thinking about all the work you have to do. Maybe it's time for a mid-year resolution.