Tex Mex Med Chicken Burritos with Cilantro Lemon Dressing

Want an alternative as easy to make as burgers and hot dogs without the heart-burn and calorie-guilt? Want to re-define a summer staple you eat with your hands that is fresh, full of flavor, and low-in-fat? Than I have the dish for you-Tex Mex Med Chicken Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Dressing. This dish is my attempt at pairing my native flavor-base of the Mediterranean by preparing the chicken in olive oil with fresh garlic and roasted red pepper and combining it with the popular Tex Mex and Latin cuisines of my current community highlighting cilantro and fresh peppers and onions for texture, flavor, and health. The lemon of the dressing bridges the gap of these regional fares making for a light yet filling dish that both is familiar and different.


Tex Mex Med Burrito Recipe, Serves: 4
1 lb. ground chicken
4 garlic cloves
2 large roasted red peppers
shredded iceberg lettuce
shredded Monterey jack cheese or any cheddar mix
diced red onions
diced orange peppers
diced tomatoes
4 large tortillas


Pre-chop all vegetables and prepare dressing ingredients. Heat 3 tblsp. of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add fresh garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Add chicken meat. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 8 minutes. Add roasted red peppers for another 2-4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through.


Cilantro Lemon Vinaigrette from Food&Wine.com
2/3 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot: I used fresh garlic instead.
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey: I used white sugar instead.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a blender, combine the cilantro leaves, shallot (garlic), lemon juice, red wine vinegar and honey (sugar) and pulse until the cilantro is finely chopped. With the machine on, add the olive oil in a steady stream and blend until smooth. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.


Assemble the burrito about 1/3 up on the shell and be sure to keep all components in the middle leaving enough room to fold-in on both sides. Drizzle about 1-2 tsp. of dressing on top, fold, and ta-da! You've got a hearty, healthy, burrito sure to make everyone in the family happy and full with a new summer favorite.