simple, make-ahead breakfast burritos

happy Monday morning!

what is your morning routine like? are you a morning person, or do you despise getting out of bed to begin the week?

i dont mind Mondays a bit, and in general, thankfully, i wake up ready for each day. i’ve always been a “morning person”, easily awakened before others, with full alertness. which suited me well when i got one of my first jobs at Starbucks and sometimes had to be down at the store to open by 4:30am. occasionally i would get comments from customers such as “it’s so annoying that you are this cheerful this early” which really didnt bother me in the slightest. a few years ago, i used to go to the gym before i went to work, which also meant getting up pretty early.

[however, being a morning person has it's drawbacks... picture me at any party or get-together, getting terribly sleepy around, oh, 10pm. 9:00, even.

rough.]

but i enjoy my mornings, lonely as they may be at our house… i’m the only one awake, but i process the day ahead, make plans for the evening with my husband/cooking, and drink coffee! my favorite. kind of like this:

• 5:00 – 5:15 i wake up; stretch.
• 5:44 my alarm goes off. i get out of bed.
• i get dressed, which is a sinch because i’ve set my clothes out the night before so i don’t disturb my husband’s sleep.
• 5:50 coffee, breakfast. finish packing my second-breakfast and lunch to take to work.
• 6:15 hair and makeup. make sure my gym bag is packed.
• 6:30 or 6:45 i commute to the office, and i am usually still drinking my coffee, because i’m a slow coffee-drinker, and because i make HUGE cups of coffee. i’m ready to work on my first tasks by 7am sharp when Production starts sending me their first paperwork of the day.

one thing is for sure: i wake up famished, every day. this has been the case ever since i was a kid. i need sustinance quickly — more urgently than coffee. i used to grab cereal or toast, but i’ve learned how poorly simple carbohydrates sustain me and how quickly my blood sugar crashes if i don’t eat smartly in the mornings. i love having these make-ahead burritos waiting for me in the freezer, which are hot and ready to eat in less than 4 minutes, and are tasty and sustaining. melty cheese, crisp-roasted potatoes, fragrant with paprika and garlic, scrambled eggs and sausage, with a splash of color from sauteed peppers… placed in a skillet on the stovetop or resting on top of a toaster slot, the tortillas become crisp and blistered. if i’m feeling fancy, i dress one up with a glug of taco sauce. they taste like someone woke up even earlier than me to feed me a crisp, warm breakfast! perfection.

for a couple of years, my dear friend Amber has made these burritos for our group during our annual trip to Sunriver, and hers are always so delicious and warming in the morning, fueling us for a day of sledding or Reverse Charades. i’m so glad i finally made some for us at home! they take a bit of prep, but in return you’ll have a hearty, but not heavy, hot breakfast at the ready for the coming weeks, with plenty of protein and energy to fuel your day. you’ll feel like a champion. i’m f’real.

whether you’re a morning person or not, with a friendly homemade burrito, spend more time sleeping! and don’t ever skip breakfast — it’s the most important meal of the day.

yields about 18 burritos

 

this prep goes quickly with an extra pair of hands — invite someone to help peel potatoes while you dice, to fill the burritos while you roll them up. i reccomend a little Huey Lewis and the News playing while you work!

• olive or vegetable oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• garlic powder, paprika, seasoning salt, or whichever potato seasonings you dig
• 1 lb chicken or turkey breakfast sausage
• 1 dozen eggs
• 2 tablespoons cream (heavy or half-and-half)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 small-to-medium white onion, diced
• 1/2 pound cheese of your choice (i used pepperjack), shredded
• 18 tortillas, soft-taco size (8-inch), whole-wheat or flour

roast potatoes: heat oven to 475F. line two baking sheets with parchment and heap half of the diced, peeled potatoes on each. drizzle each heap with about 2 tablespoons of oil, grind some fresh pepper, and sprinkle with salt or seasoning salt, and paprika and/or garlic powder, if using. with your hands, toss the potatoes together to evenly coat in oil and seasonings, and spread out into a single layer on the parchment. roast until browned on the bottom and tender, about 25 minutes (but please watch them carefully after 15 so they dont burn — all ovens are different). remove pans from oven and set aside to cool.

meanwhile, heat a a little oil in a large skillet over medium-high and begin browning the sausage. you know me, i like to get things done, so i use my potato masher to break the sausage up into evenly-sized pieces. once browned and cooked through, set aside in a large bowl, leaving about a 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan for the eggs (chicken sausage doesn’t leave much more drippings than that, really).

in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream and pour into the sausage skillet. cook over medium heat until just set, stirring as needed. season with salt and pepper and stir to combine, and transfer to the bowl with sausage.

wipe out the skillet until clean and add a little more oil. sautee your onions and pepper over medium heat until fragrant and softened, about 10 minutes — browning is not necessary. add to the sausage and eggs and stir to combine the mixture.

assembly: on each tortilla, spread couple tablespoons of cheese, followed by a small handful of potatoes and a scoop of the egg/sausage mixture. fold each side of the tortilla towards the middle just a bit, and then roll up tightly from top to bottom (my friend Amber’s recent post can show you how to roll burritos perfectly).

to freeze: place burritos on a wax- or parchment-lined baking sheet, being careful that they do not touch, and place in the freezer until firm, at least an hour. transfer to large freezer bags and keep frozen for up to one month.

to reheat: place a frozen burrito in the microwave on low for about 3 minutes, then place on top of a toaster slot for about 30 seconds per side until crisp and blistered. to avoid the microwave, place in a dry skillet over medium heat, covered with a lid until heated through, then remove lid to let the tortilla finish crisping and browning. if you’re heating burritos for a crowd, the oven will do beautifully from frozen to hot-and-crisp in about 30 minutes at 400F.

vietnamese-style banh mi sandwiches

there’s a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant two blocks from my office. they make Banh Mi sandwiches at lunchtime and they are the tastiest sandwiches i’ve ever sunk my teeth into!… a light French sandwich roll, airy inside and with a crisp, crackly crust, is layered with grilled chicken, flavorful shredded pork, or pork meatballs, and topped with a spicy, creamy sauce, crisp-pickled carrot slaw, and plenty of cilantro leaves and fresh jalapeno slices (not a Vietnamese chile, but delicious), which they will bring on the side if you prefer less heat. the fresh slaw is slightly sweet, and each bite is spicy and vibrant, scattering crunchy bread crumbs as juicy drips from the meatballs (my favorite) land on the plate.Vietnamese food rules at being spicy/sweet/savory all at the same time, which is my favorite way to eat. this sandwich packs a punch. a fantastic meaty punch.

making this sandwich at home is a sinch, and it’s just as heavenly!! i made these for dinner two nights in a row last week cause it’s one of my favorite sandwiches ever! although i have a special place in my heart for the BLT, it’s hard to top a Banh Mi for intense flavor, contrasting texture and general awesomeness.

i’m really excited to share a simple recipe for an outstanding sandwich… Americanized, with easily-accessible ingredients. for this i shopped at my favorite 24-hour low-price grocery, not a fancy place, so i’m confident you’ll be able to find these ingredients easily as well.

(“Banh Mi” is kind of a general term for sandwich bread in Vietnamese, so Banh Mi Xiu Mai would be a more specific way to name this sandwich made with pork patties or meatballs. but for what you’ll find here in the US, assume Banh Mi to mean any sandwich of this style regardless of filling. most restaurants will offer plenty of meat or egg filling choices.)

adapted from Bon Appetit

serves 2

spicy mayo:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• sriracha (rooster sauce) or hot chili sauce to taste — start with a tablespoon

combine ingredients in a small container. taste for preferred level of spiciness. can be made one day ahead, kept covered in the fridge.

meatballs:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (found in the Asian foods aisle)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (rooster sauce) or hot chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

heat oven to 300. mix all ingredients together. gently shape into meatballs of about a tablespoon each, keeping the mixture as loose as possible (don’t pack or press). set aside on a rimmed baking sheet.

heat a large skillet with a touch of oil over medium-high. gently add the meatballs and let them sit until browned on one side. begin turning or tossing until browned all over. return to baking sheet and slide into oven until cooked through, about 12 minutes. this is a great time to heat up your sandwich bread or roll in the oven (see last step).

quick-pickled carrot slaw:

• 1 cup coarsely grated carrots
• 1 cup peeled, coarsely grated peeled daikon (sometimes called Japanese white radish; at my grocery they are near the turnips and beets. looks similar to a giant white carrot)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (from the Asian-foods aisle)

combine and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. leftovers keep well in the fridge (so you can make more sandwiches later!!).

assembly:

• 2 8-inch long pieces of a light French baguette or 2 French rolls (avoid sourdough or overly chewy breads. i like to grab two rolls that are sold in bulk, usually near the bagels and donuts)
• 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
• handful cilantro leaves

add the bread or rolls to the hot oven while the meatballs are cooking so they get warm and crisp. remove from oven when heated and slice through the side lengthwise to split. spread with half the spicy mayo, and layer with half the meatballs, carrots and daikon, and cilantro and jalapeno sliced to taste. DIG IN.