Chimichangas and Faux-Spanish Rice

Alright, so my sister made burritos and Spanish rice the other day for my parents and ever since I have been craving it! Of course I had to modify to make it somewhat healthy so that I didn't have to spend 3.5 hours on the treadmill in exchange for the caloric intake but it turned out really flavorful and quite delicious! I will tell you that the chimichanga recipe is all my mom - she used to make these when we were growing up and they were always one of my fave's - nice job mom! haha of course they quickly became one of Zach's favorites too and so it was a win-win. The Faux-Spanish rice was kind of an invention but it turned out really yummy - so yay for creativity!!! Enough talk already I know...let's cook...

Ingredients:

Faux-Spanish Rice

2 tbsp of diced onions - finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup of rice

1 1/3 cup of chicken broth

2/3 can of petite diced tomatoes (14 oz can)

Chimichanga

non-stick cooking spray

2 tbsp of diced onions - finely chopped

1 lb of ground beef

6 small low-carb wheat tortillas

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Low fat sour cream

Directions:

Rice: In a medium sauce pan heat the oil on medium heat and saute the onion until it's golden brown. Add the rice and lightly brown the rice, stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn. Once the rice is nicely browned, add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally for approximately 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked thoroughly. That's it - super simple!

Chimichangas: In a large frying pan, generously coat the pan with non-stick cooking spray over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the onions start to turn translucent. Once the onions start to cook add in the ground beef and cook until it is nicely browned. Remove the beef and onion mixture and set aside. Spray the pan again with non-stick cooking spray and let it heat up for a minute or two. On a separate dish place about 2-3 spoonfuls of the beef and onion mixture onto a tortilla, add a small handful of cheddar cheese, roll into a cute little burrito and place the open side face down in the hot pan. Cook for about 3 minutes or so and then flip the chimichanga onto the other side for about 2-3 minutes. It should be golden brown when it's ready and have a delightful crispy outside. I added a spoonful of low fat sour cream onto my dish and then devoured the two together - fantastic!!!

Pictures:

Yes, these 3 were all mine and I ate every last bite of them!