Refried Bean Roll-Ups

I first came across this recipe when trying to make dinner for the 2nd pickiest dinner guest I have ever had. The pickiest is my dear friend and upstairs neighbor for whom I made the Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich Cake. This guest was only slightly better. He is a vegan who doesn’t eat tomatoes or, get this, sauces. That meant no pasta, no eggs, no grilled cheese, no salads (dressing counts as a sauce) or ANYTHING. I was stumped. The no pasta (cuz he wouldn’t want sauce on it) and no salad thing just killed me.

I spent the ENTIRE day looking for a recipe that the 2 of us would both like. I finally found this super simple, vegan friendly dinner and was saved of all of his complexities. No meat or animal products so long as I shopped wisely, the only tomatoes were in salsa (which he does eat, along with ketchup), and the salsa was mixed in so that it was not a sauce. PERFECT. And get this, it’s really good too! And super filling. This past week roomie and I shared it and would have had enough to use it as bean dip (which it is really good as!) and have another serving leftover. Did I mention it makes a good bean dip, cuz it does. I was starving at midnight the next night (writing a paper until 1 or 2 am does that to a gal) and in searching through the fridge I found the leftovers. I had them cold as bean dip on tortilla chips and was in heaven.

Overall, you can’t beat this recipe. It's cheap, filling and healthy. I am entering it in Eat Healthy- Protein Rich. It has 12.25 grams of protein in a 2 wrap portion.

I apologize for the pics. I must have bought a bad bag of tortillas because most of them were already ripped before I even pulled them out of the bag. When folding the tortillas up, it lead to a bean explosion, but was still tasty. Do try to use unripped tortillas though.

Refried Bean Roll-Ups

1 can (16 ounces) fat-free refried beans (the fat free kind are better for you and are vegan friendly)
1/2 cup salsa (any variety)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 fat-free flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

1. Mix beans, salsa and chili powder in 1-quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm.
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture onto center of each tortilla; spread slightly. Top with lettuce and cheese. Fold over sides and ends of tortillas. Serve with addiditional salsa if desired.