Today marks the beginning of Lent and part of the Lenten obligation is to abstain from meat on Fridays.  Even though we usually have one or two meatless dinner as part of our weekly menu, this always seems like a daunting task.  We fall into the pasta with marinara sauce or cheese pizza rut more often than not. In the spirit of breaking that habit, I’ll be featuring a different, meatless dinner every Friday during Lent.

This bean filling is hearty and tasty – perfect for a meatless burrito night. It also takes less than 15 minutes to make which is perfect for a busy night.

Bean Burrito Filling
(from Annie’s Eats)
Serves 3

2 t. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. chili powder
1 t. minced chipotle in adobo sauce
1 t. ground cumin
¼ t. salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1/3 c. water
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
6 T. salsa

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt and cayenne; stir, cooking just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.  Add the beans and the water to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a fork.

Serve with warmed tortillas, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream.