Will that be a burrito, a chimichanga or a quesadilla?

Take a tortilla, fill it with some delicious fillings and what do you have?

Is it a burrito? Or a chimichanga? Or maybe it's a Quesadilla? But what if it's a Sincronizada?

It could be any one of them or none of them. So let's take a look at what each one really is.

A burrito is a single tortilla with a filling, rolled into a tube shape. They can be stuffed with eggs, for a breakfast burrito or meat, beans or cheese for a lunch burrito. The burrito can be picked up and eaten like a sandwich and is a very popular lunch food for workers in Mexico.

Chimichangas are made by taking a tortilla and putting a filling in the center of it. Instead of rolling the tortilla, fold it like you would wrap a sandwich with plastic wrap. Fold in the top, then the bottom and then the sides. Fry the chimichanga in oil, folded side down until it's golden brown, then fry the top and there you have it. Fill it with cheese, green chilies and sour cream for a quick, easy and tasty lunch! The chimichanga, or chivichanga, as it's sometimes called, originated in Northern Mexico as a deep fried tortilla with filling and quickly made it's way across the American border into Tex-Mex restaurants everywhere.

So what's a quesadilla then? Take that same tortilla, put filling on 1/2 of it and flip the rest of the tortilla over the filling and fry it on each side. So that's kind of like a soft taco except that it's fried. Fill it with cheese, chicken, onions and tomatoes.

Now we get to the Sincronizada. Put a tortilla on a grill, put some topping on it and cover it with a second tortilla. Fry it on each side and cut it into wedges. You'll find that sincronizadas are often called guesadillas in many restaurants - just to make life even more confusing.

So what's the moral of the story? A tortilla, stuffed with something yummy, is delicious any way you slice it; or fold it; or cover it!


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Mexican Cooking Recipes

Mexican White Rice and Vegetables

I love simple and healthy food. Here's a typical recipe that would be served in Mexico for the mid-day meal, called Comida. It would traditionally be a part of a five course meal, this being one of the courses. It's also great as a side dish for a typical American style meal.

Arroz Blanco con Verduras (White Rice and Vegetables)

1 1/2 cups milk, divided
2 ounces cream cheese
1 cup rice, soaked in warm water, rinsed thoroughly and allowed to dry in a sieve
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably corn oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 green onions or scallions, including green part, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1-2 serrano chiles
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 cup cooked or thawed frozen vegetables (corn, peas or mixed vegetables)
salt to taste

In a blender, puree 1/2 cup milk with the cream cheese and set aside. In a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil and saute the rice, stirring, until it forms clumps. Add the garlic, onion, mushrooms and chile and continue to saute, stirring, until the rice separates into individual grains.

Add the broth or stock, with salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the water has just been absorbed. Add the cup of milk that was not blended with the cheese, cover again, and continue to cook over low heat until the milk has been absorbed.

Remove from heat, stir in vegetables, pour the cheese mixture over all, cover and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Stir and serve.

Serves 6.

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Mexican Cooking Recipes