Beef Burrito Bowls with Avocado Crema and Peach Pico de Gallo #VirtualCookingParty #EverydayEileen #BEefTogether #NYBeef #Sponsored

When I saw an invitation to join Eileen from Everyday Eileen in a virtual cooking party, I applied immediately. This shelter-in-place order is going on twenty-one weeks and I really miss cooking with and for friends.

Recent weeks have seen me on virtual board meetings, school meetings, and book club meetings. I did host a virtual pasta party for my 47th birthday when my friends made their own dinner and we just chatted on Zoom while we ate. And last weekend I attended a socially-distanced wedding from the safety of my own patio. But I haven't done a virtual cooking party and was thrilled to receive my sponsor box from the New York Beef Council.* What fun swag!

And I was really excited about the Beef Bucks with which to purchase my ingredients to make the dish. That seems a much easier way to go than trying to deliver frozen beef to the bloggers. So, after the virtual party, I headed to the market and picked up what I needed.

Yesterday was the day. We all logged into Zoom and watched Eileen prepare the dish. This is my version of Eileen's Mexican Beef Burrito Bowl. Her original recipe is here: Easy Beef Burrito Bowl Recipe.

Beef Burrito Bowls with Avocado Crema 
and Peach Pico de Gallo

I made a few adaptations, including using fresh corn instead of frozen, and dried beans instead of canned. But the spirit of the dish remains the same. And it was a hit with my family!

Ingredients serves 4

Bowls

• 1 to 1-1/2 pound ground beef (Eileen likes 80/20, I used 93/7)
• 1 Tablespoon oil (you might not need this if your beef is more fatty)
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (regular paprika can be used)
• 10 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 ounce can, chopped green chiles
• 2 cups cooked black beans (you can use canned beans, I made Midnight Beans from Rancho Gordo. Read my how to cook dried beans if you need some direction)
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels cut off the cob
• Also needed: cooked rice, avocado crema (recipe below), optional garnishes (also below)

Optional Garnishes

• shredded cheese 
• guacamole
• pico de gallo or salsa (my Peach Pico de Gallo below)
• sour cream
• sliced avocado
• lime wedges
• chopped fresh cilantro

Avocado Crema

• 2 avocados
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 organic lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Peach Pico de Gallo

• 2 organic peaches, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 to 2 organic tomatoes, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1/2 sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon  honey
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• freshly ground salt, as needed
• freshly ground pepper, as needed

 Procedure

Peach Pico de Gallo
Place all of the ingredients - except for the salt and pepper - in a small mixing bowl. Blend gently and let stand to blend flavors. To make this more spicy, adjust to use more jalapeño peppers.

Bowls
In a large flat-bottom pan or skillet, heat the oil. Add in your onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent, approximately 5 minutes. 

Add in the beef and cook until completely browned. Stir in the chili powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. 

Add in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes and chopped green chiles.

Stir in your cooked black beans and corn kernels. Heat until warmed through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Cover until you're ready to serve.

Avocado Crema
Place all of the ingredient in the bowl of a food processor or you can mash it by hand. If using a food processor, pulse until smooth. Now you're ready to plate.

 Scoop rice into individual serving bowls. Spoon in the beef mixture. Add in the peach pico de gallo and top the meat with the avocado crema. Serve with all the optional garnishes you want; we opted for avocado slices and fresh lime wedges.

This was a delicious dish that I know I'll make over and over again. Thanks to Eileen for the inspiration and to the New York Beef Council for the opportunity to join the party. I had a great time!

Thanks to the event sponsors!

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Find the New York Beef Council on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, on Pinterest

*Disclosure: I received ingredients and utensils for participation in the virtual cooking party and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.