Life can be pretty crazy sometimes and we often need lunch-to-go. But quick doesn’t mean that we have to scrimp on good taste or good health. You can pack some Mexican Pinwheels in your lunch sack or serve them up for a festive party. And yes, they are kid-friendly and mother approved!
Pinwheels are a fun Mexican sandwich using whole grain tortillas and packed with colorful veggies and all the Mexican flavors we love so much!
I like to stuff mine with chopped spinach, finely diced red bell peppers, onions and chopped olives. The smaller the chopped additions, the easier it will be to roll ’em up. In chopping spinach, you can use your food processor. Or if you want bigger pieces, how about using some herb cutting scissors. They have several blades which makes for quick and easy chopping. Here’s a picture of the model I use.
If you make Mexican Pinwheels ahead of time, fill and roll up the tortillas, place in a serving dish. Cover them with plastic and refrigerate. Then slice into pinwheels when you are ready to serve or pack into your lunch.
Spinach is my favorite green to add to many Mexican dishes. And it was the perfect green to use for our Mexican Extravaganza Cooking class because of our special feature on tasty ways to beat cancer. Studies show that spinach and all dark green leafy vegetables protect us from many cancers–cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, lung and colon. This is largely due to the high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin in these greens–both of these carotenoids excel in removing free radicals from the body, thus preventing cancer. Plus, spinach is just too delicious to turn down! I hope you find Mexican Pinwheels are a fun and tasty way to get some greens in today!
GLUTEN-FREE FRIENDLY: Use corn tortillas to enjoy gluten-free Mexican Pinwheels.
Mexican Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can of black bean refried beans
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 T lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt or salt substitute
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced fine
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 4 large whole grain tortillas wheat or corn
Instructions
- Place the beans and juice in a food processor; as it is blending, add the cumin, garlic and salt. Blend til smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides, as needed. Add the cilantro or parsley and blend for another couple of minutes. Spread over the tortilla. Arrange the spinach, peppers, olives and onions on top. Roll the tortillas as tightly as you can. Slice into 2-3 inch pieces. Serve on a plate with the cut size up.
