Need a new twist on a Mexican dish? This one is easy, fast, and low calorie.

About 40 years ago, I was missing my favorite restaurant in the world, Cretin’s on Fourth Avenue in Yuma, Arizona. My regular meal there was a smothered bean burrito. Made with freshly made tortillas (oh, they are so much better than store-bought!), filled with flavorful beans, and topped with a sauce and loads of cheese, it was the sort of meal only a teenager with a racing metabolism could eat and not gain weight.

Knowing I could never duplicate that delicious burrito and really didn’t need to indulge, I created a healthier version, tweaked it over the years, and entered my recipe in a contest sponsored by “Prevention” magazine. Mine was one of 150 selected to be in the cookbook that came out in 2008. You see the cover and my page in the photos.

Nutrition information (compiled by the experts on the magazine’s staff): 347 calories per serving, 16 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 902 mg sodium, 8 grams fiber. Serves four.

Prep time: 10 minutes  Cook time: 5 minutes.   Bake time: 18 minutes

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 can (16 ounces) fat-free refried beans

4 whole wheat or regular flour tortillas (8 inches diameter)

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 jalapeño chile peppers, finely chopped and seeded (wear plastic gloves when handling)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small, nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions, bell pepper, and chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about four minutes or until the onion is softened. Set aside half (about 1/4 cup of the mixture) in a bowl, Add the beans to the skillet and break them up with a spoon Add a few tablespoonfuls of water, if needed, to loosen the mixture slightly.

Lay the tortillas in a single layer on a work surface. Spoon one-quarter (about 1/2 cup) of the bean mixture on each tortilla, then hold opposite sides of each tortilla to meet in the middle. Fold under the top and bottom of the roll to form a compact bundle. Place the burritos seam side down in the dish.

Add the tomatoes with juice and the chile peppers to the reserved onion and pepper mixture. Stir to mix. Spread over the burritos. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until the cheese melts and the mixture bubbles.

Diet exchanges: 0 milk, 1 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 bread, 1 meat, 1 fat

3 carb choices

This recipe can be modified and made less healthy/low calorie by adding browned ground beef or cooked chicken. Or, to keep it healthy, add Morning Star Grillers Crumbles (fully cooked soybean crumbles, look just like ground beef).

Also, I now like to add garlic to the mixture. If using minced garlic, use 1/4 teaspoon. Powder version just a couple of shakes.

This is a homemade salsa recipe that was not in the cookbook:

1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1/2 tablespoon chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons picked jalapeños, juice drained

Place in blender, pulse once or twice until made liquid, although there will be a few chunks. Do not blend until smooth. Place in a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I use this salsa on top of the burritos before adding the cheese.