Ever since I found out I had a gluten intolerance, I’ve made it a priority to radically change my eating habits. Since I’m already a vegetarian friends, co-workers and my family have been asking what things I can still actually eat. Luckily for me, both of my dietary restrictions are widely catered to in the US. For instance, most pizza places have a gluten-free crust option available for a slight upcharge – I can hardly even taste the difference. Even Nick couldn’t tell that the crust was made sans gluten.

Another one of my favorite places is Chipotle. It’s vegetarian friendly and always has gluten-free options available. They have corn tortillas that can accompany any taco or burrito bowl dish, not to mention that their salad is a very simple way to eat gluten-free.

The only bone I have to pick with Chipotle is the price. I’m not saying that this place is wildly expensive, but you can save a ton of money by making these items at home. If I ever picked up dinner for Nick (he likes every meat option available there) and myself, the bill would never come to less than $18.

I know, I know. $18 doesn’t seem like a lot of money – especially since there is no cooking involved and no clean up other than throwing the to-go boxes into the trash. However, when I made my own version of their burrito bowls (I made mine with tempeh and Nick’s with chicken), each serving ended up only being $2.50 – and we had enough leftovers to make lunch the next day! This even included buying every single item that is listed in the following recipes.

Chipotle’s Adobo Marinated Chicken/Tempeh:

The ingredients:

• 1 package tempeh (for vegetarians) and/or 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (for the meat-eaters)
• 1-2 tsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 3 Tbs. lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

The method:

1. Place all ingredients in plastic zip top bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
2. If you’re making chicken, grill on outdoor grill or cut in bite sized pieces and cook in skillet with 1-2 Tbs. oil.  If you’re making tempeh, just cook it in the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently till done.

Chipotle’s Vegetarian Black Beans:

The ingredients:

• 2 cans black beans, 1 drained and 1 undrained
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. sugar

The method:

1. Pour the beans into a small saucepan.
2. Stir in the other ingredients.
3. Heat over medium heat until hot. Allow to simmer until the rest of the meal is ready.

Chipotle’s Corn Salsa:

The ingredients:

• 16 oz frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. salt

The method:

1. Stir all the ingredients together. Top your burrito bowls with it!

Chipotle’s Guacamole:

The ingredients:

• 3 Ripe Avocados
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Red Onions
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
• 1/3 Cup Chopped Jalapeno
• 1/8 Cup of Lemon and Lime Juice – 80/20 ratio
• Pinch of Salt

The method:

1. Place Avocados in a bowl and mash with a fork – You will want to leave it a little chunky.
2. Add all the other ingredients and mix.
3. Tope your bowls with this yummy addition!

Chipotle’s Cilantro-Lime Rice:

The ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups Basmati rice (I used brown rice)
• 2 Tbs. lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. salt

The method:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pan.
2. Stir in the rice. Cook uncovered at a medium boil for 12 minutes.
3. Drain the rice in a colander.
4. Put rice back in cooking pot. Stir in cilantro, lime juice and salt.

To make the burrito bowls, assemble the ingredients to your liking and enjoy! We also added some Pico de Gallo to the dish and sautéed bell peppers. Yum!