Taco night!

I'm sitting in my dorm room listening to Juanes and the sound of Spanish-speaking construction workers on Chapel St. (who have been working non-stop since 6 A.M...on a Saturday...) getting in the mood to answer this most pressing of questions from Anna: 

"I am planning on having an authentic taco night. What should I put in these tacos of mine? I want them to be nothing but the best, as is our culinary tradition. I am thinking rice with a hint of lime, black beans, seasoned chicken perhaps? And some fresh vegetables sautéed to perfection. Any advice on this undertaking? "

Do I ever! Thanks for the nostalgic question, chica. Little known fact--our first dinner experience together was making burritos for Anna's ridiculously large family. Does this make me an expert on the subject? Why do you even have to ask that question? 

Julie's burrito recipe (I know you said tacos, but no one likes tacos. Don't question a Jedi): 

Rice (white is traditionally preferred, but I'm a firm believer that basmati works in everything) mixed with the juice of a fresh-squeezed lime and finely chopped fresh cilantro

Black beans (from a can works, but if you want to get all fancy, why not soak some dehydrated beans overnight in water then season with some salt and pepper?)

Boneless chicken cutlets cut into small cubes. Marinade is key--lime juice, salt, pepper, possibly some teriyaki/soy sauce/orange juice/mint if you want a little Asian infusion, or chili powder/cumin/cinnamon/nutmeg if you want a little sweet and spicy flavor profile. 

Romaine lettuce cut into small strips

Tomato/corn salsa (I like a mixture of the two)

Finely shredded pepper jack/cheddar/mozzarella cheese, if you want to get really fancy!

Optional (this is getting pretty full)--sauteed veggies: onions, bell peppers...I don't know, go to the farmer's market!

One kick-ass playlist (may I suggest Journey, Vampire Weekend, Mumford and Sons, and Barefoot Truth for starters?)

Tortillas. Ok, this part is really key. This is pretty much all we ate on our pre-orientation camping trip, so I fancy myself somewhat of a connoisseur. This part is entirely dependent on your previous concoctions, and can make or break your burrito. Of course, you can always pull a Chipotle and use a plain one, or whole wheat if you want to pretend that's better for you. However, if you're feeling adventurous, why not become familiar with the entire line of tort offerings? Some suggestions: lemon cilantro (if that complements your previous flavor profile) and red pepper (if you're trying to build the whole nutrition pyramid)are both delish. 

Sorry for the lack of time for snarkiness--I'm off to lunch at the president's abode! Ciao!