Spirit-Lifting Burrito

Serves 1

Yah, this doesn't sound very authentic, and yah it falls into the category of wrap more than burrito, but it still sounds fabulous!

... It may appear that the entire filling won't fit into the tortilla. It will distribute evenly as you fold the burrito up. Wrapping the burrito in foil is optional, but it does hold everything nice and neat. I don't believe in eating a burrito that falls apart or needs a fork and knife.


INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup spinach
1 egg
1 teaspoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 green onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 large burrito-size (about 9 1/4 inches wide) flour tortilla
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos (optional)
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/4 cup canned black beans (optional)
1/4 cup steamed rice (optional)
1/3 cup mung bean sprouts
Sriracha sauce or regular salsa
5 cilantro sprigs, chopped
1/2 fresh lime


INSTRUCTIONS:
Instructions: Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and saute until just wilted. Set aside.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Add the mirin, sugar, soy sauce, green onion and garlic. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the same skillet and scramble the egg mixture in it.

Microwave the tortilla between two slightly damp paper towels for 30 seconds. Place the steamed tortilla on a 10-inch-long piece of aluminum foil. Put the cheese in a pile in the middle of the tortilla. Add the scrambled egg and sauteed spinach. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the egg and spinach.

Add the black beans and rice, if desired, and mung bean sprouts. Add sriracha sauce to taste. Sprinkle on the cilantro and squeeze lime juice over all.

Using the foil as a base, fold the bottom third of the tortilla up over the filling, pushing the down on the pile and you roll forward. Take the left side of the tortilla that has no filling and fold it over the filling. Do the same with the right side, shifting the filling as it forms a tube shape.

To hold the burrito together, wrap the foil around the burrito the same way. Twist close the top if you are saving it for later. This will keep in the fridge for one day. Reheat in a 350° oven for 20 minutes. When ready to eat, simply peel the foil back as you eat.

Per serving: 450 calories, 15 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat (3 g saturated), 213 mg cholesterol, 768 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

Former San Francisco resident Linda Furiya has traveled and lived throughout the United States and Asia. Her first book, "Bento Box in the Heartland: A Japanese Girlhood in Whitebread America'' (Seal Books) was published in 2006. E-mail her at food@sfchronicle.com.