"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud." ~ Emile Zola
I love this recipe, and we have made it many times! Sweet, spicy, fresh, and delicious, not to mention lower in fat. The title of this post leaves out the "Black Bean" in the original recipe simply because when I made them this last time I used a combination of kidney beans and garbanzos instead, with great results.This recipe makes A LOT of burrito mixture! Two of us eat two burritos each per meal with plenty of filling, and we get 3 meals easily from one recipe.Experience in making this recipe has led me to make some of my own modifications to better meet our taste preferences. You'll see my changes in italics beside each recipe ingredient and in the Notes section after the cooking directions.
The biggest modification I make is significantly reducing the amount of cumin and coriander called for. I love cumin, but I find the 4 tsp called for is too much and reduce it by 1 tsp. Additionally, I find the 4 tsp of coriander the recipe calls for to be overpowering, and find it adds a strong perfumey taste. I reduce the 4tsp in the recipe to 1 tsp with satisfactory results. Lastly, I almost always end up adding an additional 1-2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice to the burrito mixture at the very end of the recipe, after the bean and potatoes are mixed in with the onion-spice blend.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritosfrom Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat [Vegetarian] Favorites5 c peeled, cubed sweet potatoes2 tsp canola or other vegetable oil (I used olive.)3 1/2 c diced onions4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed1 tbsp minced fresh green chile4 tsp ground cumin (I used 3 tsp., reducing by 1 tsp.)4 tsp ground coriander (I used 1 tsp., reducing by 3 tsp.)4 1/2 c cooked black beans (three 15-oz. cans, drained) (Make sure to rinse, too.)2/3 c lightly packed cilantro leaves (plus additional chopped for topping)2 tbsp lemon juice (Fresh is best. I added an additional 2 tbsp at end.)1 tsp salt8 eight-inch flour tortillasFresh tomato salsa
1. Preheat oven to 350 OR 300 degrees F (see "my notes" below).
2. Place sweet potatoes in pot with water to cover. Cover and bring to boil. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. 3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside. 4. In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices. 5. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa. Yield: 4 to 6 servings MY NOTES:Rather than baking these as called for in step 5, I do the following:In step 4, I add the bean-potato mixture to the skillet with the cooked onions and spices and reheat entire mixture over low heat. This is when I add the extra lemon juice and adjust spices, adding pepper and additional salt, if needed.While the mixture is heating in the skillet, I toss the tortillas onto the top rack of the oven for several minutes, preheated to 300 degrees F. Remove when warm and set aside.When mixture is hot and tortillas are warmed, add mixture to each tortilla and top with fresh additions like: chopped fresh cilantro, avocado slices, fresh tomato chunks, salsa, vegan (or dairy) sour cream or plain soy yogurt (adds the zing and creaminess of sour cream with lower fat), vegan cheeze or dairy cheddarEnjoy! :)
Been making this recipe from Vegetarian Times for years, and it's a favorite because of its alive, bright flavors. I'd forgotten about it for a while, until the recent heat wave and a need for some easy & nutritious whole foods made me start digging for some dishes that are low-cook, low-kitchen-time, and low cost. This is very similar in ingredients to the Easy Burrito recipe I posted last week, but with a little less cooking!
Use fresh peppers and herbs from the garden or farmer's market! I used a fresh-picked Habanero pepper, which is one of the hottest peppers on the Scoville Heat Scale, and my fingertips burned for hours, literally! We made vegan chocolate chip cookies for dessert after this- try this awesome recipe (I prefer to use another egg substitute- Ener-G Egg Replacer- in place of the applesauce. A bit too cakey otherwise)!
Confetti Couscous
from Vegetarian Times Issue: June 1, 2000, p.60
Ingredient List
6 servings
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 to 4 Tbs. fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup uncooked couscous
15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked fresh (about 2 ears) or thawed frozen corn
1/2 cup diced red onion
Directions
NOTE: Because of my dislike of most raw veggies, I actually saute the peppers for a few minutes before adding to the salad.
In medium saucepan, combine salt, cumin and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add couscous, stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff again.
Add beans, corn, onion, bell peppers if using, cilantro and jalapeno. Stir in oil and enough lime juice to give salad a puckery edge. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This is a throw-in-the-kitchen-sink kind of dish, so be experimental and throw in any leftovers that you think might work. :) We have added sweet potatoes, grilled or steamed veggies, rice, mango, etc.
Measurements are approximate, so adjust to taste. I err on the side of caution here to leave room for correcting mistakes- it's far easier to add more than dilute or reduce. This dish also lends itself to fresh goodies from the garden, like herbs, squash, peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Super Easy Bean & Veggie Burritos (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 14.5oz can beans, any type, rinsed well
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 bell pepper, any color, sliced thin
1 c fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
1/2 - 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into chunks
garlic clove (or 2 or 3), minced
1 jalapeno or other chile pepper, seeds removed and minced
1-2 T chile powder (start with a little, then increase to taste)
nice pinch of dried cumin
1/2 - 1 T or more juice from fresh lime (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh avocado, chopped or sliced
fresh tomato, chopped
fresh lettuce greens, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped
cheddar cheese, dairy or vegan (I prefer Daiya vegan shreds or Sheese Cheddar)
flour or corn tortillas (I prefer whole wheat)
Have fresh ingredients chopped ahead of time, as well as lime juice squeezed. Add olive oil to a skillet or wok and heat over medium heat. Toss in onions, peppers, jalapeno, and garlic. Saute until onions are slightly translucent and garlic is browning slightly. Add dried spices and stir a few minutes until fragrant. Add corn and squash, as well as other produce ingredients you may be adding on your own. Stir in beans (and rice, if adding) and heat through. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
After beans are added, turn oven on to 300 degrees F. Distribute tortillas onto oven rack to warm for a few minutes.
To serve, sprinkle cheese (if using) onto warm tortilla, then layer bean and veggie mixture, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, herbs and avocado.
Eat'em up yum! :)
