Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

This is another recipe that I pulled out of the vault. It was recommended to me by my great friend KJ. I have made it once before. I try to cook (am not always successful) one meatless meal a week. Having made this recipe before and knowing the flavor combinations, I really didn't alter anything.

This recipe was taken from http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv87.htm.

Ingredients
5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
3-1/2 cups diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tablespoon minced fresh green chile (I forgot to purchase, so I used canned chiles)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt

8 eight-inch flour tortillas I made whole wheat tortillas instead

Fresh tomato salsa or jarred  (I meant to make salsa, but ran out of time, so served with avocado and sour cream instead)


Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

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.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, 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.

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

When I made the recipe this time, I combined the beans and potatoes in my food processor.  It combined them too much.  Next time, I will just mast with my potato masher, because the potatoes got lost in the mixture, and this really tastes better when the sweet comes through more.   This recipe is labor intensive and takes a while to prepare.  I also want to come up with a sauce to use as a topping, because there really isn't much purpose in baking them without a sauce to add a little moisture to the dish.  The salsa is a must even if you chose not to bake.


I will keep this recipe in the rotation, Price and I both liked it.  A friend of mine shared it with us for lunch and said it was good, but I think she was being nice. Don isn't crazy about it, but he's not usually a fan of burritos unless they weigh a pound and come from Moe's.