Sweet potato burrito
By Natalie Serafini, Editor-in-Chief
My favourite kind of meal is one that’s simple and can be made in bulk and stored, to be nommed on for days to come.
Enter sweet potato burritos in an avocado salsa verde, with files from CookieAndKate.com. This recipe is swell for any vegetarians and vegans out there, or anyone who doesn’t want this harvest of sunset-coloured yams, ‘taters, and squashes to end. The recipe is relatively quick and simple once you’ve made up the baked sweet potatoes—which takes about an hour—and the avocado salsa verde, which can be blended up while the potatoes bake.
Because the base of the burrito is sweet potatoes, rather than a traditional meat, it’s vegetarian-friendly. You can also remove the topping of sour cream, and sub the shredded Jack cheese with some shredded Daiya for a vegan-friendly meal. Bonus: the beans ensure that you’re getting a dose of protein.
I wasn’t able to find salsa verde at my local No Frills, so I went with plain ol’ red salsa and made guacamole with the rest of the avocado salsa verde ingredients. The recipe made about 10 burritos, with some sweet potatoes leftover—perfect to serve for friends, or to gorge on your own for days!
Burritos:
– Two medium sweet potatoes
– Two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin
– 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
– 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
– Salt and pepper
– Tortillas, whole wheat or white
– Two roasted red peppers (but use jarred, seriously)
– One can black beans, rinsed and drained
– Shredded Jack cheese (I used TexMex)
Avocado Salsa Verde:
– Two avocados
– One cup salsa verde, jarred
– Two garlic cloves, chopped
– Two teaspoons jalapeño, deseeded and roughly chopped (optional)
– One lime, juiced
– 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
– Salt, to taste
Suggested toppings:
– Romaine lettuce
– One small red onion, finely chopped
– Finely chopped jalapeño (optional)
– Sour cream
– Any leftover cilantro as a garnish, because you’re fancy
– Salsa, optional, for if you also couldn’t find the salsa verde at No Frills
Preheat the oven to 450 F, and get started on the sweet potatoes. Wash, peel, and chop them into bite-sized chunks. Coat the potatoes with the olive oil, cumin, hot paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper, making sure they are lightly coated with oil on all sides. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet (line the baking sheet with parchment paper if you’re smart, or risk it if you’re like me). Bake for 45 minutes, flipping the sweet potatoes halfway through. Keep an eye on the potatoes, just in case they start to get overly brown—they should be golden orange when they’re done.
While that’s cooking, get started on the avocado salsa verde (or guacamole). This is the simple part: you basically just combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix that sucker up. Add salt to taste. If you need to, you can add up to two tablespoons of water to thin it out, as necessary.
Once you’ve whisked your sweet potatoes out of the oven, you can start assembling your burritos. Keep the oven at 450 F. Lay some tortillas out on a baking sheet and, down the centre, lay some roasted red peppers, black beans, and sweet potatoes. Next, sprinkle some shredded cheese (Jack, TexMex, or Daiya). Wrap your burritos up so they’re snuggled nice and cosy, and put them in the oven on the middle rack to bake for about five minutes.
Once you’ve waited, salivating, for five minutes, pull the burritos out of the oven. Plate your burritos, and top with your preferred garnishes.
To pair:
This recipe is fantastic on its own, but you can pair with some veggies to impress everyone even more. I wouldn’t go with a grain: while sweet potatoes are lower in calories and carbs, and higher in fibre than regular white potatoes, they are still starchy carbohydrates; the tortilla that’s lovingly embracing your burrito also keeps you covered for carbs. If you do choose a grain, I’d suggest a brown or wild rice side.
For veggies, I highly recommend a southwestern corn. Corn on the cob is no longer in season like it was in the hot days of summer, but you can try to scrounge some up or use canned. You can find recipes online for a southwestern corn salad, which will use some of the cilantro, lime, and spices that you used for your burrito. The contrast of sweet corn with bitter lime and spice make for a delectable dish. Add some quinoa and black beans if you’d like a leftover quinoa salad to eat on the go!
For those who like a drink with their burrito, an obvious go-to is margaritas, although I’m partial to sangria.
