Help with a recipe...

D

Digger

Guest
I made these sweet potato burritos the other night since generally I love the combination of sweet potatoes and black beans, but in the end these just came out kinda bleh. They weren't disgusting or anything (Frank's Redhot makes everything okay) but the sweet potato seemed to overwhelm the other ingredients.

I'm wondering if I read the instructions correctly and perhaps one of you cooks could help me out?

Is it one cup of black beans and one cup of brown rice after cooking... or one cup of each dry, then cooked? That would make a huge difference obviously and I'm hoping someone here has made these and can help me out.

http://happyherbivore.com/2009/09/paradise-burritos/

DSCN8230-resized.jpg
 
Also, you can use brown rice OR quinoa (which is what the picture shows). I used brown rice.
 
I read it as 1 cup already cooked. The photo is quinoa, not brown rice like the recipe says, but either would be good. I usually squeeze some fresh lime on anything with black beans (they already have cumin, which IMO is crucial. Plus the cinnamon, yum.) You could just up the spices. Or add diced carmelized onions, was that an ingredient?
 
Thanks, LB, I interpreted the recipe the same as you... maybe I just used a sweet potato that was too big.
 
Whenever I make sweet potato /black bean burritos or anything with that combo, I always add pineapple salsa (Newman's specifically cause it's amazing ) to the recipe. A sprinkle or two of chili powder also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rosie1
yeah, i think the reason that it tastes blah is that the recipe sucks. you're just sprinkling dry seasonings onto cold leftover beans, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, and stirring it up, then slapping it onto a bit of flat bread. :(

personally, i'd be heating a tiny bit of earth balance in a pan, then adding some actual finely chopped undehydrated onion to it, and slowly cooking it out until nice and soft. that's a leisurely 10 minute job, and you get to open the mail or drink beer or whatever while the onion caramelises.

then when my onion was golden and soft, i'd add some freshly crushed garlic (or even one of those dreaded frozen garlic cubes, or some garlic from a tube or jar, but not dried!) and i'd throw in the cold diced cooked sweet potato, and toss it about a bit until it just started to crisp up a smidgen- maybe 5 minutes.

i'd then push everything to the back of the pan, take it halfway off the heat to stop the food burning, and throw some cumin seeds (whole) into the empty half of the pan- held over the heat, and move the cumin seeds around until they dry roasted (a few seconds, you just want them to get a TINY bit more colour, and the delicious smell to come out).

then i'd add a bit of freshly ground cayenne pepper or some fresh pepper slivers, mix it all up, throw my uncooked spinach in on the top to wilt down, squeeze some lime juice over it, and whack a tight-fitting lid on the pan, before turning off the heat and doing something else for 5 minutes.

when i got back i'd plonk the flatbread onto the hot saucepan lid to soften while i faffed about looking for a clean plate, fork, etc.

i'd either add the quinoa and beans to the pan just before serving, and mix them in to rewarm, or heat them in another pan (or in the dreaded microwave)- maybe adding a bit of braggs, or some magic seasoning to them.

and i'd definitely be putting some kinda tomatoey dressing on that lot (likely ketchup in my case, cos i'm a dreadful heathen). pineapple would be awesome too- even mango chutney might work. :)

it'd probably take about 20 minutes tops and taste a shedload nicer. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: thefadedone
yeah, i think the reason that it tastes blah is that the recipe sucks. you're just sprinkling dry seasonings onto cold leftover beans, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, and stirring it up, then slapping it onto a bit of flat bread. :(

That particular cookbook is anti fats, oils, etc. and relies heavily (if not almost entirely) on dry seasonings. Most of the recipes are basically along the same lines as this burrito one.

Your recipe does indeed sound much more appetizing!
 
That particular cookbook is anti fats, oils, etc. and relies heavily (if not almost entirely) on dry seasonings. Most of the recipes are basically along the same lines as this burrito one.

Your recipe does indeed sound much more appetizing!

That is what I was thinking about the recipe ; bland and oversweet
. I would also serve it with something to counteract the sweetness like a rocket/aragula salad with an evo dressing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thefadedone
That particular cookbook is anti fats, oils, etc. and relies heavily (if not almost entirely) on dry seasonings. Most of the recipes are basically along the same lines as this burrito one.

Your recipe does indeed sound much more appetizing!

how depressing! it's not really even a recipe to me, cos you're just stacking things up. :(

you could still do my version without oil- you can sweat the onion down in a little water or vegetable stock, on a low heat, or lob it into a hot oven, and sweat it in foil. even add a little orange juice to the rice or something?! another strategy is to use a spray oil (not scary pam, but a little olive or canola oil mixed into a lot of water, shaken up, and spritzed onto the pan).

heat and moisture and fats let flavours out to mingle a lot more, you know? dry seasonings are notorious for losing their impact very soon after opening the jar- they're just not that stable- fresh air, light, etc will render them incredibly bland very quickly, and even in a cool dark place you're not gonna get more than 6 months out of a spice and have it be totally decent. if you can't grind your own spices ( very easy, i have a cheap stainless steel pestle and mortar, but you can use a mug and a wooden rolling pin handle- like i did before i had a pestle and mortar!) or use fresh (windowbox! :D) or even frozen herbs, then a little oil is great for activating the natural aromas in dried seasonings, but any sort of heat and moisture can help to do the same thing.

if you use things that are relatively dry, leave them dry, and add more 'dry' things to the mix, and then try and put them in your mouth and swallow it.... it's just like... like eating the grated cardboard and sofa cushion filling of the culinary world. why would people do that?! :(
 
  • Like
Reactions: thefadedone