How did you like this month’s topic of flexitarianism? I hope I piqued your interest and inspired you to eat more like a vegetarian, while still enjoying the occasional meat dish if you like. Did you try any of the previous recipes or tips? If so, click here to let me know how you liked them. I’d love to hear from you.
A big thank you to Dawn Jackson Blatner for all of her great advice. If you missed a week, click here to get caught up.
We’ll wrap up with a couple of my favorite recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks: The Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. I love these recipes because they are written to be vegetarian, but they are flexible enough to include meat. The Festive Black Bean Chili recipe is the one I mentioned in the first Flexitarian posting, and the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos are one of my favorite make-ahead meals. In no time at all, you can make 2 large baking dishes of these burritos, keeping one to eat that night and one in the freezer for a future meal. Healthy and time-saving! Enjoy.
[download the printable pdf]
Festive Black Bean Chili
Serves 4 to 6
2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 cup prepared fresh salsa (purchase from produce section)
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce container diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a soup pot, then cook the onions about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the cumin and coriander and stir for one minute.
Stir in the salsa and peppers, lower the heat and cook, partially covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the black beans and tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste, then stir in cilantro.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito
Serves 4 to 6
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 large onions, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
⅔ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
cooking spray
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
fresh salsa for serving (purchase from produce section)
Preheat oven to 350˚.
Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan with water to cover. Cover pot, bring to a boil then simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well, mash with a potato masher, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and chile. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, onion mixture, black beans, cilantro and lemon juice.
Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon about ⅔ to ¾ cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll up and place it, seam side down in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp the tortillas. Serve with fresh salsa.
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