Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos

So I've just recently completed a PhD and a move to Louisiana. I'm hoping to revive this blog with the help of some new friends that share a passion for cooking fun things. This blog will become "Academicooks." You can look forward to hearing from more of us about what we've been cooking -- good, bad, and yucky.

Today we made a recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook. These Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos were my first experience using a food processor. The consensus on the dish is that it was pretty good. We think that leaving the filling slightly chunky might be more pleasant. We also felt the filling could use another flavor, maybe another vegetable. Not sure what. Finally we definitely think it could use a sauce. While we served it with the fresh tomato salsa featured in an earlier entry of this blog, the burritos were quite dry coming out of the oven.

Overall, I think idea of a bean and sweet potato filling is a good one, and I can imagine lots of uses for this filling. I suggest you give it a try!

Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos
5 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 1/2 cups diced onions
4 large minced or pressed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4 1/2 cups cooked black beans (3 15 oz. cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 eight-inch tortillas
Salsa

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 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 chile. 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. 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 about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.