Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

     Today is the start of a big study week for me! I have four test coming up next week and wanted to try the whole planning meals ahead. So I found a recipe for black bean & sweet potato burritos in my Vegan A Go-Go Cook Book by Sarah Kramer. Normally I would half the recipe to make just enough for one meal but this time I decided I would make the whole lot and have burritos all week! I got the craving for sweet potato burritos last week when I went to lunch at a great little cafe/grocery called Just Ripe in down town Knoxville. They have many vegan and vegetarian meals and they also have a great selection of produce and vegan products for a fair price. Most importantly they have a vegan sweet potato burrito that my friend Jenny got to eat. I went with the vegan breakfast burrito which was delicious... but Jenny is not vegetarian or vegan and she was raving about this sweet potato burrito so when I saw the recipe in Sarah Kramer's book I had to have them!

As you can see I also made my favorite Edamame Three-bean Salad, from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, to snack on all week as well.

This recipe is so simple and good plus it gets better and better the longer it sits and marinates in the fridge.

Ingredients:
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. corn
1 c. shelled soy beans
1 (15 -16 oz) can garbanzo beans
1 (15 - 16 oz) can kidney beans
2 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl mix together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly mix in the olive oil and then set aside. This will be your dressing for the beans. Next mix together the corn, beans, scallions, bell pepper, parsley, and cilantro. Gently toss with the dressing and ta da you have my favorite 3 bean salad!

These burritos on the other hand took a little work.
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. oil
1 (16 oz) can black beans
1 c. vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves ( I only used one clove)
1 1/2 T. chili powder ( I only used 1 T.)
2 t. ground mustard
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
4 large flour tortillas
1/4 c. salsa
1 c. vegan cheese ( I used daiya cheddar)

First I started with a large pot of water for my sweet potatoes. I boiled them on medium high uncovered the entire time I was preparing the burritos but they could have been a little more cooked.  I would say go with 45 minutes to an hour for cooking your potatoes. I left the skins on mine but you can peel them before or after you boil them if you don't like the potato skins.

While the taters were a cookin' I started preparing the beans. In a medium sauce pan I heated the oil and then cooked the onion until it was translucent. Then I added the beans, stock, garlic, chili powder, mustard, cumin, and salt. Increased the heat to medium-high and simmered, uncovered, for 15 minutes until it was more mushy then liquidy. Once the beans were done I set them aside. Then I mashed up my sweet potatoes and set them aside.

 Here is where the fun began! Assembling my burritos.. start with one flour tortilla with a sheet of foil underneath. Add a line of salsa, about one heaping spoon full.

Then I added a forth of the bean mixture to my burrito.

Next came a heaping helping of sweet potatoes, about a forth of the mashed potatoes.

Sprinkled with delicious Daiya

And then wrapped to perfection!

I stuck two in the freezer to save for later on in the week and one in the fridge. The other one is already long gone! Anddd if you were perceptive you noticed from the first photo that I made cookies!!

Also from Kramer's cook book, Mama Mayhem's Perfectly Easy No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. vegan milk (I used coconut original)
1/4 c. nut butter (I used peanut)
1/4 c. vegan butter (I used earth balance buttery spread)
2 tsp. unsweetended cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. walnuts, chopped

In a medium sauce pan I melted the sugar, vanilla, "milk", peanut butter, butter, and cocoa powder over medium-low heat. Once it was all melted together I removed it from the heat, stirred in the oats and walnuts, and then plopped big spoon fulls onto my foil covered cookie sheet. Into the fridge for an hour to set and they were ready to be devoured.

Now that I have a full belly, a full fridge, and an updated blog I think it is time to hit the books!

Spicy Ginger Snap Cookies

These little ginger snaps are so easy and quick to make that I find my self whipping them up a little too frequently. Whenever I want something sweet I usually have all the ingredients for these on hand and they are great crunched up in some vanilla soy ice cream! This recipe is from a cook book a friend of mine gave me freshman year called 'Cookies Brownies & Bars' by Elinor Klivans. I veganized* the recipe with a few minor tweeks

2 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cloves (I had to buy whole cloves and grind them in a food processor because I could not find them already ground)
3/4 C. unsalted butter (at room temperature) *earth balance natural spread
1 C. sugar plus 1/4 C. for coating
1 egg *Ener-G Egg replacer
1/4 C. molasses

This makes around 20 cookies depending on how big you make the dough balls.

Preheat your oven to 325 F and grab two bowls one big and one medium sized. In the medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set this bowl aside and grab the big bowl. In here you will first mix together the butter* and cup of sugar using a hand mixer on medium speed. After that is well combined beat in the egg* and molasses on low speed until combined. Next slowly add the flour mixture from the medium bowl until just incorporated scraping the sides down occasionally.

Now is the fun part. Take off any rings and wash your hands before you dig into this dough. Make small dough balls about a tablespoon of dough and then roll it in the 1/4 C. remaining sugar so it is evenly coated. Then plop the balls on the cookie sheet. Make sure they are spread out because they will spread out when cooking.

Bake for 15 minutes or until they look crinkley on top and slightly browned on the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes and then pop them off the cookie sheets before they get stuck! ENJOY!!