Easy Vegetarian: Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos

One of the good things about making Easy Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos is that this vegetarian recipe is very flexible and can be modified for different types of diets, including meat eaters, and vegans, and even a lower-fat recipe.

The ingredients are also flexible and interchangeable, so the basic recipe can be changed enough to make a variety of

This is not a recipe for carbo-phobes. This recipe recognizes the nutritional qualities of black beans, and of sweet potatoes.

Ingredients for Easy Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos

8-12 flat tortillas (any brand, any flavor)
2 cups peeled, boiled and mashed sweet potatoes
1 can black beans OR kidney beans
1/2 cup sliced green olives (optional)
1/4 cup sliced onions
1 cup shredded Mexican-style or cheddar cheese, or other cheese blend
1 1/2 tspn cumin
1 tspn chili powder (more or less, depending on your taste)
1/2 tspn dry mustard
1/8 tspn cayenne pepper
1 clove minced garlic

Variant ingredients:
Meat-eaters can replace the beans, in whole or in part with
1 cup cooked taco flavored meat OR
1 cup pre-cooked chicken breast

Vegetarians can substitute half of the sweet potato for cooked whole grain brown rice. The combination of beans and the rice will make a complete protein.

Vegans can skip the cheese or use soy cheese

optional condiments:
salsa
avocado
guacamole
sour cream
scallions

Making the Easy Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos

Peel and cut the sweet potates into chunks (to increase cooking time). Boil. Drain and set aside.

Open a can of beans, drain, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute the onion, garlic and spices with some non-stick spray. Feel free to use butter or vegetable oil, if you prefer. Add the sweet potatoes and the beans, mashing them as your cook. How much you mash them is up to you. You might like some chunkier texture in the burritos, or you might prefer a smoother mix.

Stir in 1 cup of water, and add extra amounts of spices to taste. Continue to cook for about five minutes. The mixture should be aromatic.