Roll With Your Leftovers

Often I have a couple of small portions of leftover bean dishes sitting in the fridge or freezer. For instance, last night I had three different bean casseroles that I decided to makeover into dinner. 

Molasses Baked Beans

The first was Molasses Baked Beans, a recipe (from Vive) that I made over the holidays (and that I’ll share with you soon).  The second was Sweet Curry Chickpea Casserole, also from Vive. 

Sweet Curry Chickpea Casserole

And, the third was new recipe, Thai Chickpea Almond Curry.  The flavors of each are distinctly different, and there’s just about a serving or two of each, so there wasn’t enough of either singular dish to feed the kids, hubby, myself, and my mom who’s visiting.   I also had cooked red quinoa in the fridge, and wanted to incorporate that into the meal.  So, how did I make this work? 

I rolled with it… baking ‘em up burrito style!  I have a liberal definition of a burrito in my culinary dictionary.  It doesn’t have to include Mexican seasonings or resemble Mexican presentation.  In my house, a burrito can be any tasty filling (with Indian, Mexican, Thai, Italian, or other seasonings),  encased in a tortilla, baked up until hot and golden.   So, I tucked quinoa and one choice of bean filling in each burrito, and divided them up amongst the hungry crew! 

When making burritos, use your tortilla of choice, such as whole-wheat, sprouted grain, rice, or even hemp or spelt varieties.  Make note, however, that many seemingly healthy (ex: spinach, tomato) tortillas contain hydrogenated oils (as well as preservatives).  Be sure to check the ingredient list and opt for tortillas that have just a few simple and wholesome ingredients.  Also, when using rice tortillas, you’ll notice that they aren’t as pliable as wheat or other varieties.  They typically split during baking, and while I actually enjoy the crispy bits that develop when the burrito breaks open, you may not.

Assembling the wraps is simple.  Lay out a tortilla, and spoon your filling down the centre of each, leaving a good 1-2 inches at the top and bottom.  With last night’s burritos, I first layered on some quinoa, then topped with one bean dish.  You can be fairly generous with the fillings, just keep in mind that if you over-stuff the burritos, they are more likely to break open a little during baking.  Then, you fold the bottom edge over the filling, and roll up, tucking in the sides as you roll.  To bake, place the burritos seam side down on a baking sheet (lined with parchment to catch any drips).  Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.  

Other filling suggestions to mix and match:

- cooked brown rice, wild rice, millet, bulgur, or other whole-grains
- steamed veggies (season in a jif with chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce)
- roasted/grilled veggies (ex: peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini)
- marinated tempeh/tofu
- refried beans or canned baked beans
- dips/spreads (particularly good to help ‘hold’ things like rice and veggies in place while rolling; think hummus, artichoke dip, black bean dip, etc)
- nut and seed-based cheeses and spreads (also good to hold fillings; think cashew cheese, pesto, tapenades

Round out the meal with a salad, and if you want to add something more, pop a few potatoes (sweet potatoes or red/yukon)  in the oven (start about 35-45 mins before the burritos).  Baked potatoes are easy, and please most with a dab of Earth Balance, or topped with a sauce or other condiment.

Tahini Sauce

Speaking of sauces, I enjoy pairing a burrito with a chutney, drizzle of a balsamic vinegar/flax oil slurry, or something like a tahini or avocado sauce.  Check out my two tahini sauce recipes, and for a delicious creamy avocado sauce to serve with burritos (or unbaked wraps), try this recipe:

Creamy Chipotle Avocado Sauce

1 cup ripe avocado, cut in chunks (about 1 ½ medium-large avocados)
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 ½ – 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ – 2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp  sea salt
¼ tsp chipotle hot sauce (ex: Tabasco brand) (or more to taste, see note)

Using an immersion blender, combine all ingredients (starting with ½ cup water) in a deep cup or jar.  Start on a slow speed to incorporate cashews, and then increase speed to high until very smooth and creamy.  Add additional water to thin as desired.

Note:  I like this sauce with a small amount of chipotle hot sauce to give a hint of flavor without much added heat.  If you like the heat, though, add more hot sauce to taste – or omit altogether for simpler sauce.