Recipe: Butternut Squash & Black Bean Burritos

I don’t know about you folks, but I love, love, LOVE butternut squash. As I mentioned in last week’s Linguine with Sweet Potatoes, Spinach & Ham post, I’m trying to eat more seasonal produce and luckily for me, ‘tis totally the season for a ton of delicious squash. Whether roasted, made into soups or even into soufflés, butternut squash lends itself to a variety of dishes much like my other favorite squash, the pumpkin. Personally I’m perfectly happy just cutting it up into cubes, roasting it in the oven for about 20 minutes and snacking on the little cubes like they’re candy. I figured I’d take this a step further and put said roasted cubes of goodness into a nice vegetarian burrito.

More vegetables, Poor Girl? YES!!! I seem to be hell-bent on eating even more veggies lately. Maybe it’s because I’m trying to fortify myself against any further illnesses until next flu season, or maybe it’s because I had too much Panda Express last week (I ended up w/a gift card & coupons and ugh… that stuff just weighs you down if you eat it more than once in any given month. There's a reason why I don't eat much of that kind of thing). Regardless, I am on a mission and I’m taking you all with me. :)

I like how this turned out because it puts a different spin on vegetarian burritos. I think we’re all familiar with the standard rice & bean variety, or perhaps fajita style burritos sans meat (think Chipotle style burritos). They’re awfully tasty, but it’s the same old, same old. The juxtaposition of flavors in these burritos is an absolute delight to the palate as you dig in: smoky, cumin spiced black beans, sweet roasted butternut squash, and a healthy dose of crisp spinach – what’s not to love? These are quite good and quite good for you, as they’re definitely packed with fiber and vitamins. And they’re cheap!!! The entire recipe ends up costing roughly $5, making the cost per burrito a mere $1.67. Depending on how big a squash you use and how much you fill your burritos, you can feed between 3-4 folks with this. Tasty, good, and $5 to serve 3 people? Works for me!

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Burritos (serves 3-4; total cost per burrito: $1.67)

3-4 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 1-lb. butternut squash, diced into 1” cubes
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 c fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 c diced yellow or red onion
2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t sugar
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 t minced garlic
1/4 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne pepper (optional)
Salsa, sour cream and other burrito fixings of your choice

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl toss together the squash, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, sugar and ground black pepper until the squash is evenly coated. Spread onto a foil lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until the squash is tender and lightly browned. Set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 2 minutes or until they begin to soften. Next, add the drained black beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently. Finally, add the roasted squash and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until everything is completely heated through.

To assemble your burritos, take a warm tortilla and fill with a generous amount of the black bean and squash filling. Add a nice handful of chopped spinach on top and roll together (the spinach will wilt slightly inside). Serve with salsa, sour cream, or whatever your favorite burrito fixins may be, and enjoy!