Catfish Out of Water

I have been gardening all summer. Growing different types of tomatoes. Attempting my hand at lettuce. A little bit of broccoli. Some potatoes. But what I'm most excited about this year is the peppers! Bell peppers, banana peppers, serrano peppers, chili peppers, habanero peppers, ghost peppers. If I can get my hands on it locally, I'm growing it! And what else am I making other than burritos?? This brown rice and black bean burrito with enchilada sauce is predominantly made from homegrown peppers and tomatoes, with squash, garlic, shallots, and lime.

When you grow your own fruits and vegetables, part of the fun is cooking what's ripe when it's available. You can't really plan your meals ahead of time. It's more of a jaunt outside to see what's good at the moment. Then, to pick a meal that revolves around the ingredients that you have! It's like a perpetual mystery box challenge.

This week I had a plethora of peppers and cherry tomatoes that were ready to pick. So, I delved into my favorite Mexican and Latin American-inspired dishes. Some of my favorites are brown rice and black bean. So, I made Brown Rice w/ Butternut Squash & Habaneros, Stovetop Black Beans, and two kinds of enchilada sauce: one with Red Chilis and and one with Habaneros.

This, of course, led to making many, many, many burritos! I probably ate nothing but this brown rice and black bean burrito with enchilada sauce for lunch for at least a week! Maybe two. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's one of my favorite things to make. Also one of my more traditional burrito recipes.

Gallery

Variations of Brown Rice & Black Bean Burritos

You can tell how much I liked this recipe by the sheer number of times that I have made this exact same burrito! With the various enchilada sauces that I have also made to go on top. There's a Red Chili and a Habanero variety.

Burrito w/ Sweet Potato Quinoa & Black Beans

Enchiladas w/ Rice, Black Beans, & Red Chilis

Burrito w/ Squash, Brown Rice & Black Beans

Burrito w/ Squash, Brown Rice & Black Beans

This brown rice and black bean burrito with enchilada sauce utilizes homegrown peppers and tomatoes, with squash, garlic, shallots, and lime. It's made from Brown Rice w/ Butternut Squash & Habaneros, Stovetop Black Beans, and two kinds of enchilada sauce: one with Red Chilis and and one with Habaneros. This is a great idea for making a couple different recipes over the weekend and utilizing for leftovers the rest of the week!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Latin American

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

• Skillet w/ Lid (Preferably Cast Iron)
• Stovetop

Ingredients

  

Black Beans

• 1 lbs. dried black beans ~2 cups, soaked overnight
• 1 serrrano minced
• 3 habaneros minced
• 1 jalapeño minced
• 1 banana pepper minced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 shallot minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 limes juiced
• 5 c. water

Squash & Habanero Rice

• 1 ½ c. butternut squash peeled, cubed
• ~20 cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1/4 red onion minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 habaneros minced
• 1 lime juiced
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 c. brown rice
• 3 c. water (or vegetable broth)

Burrito

• 1/4 c. no-fry refried beans
• 1/4 c. squash & habanero rice
• 1 tortilla
• splash water
• dollop sour cream (optional, omit or substitute for vegan recipe)
• dollop hot sauce of choice (optional)

Instructions

 

Cook Rice and Beans

• Cook Stovetop Black Beans. I like this recipe better than opening a can of refried beans or actually having to go through the process of frying them! This does require some forethought, though, and takes overnight to soak and about 2 hours to cook the next day. It requires a large pot on the stove and a potato masher or food processor if you want to achieve the creamier texture.
• Cook Brown Rice w/ Squash & Habaneros. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
• For the hot sauce on this, I also used Enchilada Sauce w/ Red Chilis and Enchilada Sauce w/ Habaneros. These recipes take less than an hour and require an air fryer and a large pot on the stove. They mostly utilizes hot peppers, tomatoes, and onions. This is also truly one of the best things that I've ever made!

Assemble Burrito

• Preheat the pan on medium-high. If you aren't using cast iron, make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
• Wet both sides of the tortilla and add to the preheated pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown.
• Remove the tortilla from heat and turn the stove off. Add toppings and fold the burrito.
• Turn the stove back up to medium and add the tortilla to the skillet immediately, before it preheats. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.

  The first side will likely take longer to cook than the subsequent sides, which may toast in as little as 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature if it's cooking too quickly and burning or too slowly and cracking.
• Top with sour cream and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and pairs well with a lot of the same flavor profiles. Omit or substitute with a vegan alternative for an entirely animal-product free recipe.
• Serve immediately. You can reheat burritos by lightly wetting them and reheating, but they are never quite the same as they are fresh!

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

• For a more in-depth article on burritos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Burritos. I highly suggest using cast iron and there is precise temperature that works best for cooking at that may vary slightly depending on your stovetop and type of skillet. If you're having trouble rolling the burrito without cracking, there are solutions for this as well!