Catfish Out of Water

This is lentil and tofu burrito is a perfect leftover meal. I have a tendency to make a batch of tofu and then toss it into everything throughout the week. Since I already had Cinnamon Roasted Squash w/ Habanero Lentils, it only seemed fitting to combine the two into a leftover extravaganza!

Alright, I may be being a little overly dramatic here. But this has been an absolutely delicious meal! I've been using these lentils in everything from Scrambled Eggs to Burritos and I am going to be quite sad when I run out. And I definitely was not disappointed. The sweet and savory squash roasted lentils pair perfectly with the heartiness and almost creaminess of fried tofu.

This might not be the most typical recipe to make a burrito out of. But I am a huge fan of incidental fusion recipes. That aren't the hoity toity fusion meals of hipster restaurants. Rather, an amalgam of everything delicious that you have on hand, whether it fits into a particular food genre or not! I'm almost hesitant to call anything "fusion" because of this connotation. But it is rather fitting when you start to put together meals with leftovers. It's almost like trying one of those mystery box challenges on cooking shows.

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Variations of Tofu Burrito

Tofu burritos are one of my staple meals. I had some lying around, but it's also incredibly easy to fry up some tofu. It only takes about 15 minutes and is a great vegan substitute! A lot of the time I'll make burritos with a runny egg and maybe some queso fresco. But sometimes I'm looking for something a little lighter and tofu hits the spot perfectly! There's almost an earthy or nuttiness about it that pairs really well with anything from lentils to rice and quinoa. I make them all of the time.

Burrito w/ Fried Tofu & Brown Rice

Fried Tofu & Sweet Potato Quinoa Burrito

Burrito w/ Tofu & Sweet Potato Quinoa

Burrito w/ Fried Tofu & Cinnamon Squash Lentils

Fried tofu burritos are a great sweet and spicy way to start the day. This recipe combines Lentils w/ Cinnamon Roasted Squash & Habaneros. It primarily consists of squash, lentils, shallots, and habaneros with an assortment of fall favorite spices. Although you can substitute any leftovers of choice and the same principle still applies!

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Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, Asian, Mexican

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

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

Ingredients

  

Roasted Squash Lentils

• 5 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves unroasted garlic)
• 1/2 butternut squash cubed, roasted
• butternut squash seeds roasted
• ~2 tbsp. olive oil (divided, 1 tbsp. + 1 tbsp.)
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• dash cinnamon
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash ginger
• dash mustard
• 1 ½ c. French green lentils
• 1/2 shallot minced
• 1 habanero minced
• dash cumin
• dash nutmeg
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 3 c. water

Burrito

• 1/4 c. roasted squash lentils
• 3-4 oz. tofu (~1/4 container per person)
• 1 tbsp. high heat oil
• 1 tortilla shell
• splash water

Instructions

 

Cook Lentils

• Cook Lentils w/ Cinnamon Roasted Squash & Habaneros. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove and preferably 2 baking sheets. It primarily utilizes squash, green or crimson lentils, shallots, and habaneros with an assortment of fall favorite spices.

Fry Tofu

• Drain the tofu and cut in half if you're using a container. Wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.

  It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
• Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet. Fry until golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Rotate until all sides are evenly fried.

  Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Cook Tortilla

• 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 Greek yogurt and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and pairs well with the nutty flavor of the quinoa. 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 preparing tofu, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Fried Tofu. High heat oil and a precise cooking temperature are important to keep the tofu from drying out or burning. 
• 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!