Sweet potato quinoa is one of my favorite things in the world! I constantly have some on hand. I've probably made half a dozen of them this summer alone. And today is no exception! The other day I threw together a habanero and yellow tomato quinoa with shallots, roasted garlic, and royal quinoa. The almost nutty flavor of the quinoa tastes reminiscent of more typical pinto bean burritos. And this sweet potato burrito is absolutely delicious.
Sometimes I eat quinoa with eggs or in salads. But really I've just been on a burrito kick this summer! I've been quite busy and just want something to throw together quickly and eat on the run. Burritos can be thrown together in about fifteen minutes. Add a little bit of tofu or a runny egg? And there's nothing better! They're delicious, filling, and are full of nutrients.
I don't tend to try and make meals because they're good for you. I usually just want something that tastes good.
If you're going to go through the process of making your own meals, you get to pick your own flavor profile, cater it to your own personal tastes or what's on hand at the time, and have the satisfaction of making something delicious in the process!
Plus, when you're predominantly eating whole fruits and vegetables, eating "healthy" isn't really something that you have to think about.
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Variations of Sweet Potato Burrito
Quinoa is great in burritos. It's filling and nutritious without weighing you down. Sometimes big meals can make you feel sluggish. I find this to be particularly true when I eat a lot of dairy! Not that I'm not a sucker for lasagna on occasion... But it is more of a eat for dinner and then melt into the sofa and watch Netflix kind of meal!
Sweet potato and quinoa burritos are more of an eat on the go kind of meal and then keep running. It's part of the reason that they're one of my staple meals. If I've been actually working out or just working enough to feel like it, they're absolutely perfect.
Burritos are quick and easy to make. This one is packed with sweet potatoes, quinoa, habaneros, shallots, and roasted garlic. I topped this recipe off with lightly fried tofu and a dollop of Greek yogurt and hot sauce. You can easily swap out sour cream, but I like how much the Greek yogurt plays up the quinoa. It works better with a wider range of flavors and is a bit of a healthier alternative to more conventional sour cream!
dollopgreek yogurt(optional, omit or substitute for vegan recipe)
dollophot sauce(optional)
Instructions
Cook Quinoa
CookQuinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes & Habaneros. This takes less than 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 quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose. I used sweet potatoes, habaneros, shallots, roasted garlic, and royal quinoa for this recipe today.
The hot sauces that I've used for this recipe aren't actually hot sauce. They're enchilada sauces, one made out of Red Chilis and Jalapeños and one made out of Ghost Peppers. Each recipe takes less than an hour and requires an air fryer and a large pot on the stove. They mostly utilize peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
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!
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