Brussels Sprout & Corn Burrito with Cauliflower Rice and Avocado Crema

So, I made this recipe about 5 days ago (I'm still catching up on posts; I've been on a "recipe" roll with so many great meals!) - despite the time lapse, we are still thinking about it. Yep, it's really that good, satisfying and filling. In fact, my husband made the comment just yesterday: "please tell me you didn't misplace that recipe." (Fair, since I did misplace my most amazing vegan mac n' cheese recipe and it took 3 times later to finally figure out the details of the recipe again! Check it out in my Creamy Cheesy Noodles for the "final" product).

Anyhow, I digress, we were talking about burritos; and really, who doesn't love burritos? Okay, okay - vegan burritos, those might not be in the "love" category for many. But, I'll let you in on a little secret as to why that might be, because there is an intrinsic problem with vegan burritos. They are mushy. I'm going to be honest here - most vegan burritos are just rolled up mush packets that taste good (some of the time), but have zero textural efforts. I'm here to proclaim, no one wants to eat that!

My solution to the mush problem? Brussels sprouts and corn with cauliflower rice. All of these vegetables are cooked until crisp tender and then stuffed into the shells with copious amounts of a velvety-rich avocado crema. Ah, darn it! Talking about these burritos has me salivating and calculating if I still have the ingredients for this recipe (I don't - thank goodness, it's definitely not in the meal plan and bumping another meal / dish would lead to food waste). If you have given up on ever making a vegan burrito at home that is truly great, I implore you to make one last ditch effort and give this recipe a try. I think you might be surprised that vegan burritos CAN be great!

Sustainability Spotlight: As you enjoy this simple comfort recipe, remember you are supporting the planet based upon the following distilled (but 100% true) fact: vegan diets support sustainability efforts - especially because we "swap" any dairy (none here - no cheese or sour cream, and it's not needed) and meats (veggies can be just as satisfying / tasty). Reducing (or for vegans, eliminating) our reliance upon animal products can lower our carbon footprint, reduce the heavy loads on water resources animal production entails, and inhibit the energy and resources of processed products by buying (and using) mostly whole foods. This sustainability spotlight is pretty simple & comforting because sometimes often you don't need a lot of pizzazz to do well or make something great which makes this simple recipe a comfort to your daily sustainability goals. Today, you get a simple meal and a simple note - vegan = more sustainable. Try it, like it, love it (I hope!)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 1/4 of a red onion (thinly sliced)

• ~2 cups shredded (or thinly sliced) brussels sprouts

• 1 cup riced cauliflower

• 1 can "Summer" corn - drained

• 1 jalapeno (seeded & minced)

• 1 tsp each of the following spices:

  • ground cumin

  • ground coriander

  • smoked paprika

  • chipotle chili pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 2 limes juiced

• 2 tsp agave syrup

• 1 handful cilantro (chopped)

• Avocado Crema:

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • 2-3 garlic cloves (chopped)

  • 1 lime (juiced)

  • 1 small handful fresh cilantro

  • salt & pepper to taste

  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander

  • 3 tbsp chipotle sauce

  • 1 tsp agave syrup

  • Up to 1/4 cup filtered water (to thin)

• Tortilla shells (recommend at least 10 inch) - warmed

Directions:

1. Heat large cast iron skillet over Medium-High heat; add avocado oil and swirl to coat. Once the oil shimmers, add red onion through jalapeno.

2. Cook vegetables stirring infrequently at first (for ~10-12 minutes); stir frequently for another ~5-7 minutes or until the vegetables soften and are lightly charred.

3. Stir in seasonings, agave syrup and cilantro; then, stir to combine well and heat for another 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

4. While vegetables are cooking, add all ingredients in the avocado crema to a personal blender, and blitz until smooth. Adding water as needed up to 1/4 cup as noted above.

5. Once your vegetables and crema are ready, warm tortilla shells (I do it directly over my gas burner turning frequently with tongs; you can also warm shells in a dry skillet on an electric burner if you don't have gas. Note: don't add the shell directly to your electric burner unless you want it to "stick" and there to be significant remediation of your stove post enjoying this dinner - yes, I learned this the hard way when I had an electric).

6. Stuff your shells with the desired amount of veggie filling and drizzle with avocado crema (we did 3 big serving spoons of filling and two big serving spoons of crema in each burrito). Roll and enjoy!

I hope I have made you vegan burrito believers! Serve with extra lime as desired and feel free to make again, and again, and again.

With love & hope for a better future for all of us - Jamie