Broccoli, Quinoa and Black Bean Burrito with Cashew Sauce

One of the reasons, among many, that I don't tend to eat out or carry in is because the food that I make in my own kitchen is not only more affordable, but also much more interesting and nourishing than most of the restaurant offerings available. Take this vegan version of a Mexican classic — the burrito. Wraps are among my favorite comfort foods. When you make them at home, you can control the quality and number of ingredients that get all wrapped up.

In this instance, you won't miss the cheese because it's perfectly balanced, packed full of protein, and quite satisfying with a lingering sensation of spice. The inclusion of nutritional yeast as part of the sauce adds taste and texture that is very much like cheese. One of my dining companions was rather surprised when I told him that the meal was vegan, without any cheese, soy or otherwise. It's that good and the meal got rave reviews. I served it up with some baked sweet potato fries and a homemade tomato salsa.

I adapted the recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon. A fairly recent acquisition of mine, I've only recently started cooking from this creative and innovative vegan cookbook that certainly proves vegan meals and treats never need be boring or lacking in substance. This burrito is a pleasing example. I pretty much stuck with the original recipe, but I did add some black beans for additional protein and texture and spiced it up a bit. I've been following Angela's blog for a while now and when I heard about her cookbook, I just knew that I would have to make space on my shelf. I'm glad I did.

This was on the menu with spicy sweet potato fries on the side and jalapeño salsa.

Broccoli, Quinoa and Black Bean Burrito with Cashew Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out Published on December 23, 2014 Hearty and zesty vegan black bean and quinoa burritos with a cashew cream sauce Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes Print this recipe Sauce: 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 to 6 hours 1 clove garlic, minced 3/4 cup almond or hemp milk 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Burritos: 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa (1 1/2 cups cooked) 1/4 cup dried black beans (3/4 cup cooked) 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 chilies or jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small uniform pieces 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and chopped sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste 6 10-inch tortillas for wrapping chopped lettuce for garnish and/or as part of the wrap Instructions: Rinse the quinoa and transfer to a medium saucepan. Soak in 1 1/2 cups water for 8 hours or overnight. Separately, rinse the black beans and soak in enough water to cover for 8 hours or overnight. Bring the quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed — about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the black beans, then transfer to a small saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender — about 1 hour. Drain and set aside. While the quinoa and beans are cooking, prepare the cashew cheese sauce. In a blender or food processor, combine the drained cashews, garlic, almond or hemp milk, nutritional yeast, mustard, vinegar and salt. Process until smooth. The sauce should be thick. Add a bit more almond or hemp milk if necessary. To make the burrito filling, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. When hot, add the onion to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, chilies or jalapeños and spices to the pan. Stir and fry for another minute or two until fragrant and the onion is coated. Stir in the broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes and fry until the broccoli is tender — about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the quinoa, black beans and cashew sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and gently cook for another few minutes, stirring often. To assemble, spoon some of the mixture onto a tortilla, along with some chopped lettuce if desired, wrap it up and serve with salsa. Makes 6 servings

More burrito recipes to enjoy:
Pinto Bean and Avocado Burrito
Jalapeño Breakfast Burritos
Chipotle Black Bean, Millet and Quinoa Burritos