beans for a week

i am learning how to cook beans. well, learning how to cook a larger array of bean dishes. so i have challenged myself to make one bean dish everyday for one week; lunch, dinner or snack. don't matter. as long as i can learn 7 new easy ways to make beans. we watched food inc. awhile back and it is one of the reasons we have decided to eat way less meat. my gag reflex is kicking in thinking of it. you should watch it. i can guarantee that we will eat meat here and there, but if we can choose we would like it to be free range and/or organic. otherwise we are sticking to lots of grains, beans, veggies and fish. so we made a mean ass black bean and sweet potato burrito to kick off the week. the recipe is below. it's a keeper!

black bean and sweet potato burrito

serves 4 to 6 peeps

•5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes


•1/2 teaspoon salt


•2 teaspoons olive oil


•2 cups diced onions


•2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed


•1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile


•4 teaspoons ground cumin

•4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)


•2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves (parsley for those who don't enjoy cilantro)


•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


•1 teaspoon salt


•whole grain tortillas


•fresh salsa and guacamole

preparation:
place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
while the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.
in a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (you can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. the result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

we made the burritos and then put them in a sandwich press for a few minutes. you could wrap them in tinfoil and warm in the ove as well.