Healthy Cauliflower & Black Bean Burritos

As a kid I didn’t eat a lot of vegetables. I just didn’t like most of them. I’ve always loved raw cauliflower. It’s soft, but still crunchy and has a pretty benign flavor. But I would never have eaten it cooked a few years ago. Buffalo cauliflower bites have been a hit in Pinterest for a few years. I tried making them once or twice, but wasn’t successful. Instead I thought cauliflower could be treated similarly, but without breading, to make vegetarian burritos.

I try to make vegetarian meals a few times a week for a couple of reasons:

1. Generally eating less meat means eating more veggies. This isn’t the case all the time, but is certainly the case here.
2. We both have family histories of high cholesterol. Less meat is less cholesterol.
3. Veggies are generally cheaper than meat.
4. Raw meat is icky to touch. I don’t mind ground meat, but I hate touching raw chicken.
5. Eating more vegetarian meals is better for the planet.

That being said, I still love bacon. And almost always order something with meat when we eat out. No judgement for how many vegetarian meals anyone eats, just explaining why I try to find tasty ones to incorporate into the regular dinner rotation.

You guys! I was surprised at how good these were! I was expecting to get through these because they were good for me. But I’d actually choose to eat these because they are so flavorful and beautiful. Even Mr. PC, who claims he doesn’t like cauliflower, went back for seconds. And ate leftovers. That’s really the telltale sign. If he doesn’t like something, he avoids the leftovers like the plague.

The cauliflower gets two layers of flavor, first from a seasoning blend with lime juice, and then from enchilada sauce. The seasoning I use is the same as what I use to make turkey burgers, and have since called it turkey burger seasoning. Do yourself a favor and go mix up a batch. It’s good on everything from eggs to burgers.

For making this during the week I try to prep parts of it in advance. Black beans are super easy to cook while making dinner on a different night as they just need the occasional stir. Chopping up peppers and cauliflower ahead of time would also help make things more efficient. Aldi has packs of mini peppers that I love in this recipe. For more fun Aldi buys, see this post.

Let’s talk about toppings. Guacamole, cheese, cilantro and a squeeze of lime can make anything pop. The cauliflower, beans, and veggies make a flavorful and healthy meal in their own. But adding the right accompaniments sends your burritos over the top. And there’s about 200 calories in an entire head of cauliflower, so that’s more calories for beer in my book.

I was a little concerned that these cauliflower burritos would suck as leftovers. But I was very happy to be wrong! I dumped everything I wanted in my burrito (sans guac) into a microwavable bowl. Then once that was reheated, I wrapped it in a tortilla. Certainly not styled as pretty the next day, but still amazingly delicious!

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Healthy Cauliflower & Black Bean Burritos

Course Main Course

Cuisine Vegetarian

Keyword Burrito, Cauliflower, Healthy, Taco

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp turkey burger seasoning
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 5 tbsp enchilada sauce

For the Beans

• 1/4 cup dry black beans
• 1 clove garlic
• 8 mini pepper & jalapeno caps

Veggies

• 6-8 mini peppers
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/3 cup frozen corn
• 2-4 cloves garlic

Accompaniments

• tortillas
• lime wedges
• guacamole
• shredded cheese
• cilantro

Instructions

1. Slice the peppers into short strips, saving the caps to flavor the beans with.

2. Add beans, pepper caps, and garlic to a small sauce pan. Submerge beans in water and simmer covered for about an hour. Stir occasionally, adding water as necessary to keep beans from boiling dry. 

3. While beans are cooking, cut cauliflower into bit sized pieces. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, seasoning, & lime juice until thoroughly coated. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

4. Crack a beer and take a big swig. You deserve it for making such a healthy meal. 

5. Crush garlic into skillet, add peppers and corn. Cook for a few minutes. I like the veggies to still have a crunch. Set veggies aside in a bowl.

6. Warm (or melt if yours is frozen) the enchilada sauce in the same skillet. Toss roasted cauliflower, and let warm on the stove for a few minutes to meld the sauce to the cauliflower.

7. Assemble your burrito to your liking! Lord your colorful healthy meal over all your friends #cauliflowerburritos. Don't forget to dot hot sauce like you're an abstract painter. 

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