Vegan Baked Avocado Burritos

Autumn is definitely on the way. Some leaves are starting to change and I actually rang into my wood man this week and ordered a load of wood for the end of the month. The days are getting shorter. We notice it most in the mornings when it is now so much darker when the alarm goes off.   I loved each season and not sure that I have a favourite as each one has its highlights. What I do love though is the change of seasons. By the time the signs of change are here we are well and truly ready for something new. 

I adore winter. I am obsessed with fire and spend a small fortune on wood. I love rugging up and not getting out of leggings and my old daggy jumpers. I love hot water bottles. I love red wine in winter. I love being cold as getting warm is always so satisfying. This summer has been so surprisingly mild so I am certainly not complaining about the heat, but I am looking forward to the cold returning. I can’t wait to shut the house up, shut the curtains and the blinds and get ready for keeping the house warm. I can’t wait to have that fire going and to realise that it is minus 5 degrees and pitch black when we get to the dog park. It is the sort of thing that the kids can reminisce about when they are older. They can say to their kids: when I was your age! 

I love this recipe and can’t wait for the cold to return, as it is really best enjoyed in the winter. I make it in summer as well; I just don’t tend to eat as much! This is a great dish to freeze in portions and then heat up for an easy dinner for one. There are a few components to this dish, but they all work on their own as well. The tomato sauce I use for a lot of things – even a simple dip for baked tortilla chips. The avocado dressing is amazing as a creamy salad dressing, over vegetables, as a dip. The sour cream is the same. If you have any leftover burrito filling just have with rice for dinner. So it is a recipe with quite a few uses.  

Vegan Baked Avocado Burritos

Mexican-Style Tomato Sauce

• 6 large tomatoes
• 4 or 5 slices Jalapeno Peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• Water
• 1/2 finely diced onion

Place whole tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and peel tomatoes and place in blender. 

Add garlic and jalapeno peppers and blend. Add garlic and blend until smooth. Add water if too thick. Lightly saute onion in some water in a saucepan. Add tomato sauce and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add some olive oil, salt, and pepper.   

Rice

Cook one cup of brown rice in water with 2 teaspoons of vegetable stock. 

Burrito Filling

• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 onion finely diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 capsicum, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms chopped
• 5 slices of jalapeno peppers
• 1 cob corn

Handful of freshly chopped coriander

• 400 gram tin of kidney beans
• 1/2 cup of mexican style tomato sauce
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, saute the garlic, onions, and cumin in some water. Add mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, capsicum and corn. Saute for about 5 minutes until vegetables are lightly cooked. Add coriander, kidney beans, and cayenne pepper. Stir in tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Zesty Avocado Dressing

• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• Small chopped onion
• Water – up to 1 cup
• Salt and pepper

Place all ingredients apart from water into blender.   Add water until until dressing is of desired consistency.   

Sour Cashew Cream

• 1 cup raw cashews – soaked for 2 hours
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 – 3/4 cup water

Add cashews and vinegar to water. Add water gradually and blend until the consistency of cream

To assemble burritos:

• 12 tortillas
• Refried beans
• 2 or 3 sliced avocados

On each tortilla place a tablespoon of refried beans and spread down the length of the tortilla.  Top with rice and then add 1/2 cup of the burrito filling. Top with some slices of avocado and some coriander. Roll the tortillas tightly and place in a oven proof container seam side down. 

Complete with all tortillas and top with tomato sauce and bake for 30 minutes. 

Serve two tortillas per person, garnish with the tomato sauce, zesty avocado dressing, the sour cashew cream, and coriander.