Vegetarian Burritos

A Taste of Mexican Flavors by Way of New England

We are fortunate that the influence of Mexican cuisine has spread so widely across the United States and beyond. Some of our most favorite and popular foods today were inspired by the varied authentic regional cuisines of Mexico. Take the burrito, for example. It has its roots in regional Mexican cuisine, from northern Mexico along the U.S. border. The tradition of wrapping freshly made fillings in a soft wheat flour tortilla was popularized as the burrito by a Mexican immigrant restaurateur, Alejandro Borquez, in Los Angeles, California, in the 1930s. His restaurant, El Cholo, is still family owned and operated to this day.

Autumn in New England brings a bounty of root vegetables and, in this vegetarian burrito recipe, the sweet potatoes and sweet Vidalia onions combine with the spicy heat of cayenne, pepper jack cheese and chipotle pepper to make a satisfying and crave-able Mexican-inspired dinner.

These same ingredients also lend themselves to other quick Mexican-inspired dishes:

• Omit the rice, increase the cheese to ¼ cup per serving and make quesadillas.

• Lightly fry corn tortillas in vegetable oil, top with filling, then roll up tortillas and place them seam side down in a 9- by 12-inch baking dish. Top with enchilada sauce and bake in 350°F oven until warmed through, approximately 30 minutes.

• Leave out the tortilla for a “burrito bowl”: Start with a layer of lettuce and top with rice, black beans and sweet potato-onion mixture. Add a dollop of chipotle sour cream, fresh salsa and sliced avocado or guacamole.

• Add sautéed mushrooms, kale or Swiss chard to your burritos or any of the above.