Tempeh Vegan Burritos

I really enjoy cooking and have been cooking for myself since I was 19 years old. After gaining the Freshman 15, I spent the summer between Freshman and Sophomore years of college learning to cook healthy food to aid in the process of losing the weight. At first it was pretty basic and involved what I thought were healthy processed food alternatives to my favorite unhealthy things (such as non-fat american cheese on egg beaters, using “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” in my packaged rice dish served with broccoli, baked lays with salsa, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, etc), but over time, I started moving toward a more whole foods diet.

In the beginning my meals were quite plain – about three times a week I’d eat a chicken breast with a baked potato and a frozen veggie medley. Over the years my diet has changed and I’ve learned to cook a lot of different dishes using a variety of ingredients. Most healthy, some not, but in general I eat very healthfully at home and keep the splurges to meals out or parties. One of my favorite things to eat (and the thing Mike seems to enjoy most), is a homemade healthy burrito. Before I stopped cooking with meat I made chicken or ground turkey tacos/burritos but now I use tempeh (if you don’t know what this amazing product is, check it out here. It is the only soy product I use because it is fermented so it doesn’t have the same negative effects that other soy products do).

Sometimes I use recipes to cook and sometimes I just make things up. This burrito was created by me. This recipe is perfect for Mike and I because it makes 3 huge burritos. I eat one and he eats two! You could easily  make 4 burritos out of it as well. We usually have some leftover black beans that you can serve on the side as well.

Tempeh Vegan Burritos (makes 3 large burritos or four small burritos)

Ingredients: 

• 1 package organic tempeh 
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Red bell pepper, sliced (for all veggies, use as many as you prefer)
• Mushrooms, chopped
• Kale, sliced (a handful works here)
• Sliced onion
• Oil of your choice (I used sunflower this time)
• Cajun seasoning & salt (to taste)
• 1 can organic black beans
• 3 Ezekiel sprouted grain tortillas
• Guacamole (I make mine at home with avocado, onion and tomato only)

Steps

1. In a large skillet, warm the oil and the garlic and then add onion, peppers, mushrooms and kale. 
2. Sprinkle salt and cajun seasoning over the vegetables and saute over medium heat.
3. Crumble the tempeh and in a separate skillet, warm a little oil and add the tempeh, cooking over medium to high heat (for crispiness!). You can also add more seasoning here for extra flavor.
4. While the tempeh and veggies are cooking, warm the black beans in a separate sauce pan over medium heat (I don’t drain or rinse the beans but later use a slated spoon to scoop them out of the water/sludge).
5. Meanwhile, prepare the guacamole.
6. Once veggies are soft, black beans are warm and the tempeh is heated through and crispy, add a little of each to a warmed (microwave 20-30 seconds) tortilla, along with as much guacamole and salsa as you wish.
7. Enjoy!

• 1 Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortilla – 6 g protein, 5 g dietary fiber, 150 calories
• 1 package Organic Sprouted Tempeh – 40 g protein (13 per burrito), 18 g dietary fiber (6 per burrito), 240 calories per serving
• 1/2 cup black beans – 7 g protein, 4g dietary fiber, 100 calories
• Peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, kale – no need to explain why these are good for you!
• I’d estimate there is about 650 calories,  26-28 g of protein and 30 g of dietary protein per burrito, depending on how much guacamole and oil you use ( I use about 1/5-1/4 an avocado per burrito and about 1 tbsp oil in total)

What is your favorite healthy Mexican food dish?