Spicy Tempeh and Black Bean Burritos with Lime And a Winner

First, the important stuff: The winner of The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook is … Tanya! Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who participated. I wish I had copies to give each and every one of you.

Now for the recipe, oh, and a little back story about how this recipe came about. We have a little coffee shop/restaurant in town that serves a black bean burrito with lime that is quite good. Around the time they first opened, I wasn’t eating a whole lot of beans, especially black beans. For some reason, they just didn’t appeal to me. It was as if my body was telling me, “Girl, you’ve eaten enough beans in your life. Take a break.”

At first the people at the restaurant were more than happy to substitute tempeh for the beans, and I was happy to pay a bit more to get it that way. But after two or three times, they said they couldn’t do it anymore, even when there weren't even any other customers around, so I said, “Okay, hasta la vista, baby.”

Eventually, my desire for beans returned (funny thing, that was just about the same time I’d heard Dr. McDougall give his “Fat Vegan” talk), and I decided to make my own black bean and lime burritos with tempeh, too! The spinach was an afterthought, and is completely optional. In fact, Mark prefers his burritos without the spinach. But they’re tasty either way. This recipe will make 6-8 large burritos.


Ingredients:

2 12-oz packages tempeh
4 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs lime juice
½ tsp chili powder, more or less, depending on how hot your chili is, and how spicy you want it (I used chipotle chile powder)
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 tsp lime juice, or to taste
1 10-oz package spinach leaves (optional)
1 large, ripe avocado

1 package large flour or gluten-free tortillas

Directions:

Place tempeh in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool, before cutting. While tempeh is cooling, combine soy sauce, lime juice, and spices in a large bowl and gently whisk together. When tempeh has cooled, cut into ½-inch chunks, and add to marinade. Gently mix to coat, and let stand for 10-15 minutes, turning, occasionally.

Place a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add marinated tempeh, and turn occasionally to heat on all sides, for about 7 or 8 minutes. Add black beans, lime juice, any remaining marinade, and spinach if using, and stir to combine. Cover skillet, and allow to heat through.

Cut avocado into thin slices. Soften tortillas on a dry non-stick griddle or frying pan. Spoon tempeh and bean mixture down center of a tortilla, place several slices of avocado on top, and roll up, folding in sides as you go. Repeat with remaining tortillas.