Roasted Vegetable Burritos

At my last visit to the Manayunk Farmer’s Market, I picked up a large sweet potato and some red bell peppers at the Amish farmer’s stall. My thought had been to make some stuffed red peppers. Stuffed peppers have always struck me as a dish popular in the 70’s; at least I recall my mother often experimenting the dish with us as her guinea pigs. I have never liked cooked green peppers – whether they were served baked and stuffed or frequently found as filler in dishes served at cheap Chinese eateries, so I initially thought I wasn’t a fan of stuffed peppers. Once I figured out it was not actually the medley filling the edible container, but the pepper itself, I have been trying different variations of peppers for this dish. Most of my success has come with stuffed poblanos, the mildly spicy green pepper used in chile rellenos. They are both smoky tasting and healthy when roasted first and then stuffed and baked. So I mistakenly thought the same logic should apply to the red bell pepper. They completely lost all semblance of shape and tore after roasting and peeling; the problem being both that they contain more water than a poblano and that I roasted them too long. So I cut them into strips thinking I'd figure out something to do with roasted red peppers, a common Italian antipasti dish.

Meanwhile, I had cooked brown rice and prepared the sweet potato by cubing, rubbing with oil and salt and roasting that. That was to be the majority of the filling. I put everything in containers and decided the next day I would make a Mediterranean fried rice; ie the filling for the peppers with the roasted peppers mixed in.

That next day Sam called and asked if I wanted to come over to watch a Phillies play-off game. If so, what food did we have that could be cobbled together and enjoyed while watching baseball. Well, I had the fried rice ingredients while she had chicken and tortillas. Great, we decided to make a variation on burritos. Sam diced the chicken and marinated it in taco seasoning, cayenne and garlic. It was then fried in a skillet and doused with lime juice and cilantro.

For the rice portion, I fried it in olive oil with chopped onion, garlic and half a habanero pepper from my co-worker, Chris’ garden. I would have added the entire pepper, but thought it was better to err on the mild side as those things can be bloody hot, even for me. Some people suggest seeding hot peppers; however in a cooking class that I took in Oaxaca the instructor stated that the seeds are the heart of the pepper and that one should just use less of it rather than throw out the seeds. The roasted sweet potato and red peppers and fresh, diced tomatoes were added next. After the mix was heated through, the heat was turned off and fresh local feta from Apple Tree Goat Dairy and cilantro completed the rice filling.

On the side I made fresh guacamole using Haas avocados, garlic, cayenne, salt and lime juice. (I know, I know…avocados are certainly not local. It’s one of the produce items I have a hard time giving up). Other condiments also included a yogurt sauce with dill and homemade tomatilla salsa prepared by Sam. The flour tortillas were heated and we were ready for family style assembly. The meal also included fryer peppers with a stewed tomato topping that Sam’s friend Jeannie made. The most satisfying meals usually involve a group effort.

It was an international twist on a burrito – a bit Mexican, a bit Indian, and a bit Mediterranean with a kick. A healthy, simple dish that is easily eaten while enjoying baseball. Unfortunately the game that night was cancelled due to rain and extreme cold in Denver, but good food, conversation and company was still enjoyed by all.