Squash Burritos

I was looking for something simple but tasty for a weekend lunch. This recipe sounded great since I had all the ingredients on hand, and it sounded amenable to freezing so we could save some for later.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well these flavors complemented each other - they were much better than I anticipated! They ended up being more like tacos or quesadillas because I used homemade tortillas and they turned out a little small, but they were still fabulous.  I ended up using feta since I didn't have goat cheese on hand, and I think either will work just as well. They have worked out well in the freezer, too, though it may be best to freeze the filling itself, then add to a fresh tortilla when you are ready to eat.

Squash Burritos
Source: Everyday Food

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (I use coriander)
  
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen cooked winter squash, thawed
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 flour tortillas (10-inch) (recipe follows)
  
• 5 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup store-bought salsa, plus more for serving

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in beans and spinach. Cook until warmed through, 4 to 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 2 minutes. Place tortillas on a work surface. Spoon goat cheese, then salsa in a line down center of each tortilla.
4. Spoon bean mixture on top of salsa. Fold side of tortilla closest to you over filling, then fold right and left sides in toward center; tightly roll up burrito. Cut burritos in half, and serve with more salsa.

Homemade Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
Source: Slightly adapted from The Homesick Texan/The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
Makes 8 tortillas

• Two cups of whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• 3/4 cups of warm milk

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.  Slowly add the warm milk.  Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.  Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.  Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
2. After the dough has rested, break off eight (or four, to make larger tortillas) sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
3. After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
4.  In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.  Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.  While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.