A better burrito to stuff in your face.

I once went on a date with a guy recently in the US from Africa.  His accent was so thick and my hearing so bad that I spent a good part of the night laughing and nodding my head inanely in ignorance as to what we were talking about.  When I first got in the car with him, he asked me if I was hungry.  I said sure, thinking that we were going to a restaurant.  Instead, he went through the Taco Bell drive-through, ordered a bunch of food, including a bean burrito and nachos, handed them all to me and said “Eat, eat!”  Awkward.  So I ate.  While he watched.  Then we played Uno in the car in the rain.

Years later, Taco Bell played a part in another bad date, which I wrote about recently.  I was thinking about these dates and how they ended up.  The thing is, things might have turned out vastly different had either men replaced the Taco Bell food with actual, real, delicious food.  Can you imagine if someone prepared a really great, homemade burrito for you with care and then watched you eat it in anticipation of your enthusiasm for the dish?  Or if someone was caught stuffing a burrito in his face because it was just so damn amazingly delicious – a really unusual culinary experience and he just couldn’t stop himself?

Okay perhaps I’m overestimating the power of good food.  Even if the guy from Africa had made me a really amazing dinner, I still wouldn’t have been able to carry on a conversation with him.  And the second guy, well, that wouldn’t have worked out no matter what.  But still.  Taco Bell just has no business in any part of any date.

All I’m saying is that if a guy could appreciate a burrito like the one I made today, well, that would be a good step in the right direction. The plantains are sweet-potato-ish and the mango kicked up with the spices really sweetens the deal.  And the crunch of the scallions, the freshness of the cilantro and the creaminess of the cotija cheese finishes it off perfectly.

Black Bean Plantain Burrito

2 T. olive oil

1/2 small onion

1/2 serrano pepper, seeds removed

1/2 large red bell pepper

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

2 plantains

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

3 T. lime juice

1/2 cup water

1 15-oz can of black beans

1 large mango

1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 flour tortillas

In a large skillet, drizzle the olive oil and heat over medium high heat.  Peel and dice the onion and the peppers and add them to the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Cut off the peel on the plantains.  Cut the plantains into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Add to the skillet.

Add the chili powder and cumin.  Stir to combine.  Add the lime juice and the water.  Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the plantains are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.  Drain the black beans and add them to the skillet.  Peel the mango and cut off the flesh around the pit.  Roughly chop the mango and add to the skillet.  Let simmer for ten more minutes, until the mango is dissolved into the mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Fill the tortillas with the black bean mixture and top with the cotija cheese, scallions and cilantro.  Roll them up and serve.

Serves 2 on a good date.  Or serves 1 after a bad date.