I know these Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos in no way resemble high-tea-fare, and yet I am putting them forward as a potential Mother’s Day brunch idea. I know, I’m so controversial. I’ve always found the difference between “Mother’s Day Food” and “Father’s Day Food” to be out-and-out hilarious. Only mothers could possibly enjoy the likes of lemon curd, smoked salmon, and peeled asparagus spears. And fathers? Well, that meal had better involve beer, pretzels, and a rack of ribs. How else would you know it was for dad?
Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos: A Mother’s Day Food?
There is, of course, no written rule that states sausages must be reserved for Father’s Day while creme fraiche be consumed by mothers only. But there might as well be when you consider how many restaurant menus follow these bizarre, highly gendered guidelines. Well, I say, no more. My mom likes burritos every other day out of the year, so I have a hunch, even though its Mother’s Day, she’d still get a kick out of these Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos.
A More Palpable Distance
So here we are – the Saturday before Mother’s Day. No, scratch that. The Saturday before the weirdest Mother’s Day weekend to date. For some reason, this is hitting me a little hard. It’s strange because most years, I don’t see my mom on Mother’s Day. My mom lives in rural Nova Scotia and I live in Toronto, so usually, a phone call is all I can do. But this year the distance feels different. Maybe it’s because I don’t know when I’ll see my mom outside of a Zoom conference again. Or maybe it’s knowing I can’t hop a plane on a whim and see her this year. Whatever it is I’m feeling those few provinces between us much more acutely.
It’s been a few years since I’ve had the pleasure of making a Mothers Day brunch for my own mom and I suppose this year is no exception. But I thought I could at least make brunch on Mother’s Day and eat it in front of her on Zoom…I’m totally kidding. I would never do that. But I am going to post what I would make for her if I could magically find myself in her kitchen. So without further ado – Mom, this is the Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito I would make for you if we were together this Mother’s Day. I ask only that you contribute a little of your kick-ass homemade salsa, which I know you have a vat of in the fridge. Did I mention I miss my mom’s salsa almost as much as I miss my mom?
Burritos, Not Beauty Queens
Sure, a burrito is not the most attractive thing in the world. A plate of finger sandwiches and glazed strawberry tarts would easily overtake these bad boys in the looks department. But the flavor totally makes up for it. Oh, and you have a whole meal packed into that tortilla. Talk about economical use of space – moms love that stuff…or at least mine does.
It’s All About the Potato Lentil Fritters
All jokes about their compactness aside, these Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos have quite a lot going for them. The first thing that springs to mind is these Potato Lentil Fritters. Creamy mashed potato, laced with tender lentils, fresh cilantro, and toasted cumin seeds? Yes, please! Oh, and then they’re fried until crispy. Blueberry scone who?
Honestly, if you’re on the fence about serving your mom a burrito on her day, do not be conflicted over the fritters. You can forget the rest of the recipe and just make the fritters and everyone will be happy. Heck! Serve them with a pot of creme fraiche, if you want. You just need to make them, if not for your mom then for yourself…I think I just wandered away from the whole point of Mother’s Day. These Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos are rounded out with a few of the usual suspects. Creamy scrambled eggs? Check! Chunky guacamole situation? Check! Cheese? Checkmate!
Sure, these burritos aren’t as dainty as shrimp toast or as ornate as a bagels and lox brunch platter, but these burritos deliver delicious, messy joy! At the end of the day, isn’t that what you want for your mom? And moms, level with me, do you really want a bouquet of roses or a fistful of burrito? I may not be a mom, but I know which I would choose.
Enjoy!
Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos with Potato Lentil Fritters
Ingredients
Potato Lentil Fritters
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic divided
- 4 cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt divided
- 454g (1 lb) yellow baby potatoes scrubbed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup whole cilantro leaves tightly packed
- ¼ cup chickpea flour for rolling
- ¼ cup neutral oil I used canola
Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito
- 1 avocado pitted, peeled and coarsely chopped
- ¼ large white onion diced
- 1 jalapeno quartered and chopped
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt divided
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- fresh ground pepper
- 4 large whole wheat tortillas
- 8 sprigs fresh cilantro
- ½ cup cojita or feta cheese crumbled
- whole-milk yogurt or sour cream for serving
Instructions
For the Fritters
- Place the lentils, bay leaves in a small saucepan. Crush and peel two cloves of the garlic and add them to the pot. Pour in the water and add ½ tsp of the salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook, adding more water if the pot starts to boil dry, for 25-35 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves and the garlic and drain the lentils. Set aside to cool.
- While the lentils are cooking, place the potatoes in a pot and cover with 2-inches of cold water. Cover and place the pot over high heat. Once the water is boiling ½ teaspoon of the salt and continue to cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool slightly.
- While the potatoes and lentils are simmering away, grab skillet. Pour the cumin and coriander seeds into the cold skillet and place over medium-low heat. Toast the spices are fragrant and start to turn a deeper color. Remove from the heat immediately and transfer them to a small bowl. Set aside.
- Place the slightly cooled potatoes in a large bowl and give them a rough mash with a potato masher. Add the lentils to the bowl followed by the toasted cumin and coriander seeds. Mince the remaining cloves of garlic and add them as well. Add the remaining ingredients and, using a clean hand, mix until all the ingredients are well integrated and the mixture is cohesive. At this point, you could store the mixture in the fridge and form and fry the patties the next day.
- Using a 1/4 cup as a guide, roll potato lentil mixture into balls. Toss them in the chickpea flour and press them into patties. Wipe out the skillet you used to toast the spices and add the neutral oil. Heat the oil until shimmering and add the patties 4-5 at a time. Cook until golden on both sides, roughly 3 minutes per side. Transfer the finished patties to a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet, and stow in 150°F oven until ready to use. Repeat with the remaining patties.
For the Burritos
- Place the avocado, onion, jalapeno, tomato, chopped cilantro, and garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Add the lime juice, cumin, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Pour in the milk and add the remaining salt and fresh groun pepper. Lightly beat the eggs and set aside.
- Add the butter and oil to a non-stick skillet. Melt the butter over medium-low heat until foamy. Pour in the egg mixture and gently cook, stirring constantly. Cook until the eggs are just set but still creamy. Remove from the heat immediately.
- Divide the eggs amongst the tortillas. Add 2-3 fritters to each tortilla and top with the a spoonful of the avocado mixture. Finish with 2 sprigs of cilantro and a sprinkling of cheese. Tuck the sides of the burrito in and starting with the end closest to you, roll the burrito away from yourself, taking care to tuck the starting end around the filling. Set burrito aside, seam-side-down, and continue with the remaining burritos.
- You can serve the burritos immediately at this point or you can toast them in a dry cast-iron skillet until golden on both sides. Be sure to start seam-side down to seal the burrito. Serve with a side of whole milk yogurt or sour cream.
