Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas

SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS

This recipe was created by James McNulty and was printed in December 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times and let me tell you –  it is YUM-MY!   Still, we have a few cooking suggestions:

*  For those of you avoiding cheese, we substituted Daiya cheese for the queso;
*  We substituted fresh tomatoes for the canned tomatoes;
*  We used fresh salsa (from our local grocery store) for bottled;
*  You may be able to find already chopped sweet potatoes in your local grocery store;
*  If you’d like to add chicken to this meatless recipe, it’s easy to chop a pre-cooked chicken from your local grocery store and add it;

Lastly, a little pep talk — this recipe looks really  complicated, but is actually very easy — bon appetit!

Let us know if you love it too

Sauce
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. ancho chile powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. chipotle chile powder

Filling
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 ½ lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (3 cups)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 16-oz. jar prepared medium salsa
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained and minced
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 12-oz. round queso fresco, divided

Enchiladas
extra virgin olive oil, for brushing baking dish
16 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, sliced
½ cup sour cream, for garnish
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish, optional

1. To make Sauce: Bring all ingredients to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine, then remove from heat.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. To make Filling: Heat oil in separate saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, salsa, garlic, chipotle chile, and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft. Mash mixture with potato masher until combined. Add black beans, and cook 5 minutes.  Stir in half of queso fresco, and remove from heat.

3. To assemble Enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush 13- x 9-inch baking dish with oil. Spread 1/2 cup Sauce in bottom of dish.  Fill tortillas with Filling. Roll, and pack close together seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining Sauce and queso fresco.

Bake 15 minutes.

4. Adjust oven to broil. Broil Enchiladas 5 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with lime wedges, avocado slices, sour cream, and cilantro sprigs, if using.