Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

My love for sweet potatoes is unbounded.  I love them roasted.  I love them fried and dipped in ranch dressing.  I love them pureed and topped with jumbo marshmallows.  I love them curried.  And I especially love them mashed with black beans, corn, cilantro and lime, rolled into corn tortillas, and smothered in homemade enchilada sauce.

I am posting this recipe for my friend Diane.  Diane raves about these enchiladas and even brings them to dinner parties.  Her support means a lot to this little blogger.




Sweet Potato Enchiladas


Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes


Ingredients

• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams (about 2 large)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped, and divided in half
• 1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups homemade black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chile
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 10-12 corn tortillas
• 3 cups of homemade enchilada sauce, homemade or store-bought (I like Trader Joes brand)
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.
3. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, cumin, and half of the chopped cilantro.
4. Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, until they start to brown.  Set bowl aside for later.
5. Meanwhile, combine the black beans, corn, green chile, and red onion in another bowl.  Set aside.
6. Allow the roasted sweet potatoes to cool for 10 minutes.  Return the sweet potatoes to the tossing bowl, add the lime juice and the rest of the cilantro.  Mash the sweet potato mixture and then combine with the black bean mixture.
7. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
8. Prepare an assembly line for your enchiladas.  Stuff each corn tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of filling and place seam down into the casserole dish.
9. Hint: To prevent corn tortillas from cracking, before filling and rolling each tortilla, you can fry for a few seconds in canola oil and then lay on paper towels to drain.  Or for a healthier option, you can just dip each tortilla in some water before rolling.
10. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle generously with cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Fat Free Enchilada Sauce

Recipe from 1000 Lowfat Recipes by Terry Blonder Golson

This recipe makes 7 cups (enough for 2 batches of enchiladas).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup onions, minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground chili powder, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 28 oz can tomato puree
• 1 28 oz can ground peeled tomatoes

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the onions, bell pepper, and garlic, covered, for about 10 minutes over medium heat, until the vegetables are soft.  
2. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.