Easy Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

A few years ago during a trip to Las Vegas, I had some sweet potato tamales. I've thought ever since then that I'd like to make some myself. Until the other day when I actually started looking at some recipes. Ha! I just don't have that level of dedication. So I made some sweet potato and black bean enchiladas instead.

Though at some point during the process to prepare them to take over to the SO's house to cook (so we could watch DVR'd "Top Chef"), I realized that I'd left my favorite glass dish at his house the last time I cooked enchiladas there. So I packed up my supplies, made sure that he had salsa and chips, and was on my way.

Though when I got there, he informed me that his salsa was Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa. I didn't think it would make a big difference (though I'd never tried it), so I figured it'd be fine.

It was more than fine, though. This little accident turned out to be a very good thing. The pineapple flavor really brightened up the sweet potatoes and made these enchiladas extra tasty. So here's the recipe.

Easy Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients:
Corn tortillas (you can use flour and skip the preparation section, but I prefer the taste of corn tortillas)
One half can of black beans
One medium sweet potato
Newman's Own All-Natural Bandita Salsa Pineapple (about half a jar)
Shredded Mexican cheese (use your favorite cheese here--I use Sargento's Mexican cheese blend--or vegan cheddar)
Tomato sauce (for 8 enchiladas, I use 1 8 oz. can of organic tomato sauce)
Optional: add chili powder and/or a pinch of cumin mixed in with the salsa for an extra kick if you like spicy enchiladas.

Peel and chop the sweet potato into small cubes (about the size of a kernel of corn) and saute on medium heat until soft (about five minutes or so). Place in a bowl and add half a can of (drained) whole black beans. Mix in about three or four heaping tablespoons of salsa and set aside.

To prepare the corn tortillas:
1. Heat a large fry pan on high heat with about a teaspoon of refined corn, canoloa or peanut oil (or other high smoke point oil; see here for a list of suggested oils). Keep the oil nearby.
2. Place one tortilla on the oil and brown for 3 or 4 seconds (long enough to pick up the next tortilla).
3. With a spatula, lift the first tortilla and put the new one down on the pan and the first on on top of it. Repeat with as many tortillas as you'll want to use. Add oil as necessary (every 2 or 3 tortillas).
4. Lay out on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

When the tortillas have cooled enough to handle, get out your baking dish or pan (preferably one that is about the width of your tortilla) and place the first tortilla at the far end and place a strip of cheese and a strip of the sweet potato mix down the middle and roll up (don't overstuff). Place the next tortilla right next to it, scooching the tortillas together as much as possible to fit in as many as you can. Repeat until you've filled the dish. Then cover the enchiladas with the can of sauce, a few more heaping spoons of salsa, and a few more sprinkles of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 375.

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

I have updated this recipe for black bean and corn enchiladas. Previously, I tried to skimp on fat and calories by not re-heating and re-fatting (?) the corn tortillas. Yesterday, I was feeling a bit cheeky and decided to try them the right way. That is, first heat your tortillas before rolling them up. And boy, was it worth it. So, here's the revised recipe:

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
One can of black beans
Frozen whole kernel corn (or drained canned whole kernel corn)
Salsa
Shredded Mexican cheese (use your favorite cheese here or vegan cheddar)
Tomato sauce (for 8 enchiladas, I use 1 8 oz. can of organic tomato sauce)

To prepare the corn tortillas:
1. Heat a large fry pan on high heat with about a teaspoon of refined peanut oil (or other high smoke point oil; see here for a list of suggested oils). Keep the oil nearby.
2. Place one tortilla on the oil and brown for 3 or 4 seconds (long enough to pick up the next tortilla).
3. With a spatula, lift the first tortilla and put the new one down on the pan and the first on on top of it. Repeat with as many tortillas as you'll want to use. Add oil as necessary (every 2 or 3 tortillas).
4. Lay out on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

While the tortillas are cooling, mix together about half a can of black beans and equal amounts of (thawed or drained) corn with a little bit of your favorite salsa. Put a strip of the mixture in the middle of one tortilla, top it with some shredded cheese (don't overstuff) and roll it up and place it in a baking dish. Repeat until you've filled up your dish. Then cover the enchiladas with the tomato sauce (and salsa, if you like) and top with a little more shredded cheese.


Some recipes will call for all of the enchiladas to be covered with the sauce, but I prefer to keep part of the tortillas sauce-less so they can get crunchy while cooking. Bake at 375 for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted (if you used more cheese inside the enchiladas, they may need to bake longer). This photo is pre-baking, of course since I was starving by the time they were ready to eat. But, hey, I'm getting better.



I serve the enchiladas with a side dish of Mexican rice. Most Mexican rice blends in the groceries have chicken stock, so I buy the small package of saffron rice and stir in some salsa. The leftovers are good filling (along with leftover black beans) for burritoes.

You can't win them all

If you ask a great photographer how to get a great shot, most likely they'll tell you to take lots of pictures. It's not just about practice, but about volume. For every one good photo, even a great photographer takes probably a hundred or more that aren't good at all.

I try to keep that in mind not just when I take pictures, but when I try new things in the kitchen. Though I can't help but be very disappointed when something doesn't taste as good as I'd hoped.

First, the list from yesterday: a banana and piece of 100% whole wheat toast (with organic butter), a salad (and bread) for lunch, and enchiladas for dinner. And, okay, yeah, a couple of handfuls of Ghirardelli chocolate chips for an afternoon snack instead of the fruit that is likely now rotting in the refrigerator. One can only be so healthy.

I decided to experiment with the filling for the enchiladas. I sauteed some chopped squash, zucchini and frozen corn, mixed it with some salsa and placed it, along with some slices of cheddar and monterey jack cheese, into three corn tortillas. I topped them with more salsa and placed them in the oven for 10 minutes at 365 degrees. Since this was a mini-meal, I didn't really want to break open a can of tomato sauce. I thought I could just put a little extra salsa on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle some shredded cheese and it would be just as good. Heck, I like my tortillas crispy on top, so I thought it might even be better this way.

I was wrong. Apparently, the tomato sauce adds an essential flavor to the dish that salsa just couldn't replicate. The enchiladas looked really good, but really didn't taste all that good. So, the lesson of the day (which in its written form seems fairly obvious): don't make enchiladas without tomato sauce.

To add injury to insult, the extra salsa was a little more pepper-y and onion-y and acidic than my semi-healed ulcerated stomach was willing to put up with, particularly after eating chocolate and tomatoes earlier in the day. So I've been up since 3:30am. Should've taken my Aciphex before bed. This was a job that was too tough for Rolaids.

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

UPDATE: Revised recipe here.

I'm not a chef. I'm going to get that out of the way right now. Most of the food I prepare is really easy and isn't very complicated with regard to the amount of ingredients and so forth. And I frequently make food that seems like it's more complicated that it really needs to be. Enchiladas are a good example.

I only recently decided I like enchiladas because I stumbled upon Amy's Kitchen Black Bean Vegetable Enchiladas at the grocery. I was feeling adventurous, so I tried them out. Like everything by Amy's I've tried, they were excellent, though I couldn't help but think to myself, "Hey, I can make these!" So, I did. And here's my very simple recipe:

• Corn tortillas--for two people, I usually use five when served with a side dish and I use corn because it's a whole grain and really enhances the taste
• Organic black beans (about 1/3-1/2 can for two people)
• frozen corn, heated (about half a cup)
• salsa
• mild (soft) cheddar cheese and/or monterey jack cheese
• one 8 oz. can of organic tomato sauce (I don't bother to use enchilada sauce)

Here's the thing about corn tortillas--they're often difficult to work with unless they're really fresh because they'll fall apart rather than roll up. I just usually break the two sides over and preten that they're rolled to avoid a mental breakdown. Anyhoo, put a corn tortilla in a glass baking dish (to the size/number of enchiladas you make--I use a dish smaller than 9 x 13--it's more like 6 x 10). Make sure it's all the way to one side and put a couple of thin (1/8-1/4 inch) slices of cheese in the middle, longways. Then spoon in the beans, corn and a little salsa (I like to mix all three ingredients in a bowl first) and add a couple of more slices of cheese. Fold over the sides and lay a slice of cheese on top. Repeat until you've filled the dish (mine holds five) and then pour the tomato sauce over the top. Stick them in the oven at 350 degrees and heat until the cheese is melted. I also like to leave some of the tortillas uncovered by the sauce so they get crunchy in the oven. Garnish with some fresh cilantro at the table if you prefer (I do).

And that's it. Simple, but good (at least that's what my hungry friends have told me). We had these for dinner Saturday night with some spanish rice (still working on that) and sangria.

Ah yes, sangria. Another delight that tends to get far more complicated than it should. But here's my simple recipe that never fails (unless I make the mistake of switching out ingredients, as I did recently):
•1 box cheap red wine (box = 3 bottles). Cheapest you can find. I've used a cabernet, a merlot, or whatever is cheap. I prefer a burgundy or cab as the base.
•1 2L bottle of ginger ale
•1 big can of fruit cocktail (I think it's 26 or 32 ounces and I use the "lite" version with extra cherries)

Mix all three in a big punch bowl. If you want to be fancy, float some very thinly sliced oranges or lemons on top. To make a smaller amount, use just one bottle of wine, a can of ginger ale and about 8 ounces of fruit cocktail.

See how simple that is? It's so simple that I know it doesn't sound great, but I promise you it will be better than any sangria you've ever had. Promise.

And it must be that time of year, because two other bloggers have posted enchilada recipes as well. Check out The Vivacious Vegan's version and Eden in the Kitchen.