Enchiladas can be a bit of an overwhelming meal to prepare. That is why I like to do it in two parts.
First, I prepare the sauce, jar it up, and store it either in the fridge, or freezer depending on my plans. Then whenever I feel ready, I take the sauce out, warm it up, make any adjustments if needed, and start rolling up little enchiladas real quick. This recipe is for a vegetarian enchilada, but once you know enchilada basics, you can get creative and make all different kinds of enchiladas. Try adding corn, roasted bell peppers, jalapenos, refried beans, tomatillo salsa, meat, or anything that your heart desires.
These sweet potato, kale, and black bean enchiladas are so flavorful and hearty. They are a delicious comfort food that has the sweet earthy flavors from the sweet potatoes, and all of the warming spices to ignite your tastebuds. Serve them along-side Spanish rice, roasted veggies, or a green salad, or heat up the leftovers, and have them with eggs for breakfast. You can’t go wrong with these babies…
Ingredients:
- 2 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
- 1 bunch lacinato kale stems removed and chopped
- 15.5 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 onion diced
- 2-4 cloves of crushed garlic
- ½-1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2-3 cups grated cheese of your choice
- 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or olive oil
- A squeeze of lime juice- approx. 1-2 tablespoons
- 8-12 corn tortillas depending on how big your dish is
- 2-2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce- see previous issue for a recipe, or make, or buy your own. If reheating homemade enchilada sauce- heat in a saucepan over medium heat. You just want to warm it up, don’t boil it. As the sauce warms up, keep an eye on its consistency. If it seems too thick, add a small amount of water or vegetable broth to help thin it out.
- Salt to taste
Add oil to a large pan, and turn up the heat. Add the cubed sweet potatoes, and begin to brown a little. Turn the burner down to medium heat. Next add the diced onion, crushed garlic, and seasonings, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook for a couple of minutes till the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped kale, and cook till it softens. Add the black beans, stir them in until they are heated through, remove from the heat, and squeeze the juice of ½ a lime over the mixture. Take a taste and adjust the salt and seasonings to your desire.
Heat your corn tortillas one by one over the stovetop burner. Each one should get a nice little char to it. This adds flavor, but also helps to make them more pliable, and less likely to tear. Now, let’s set up an assembly station…gather all your ingredients- heated tortillas, sweet potato filling, grated cheese, and enchilada sauce. Pour the enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl.
One at a time, gently dip your heated tortillas into the enchilada sauce, coating both sides. Lay the coated tortilla into your baking dish, and add the sweet potato filling, sprinkle it with a little bit of grated cheese, and gently roll it up, so the seams are on the bottom side. Continue this process until you have filled your baking dish. Pour, and smooth out the rest of the enchilada sauce on top of the rolled tortillas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted, and bubbling. Garnish the enchiladas with fresh chopped cilantro, fresh diced onion, cubed avocado, or your favorite hot sauce, or salsa.
These enchiladas will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can reheat them easily and have leftovers all week long. They are fun to make all different kinds of ways, and can quickly become part of your weekly rotation. Wishing you good health and good luck on all of your cooking adventures. Now go make enchiladas!
