Sunday, September 29, 2013

Vegan Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Enchiladas may be the single most beloved meal at our house.  I would say we eat some variation of them almost weekly, with the sweet potato black bean version being the most common.

It used to take me forever to make enchiladas from scratch (there were just so many steps!), so I would only make them on nights when I was feeling extra ambitious and had lots of time on my hands.  However, after making them over and over and continuously tweaking the recipe, I am now at a point where I can throw this meal together in just minutes of hands-on time. As long as I remember to throw a sweet potato in the oven an hour ahead or so, I am good to go.

Even though I often change up the ingredients, the enchiladas pretty much always end up delicious.  In fact, Jay recently declared that it is his all time favorite meal that I make.  Coming from someone that eats and loves everything, that is saying a lot!

Vegan Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 1.5 hours (because you need to cook the sweet potato first.)
  • 1 medium to large cooked sweet potato
  • 1 can black beans or around 1.5 cups fresh
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup non-dairy shredded cheese (such as Daiya), divided
  • 1 can red enchilada sauce (10 oz.), divided 
  • 6 whole wheat tortillas
  • Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, pico de gallo, jalapenos, lime, fresh tomatoes, hot sauce, etc.
Combine black beans, sweet potato (remove the peel first), salsa, chili powder, 3/4 cup cheese, and 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in bowl.  Mash up sweet potato and stir until ingredients are evenly combined.  Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce into a 13 x 9 casserole dish to keep tortillas from sticking.  Fill tortillas with sweet potato mixture, roll up, and pack together seam side down in casserole dish.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is bubbly.  Garnish as desired.

On a side note - you could use any type of shredded non-dairy (or regular) cheese to make this meal.  I strongly recommend the Daiya brand, however, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it is by far the best tasting non-dairy cheese I have ever tried.  It melts and stretches like the real thing, and it has a creamy taste that reminds me slightly of Velveeta.  We made pizza with it one night, and I swear it tasted just like Imo's in St. Louis.  It's the best.

Secondly, Daiya is made entirely from plant-based ingredients and does not contain any of the three most common allergens: dairy (casein, whey, and lactose), soy, or gluten.  Beware of other "non-dairy" cheese brands - many actually have hidden casein in their ingredients, along with other unappealing additives.
It may be a bit more expensive than other brands, but I always stock up when I see it on sale.  It's worth it!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

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