Chop, Chop

Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Enchaladas

The Filling

1 small chopped yellow squash

A few leaves of kale, chopped fine in the food processor

~2 cups home-cooked black beans and finely chopped cilantro

1 1/2 large sweet potatoes. I diced and steamed and then pureed half.

Salt, cumin, smoked paprika, and ground chipotle to taste.

While I made the filling the sauce was simmering away on the stove.

The Sauce

• 2 big cans tomato puree
• 1 cup water
• 4 dried Ancho peppers
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 T cocoa
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground chipotle
• salt to taste

1. Bring 1 can of tomato puree to a boil.  De-seed and de-stem the peppers and add them to the tomatoes.  Turn off the heat and put a lid on it.  The peppers will rehydrate in the hot tomato.
2. Make filling ↑
3. Once peppers are soft, puree with tomatoes in food processor until smooth.  Add spices, garlic cloves, and flour.
4. Return pepper/tomato mixture to sauce pan and whisk in water and the second can of tomato puree over medium heat.
5. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in more water.

Let sauce cool while you begin preparing the Avocado-Cilantro Cream

• Strain 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Now things get messy.

The best part of enchiladas in when the corn tortillas really soak up the sauce and become sauce-logged (like water-logged) so I tried a new technique to ensure every aspect of each tortilla was drenched in sauce.  It was a labor of love but worth it.

Have your stack of tortillas, the sauce, the pan, and the filling all within reach because soon your hands are going to be too messy to move anything around.

Dip a tortilla into the sauce.  Using your (extra clean) hands, make sure the tortilla is drenched in sauce.  With a spoon or your hands fill the tortilla with about 1/4 cup of filling, roll and set seam side down into your baking pan.  Repeat until done, in my case three pans worth.

I purposefully left out how many tortillas to use because it will vary depending on how much filling you use for each.  This recipe makes A LOT though but you’ll want leftovers after all your hard work!

Cover pan(s) with foil and bake at 375* for 35 minutes.

Make cream by pureeing 1/2 an avocado, a good handful of washed cilantro leaves, a pinch of salt, and juice from half of a lemon in a food processor.  Once mixture is smooth, add the other half of the avocado and the strained yogurt. Puree until just mixed.

Check the oven.

Remove foil and add grated cheese (I used an extra sharp cheddar), return to oven and broil until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Watch closely at this point, broilers work fast!

And finally…

EAT!

[photo credit KERF]

This is definitely a recipe for when you are looking forward to some time in the kitchen, lots of prep and lots of steps!  You could always prep the filling ahead of time.

Luckily, these enchiladas are even better on the second day (or third) and freeze well, so your time is well-rewarded.

The food was great but the company was even better (and don’t get me started on the wine!), it was a lovely, low-key Friday night spent with friends around the dining table.