Sweet Potatoes all Winter Long – February 21, 2013

I only recently learned how much I love sweet potatoes.  They are healthier and have more flavor than Russets plus they are great for baking and freezing for when you need then later.  This means I almost always have cooked sweet potatoes in my freezer (especially in the Winter).  Check out my earlier blog about the Great White Sweet Potato which extols the virtues of this great tuber.

 

Recently I also had bags of shredded Cheddar in a bag left over from making soup.  I admit, I don’t think of these two items going together, but then I found and adapted a recipe from Penzey’s magazine shared by Dane Kuttler.  You can make these fabulous enchiladas with meat or without and they are equally delicious.  I served them with guacamole and sour cream.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

5-6 large tortillas (I used flour)

2 large sweet potatoes baked and mashed (without the skins)

1/8 c. soy sauce

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. crushed pepper

1 15 oz. can black beans

3 cups shredded Cheddar

Up to ½ lb. cooked and shredded chicken, beef or Chorizo (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place potatoes, soy sauce, and vinegar in a heavy pot and cook to incorporate all ingredients.  Add more soy sauce and vinegar if not moist enough.  Add garlic, cumin and pepper.  Cook a few minutes until all is incorporated and bubbly.  Fold in beans and one cup Cheddar.  Fill tortillas with mixture and place all side by side in a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Cover with remaining Cheddar.

If that isn’t your cup of tea, here’s another great recipe for mashed sweet potatoes:

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ c. mashed, cooked sweet potatoes

1 c. softened butter

2 eggs

¾ c. sugar

¾ c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. lemon extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

dash salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In large bowl, cream potatoes, butter, eggs, sugars and extracts.  In another bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, salt and cinnamon.  Gradually mix the two bowls together.  Fold in chips and nuts.  Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 25 minutes.

One year ago – Oatmeal Muffins and Emergency Biscuits