Sweet potatoes may be the oldest vegetable known, cultivated well before the regular potato and other root vegetables. It conjures the feelings of home, doesn’t it? It’s a Thanksgiving staple. Yet many just dab the marshmallows on them and call it a day.  (Please, don’t muck your sweet potatoes with marshmallows. There is a better way!)

While it originated in either Central or South America, sweet potatoes were later introduced to the southeastern United States and grown by Native Americans. In most places in Latin America, the sweet potato is called “camote”, but the Incans called it “batata” and that is apparently the origin of our word “potato”. As Europeans settled in the area, the sweet potato crop became a cornerstone in sustenance farming.

It’s no wonder they became a staple quickly. Not only are they lower in calories and carbohydrates than the regular potato.  One sweet potato provides far more than 100% of your recommended daily allotment of vitamin A. They are rich in vitamin C and vitamin B6 and have about 4 grams of plant-based fiber.

And yes, they taste great. If you’ve only had the marshmallow-laden variety, you are missing out.  Get ready for something special with today’s recipe: Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas.

This recipe is not only a family favorite but a great option for potlucks or feeding a crowd. And although this recipe is not vegan, you can easily substitute the cheese and sour cream to make it so!

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: black beans, enchiladas, sweet potato

Ingredients

• 1 cup red enchilada sauce
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes fire roasted preferred
• 1.5 cups cooked black beans
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 10 corn or flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
• reduced fat sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1/4 cup red enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onions, and cook until the onions become translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add the cubed sweet potatoes, canned, chiles, diced tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Place a generous 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla, roll up and place in the baking dish seam-side down.
• Top with the remaining 3/4 cup enchilada sauce and the cheese. Bake, covered with foil, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with more cilantro and serve with sour cream if desired.

What’s a sunchoke? You may know this root vegetable as a Jerusalem artichoke. It’s a small, knobby root – almost looking like ginger root – that grows a type of sunflower. Despite their strange shape, sunchokes are equally as delicious raw as they are roasted, giving you a sweet, nutty, and crunchy bite.

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Salt and Vinegar Sunchoke Chips

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 1-2 handfuls sunchokes, chopped into 1" nuggets
• 5 TBS sea salt
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced (save both)
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Pickling

• Combine all the ingredients -- EXCEPT the SUNCHOKES -- in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil to dissolve the salt.
• Add the sunchokes and enough water to just cover the sunchokes.
• Bring to a boil again, then turn down the heat to low.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.

Chips

• Cool the mixture, then drain.
• Thinly slice the sunchokes. A mandolin is a great tool for this.
• To air-fry: spray the chips with oil. Add to basket at high setting for about 10 minutes, shaking and checking on them every so often, until crisp.
• To fry traditionally: Heat oil to nearly smoking. Add sunchokes in batches and fry until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Notes

You can add other spices to the pickling mixture (or take out any except the salt and vinegar, obviously). I sometimes add turmeric, mustard seeds, black pepper, and/or spicy pepper flakes.