Sweet Potato and Black Bean Ranchero Enchiladas

I love enchiladas. This is my latest- and my first take on a red sauce. Love the contrast of the black beans and the creamy sweet potato (THANK YOU KRISTEN FOR THE TIP TO PUREE THEM!!). Also, the combination of salty, spicy, sweet, and smokey! It is a bit of a beast to make, I just can't get the same flavors when I take short cuts, especially on steps like sweating the garlic and onions. I'd love for recipes in real cookbooks to be like mine, where they admit that it takes FOREVER to cook them down, if you want them to be truly tasty. Just saying.

Sauce
1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
2 ancho chiles in adobo sauce
handful of cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/2 white onion, or shallot
Shake chili powder
Shake dried oregano
Shake chipotle chile powder
shake cumin
salt & pepper to taste
(If I have a jalepeno lying around next time, or a green chile, I might add that too)


Filling
1 ½ lb. sweet potatoes, Roasted & Pureed, set aside
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)- or a shallots and onion combo
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (I use muir glen with smoked tomato and green chiles in it)
3 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 or 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and minced
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
handful of cilantro
1 12-oz. round queso fresco, divided
Squeeze of lime
generous shakes of cumin and chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Enchiladas
tortillas
lime wedges for garnish
1 avocado, sliced for garnish
½ cup sour cream, for garnish
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

1. Roast the Sweet Potatoes at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, until they are so soft the skin scrapes away easily.

2. Meanwhile, start sweating the onions and garlic for the filling in a small amount of olive oil on the stove. If they begin to burn, add some veg or chicken stock.

3. While the sweet potatoes roast and the onions cook down, make the sauce in a cuisinart. Puree, taste, and adjust seasonings and heat. Reserve in a bowl.

4. Once the garlic and onions cook down, add the tomatoes, chipotle chile, cilantro, and simmer. Add black beans, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in half of queso fresco, and remove from heat.

5. Puree the sweet potatoes and set aside.

3. To assemble Enchiladas: Turn oven down to 350ºF. Spread 1/2 cup of Sauce in bottom of baking dish. Fill tortillas with Filling. Roll, and pack close together seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining Sauce and leaves of cilantro, and bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with queso fresco and bake 5-10 minutes more, until cheese melts.

4. Adjust oven to broil. Broil Enchiladas 2-5 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Be careful not to burn! Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with lime wedges, avocado slices, sour cream, and cilantro sprigs, if using.

I served this with a side salad of spinach.