Sweet Potato Enchiladas with an Avocado Mole

I'm resurrecting an old favorite on this old blog because I re-made this tonight and remembered just how delicious this is. They are creamy and full of unique satisfying flavors. This recipe is actually incredibly healthy when it comes to most enchilada recipes I've seen; but it doesn't taste like a healthy recipe which is important criteria in my book. The whole time we were eating this for the first time my husband was like "Does this have cream in it? Does this have chicken in it? How much cheese did you use? It tastes like there is a rich mole on this! This recipe is a keeper! Best new recipe yet!" High praise from my picky Love Muffin. While this recipe doesn't have an expensive protein or unhealthy cream in it, it totally satisfies. I love meatless meals that my husband approves of. Plus it comes together in a snap, I love easy meals that my stomach approves of! 

Ingredients:

6 whole wheat tortillas 

1 can black beans, rinsed 

1 large onion 

1 garlic clove 

1 avacado

3 Roma tomatoes 

2 tsp chili powder 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon water

2 tsp oregano 

1 medium sweet potato, skinned & shred (should make about 1.5-2 cups) 

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper 

Heat oven to 450. 

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, avacado, chili powder, half the onion, 1 tablespoon veggie oil, water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon veggie oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the other 1/2 of the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes until soft. Add the black beans, sweet potato, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Cook stiring frequently until the sweet potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray. Fill your tortillas with the bean mixture and roll into enchilada shapes and fill pan. Cover rolled tortillas with blender sauce. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy! 

Notes: Husband suggests you grill your tomatoes and onion on the BBQ to get them nice and charred to add a smokiness to your mole. I say, that's a lot of extra work, but maybe worth a try. He also thinks adding an anaheim chili to the mole and omitting the water would be a nice way to keep the sauce thin enough but add some extra flavor instead. 

Anyway, meatless meal that satisfies your craving for a stick to your ribs dish. Unique and flavorful combinations that your family won't soon forget. Easy on the waistline and pocketbook, a cinch to pull together, what's not to love? These are one of my favorite ways to eat enchiladas ever, you've gotta try them. You won't regret it. 

Kansas City Mexican Pizza

I currently live in Kansas City, land of awesome barbecue. We rarely make barbecue at home because there is such a plethora of great restaurants around us. But tonight, I gave good old Kansas City a nod while making a delicious mexican style meal. 

Quesadillas and wraps are so easy to put together, but they can get a little boring week after week. Tonight I made a BBQ chicken Mexican pizza. It was so easy to throw together but had some unique twists that made it a lot more fun than a boring old quesadilla. It is crispy, ooey gooey, and crunchy all at the same time. The individual layers in this pizza filled with Mexican flavored goodness are like a cinco de mayo party in your mouth, while still being simple enough for a weeknight meal. 

Ingredients:

3 whole wheat soft tortilla shells 

1 can pinto beans 

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

2 tsp olive oil 

1 small onion

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/2 of an avacado 

1/2 lrg cooked chicken breast, shredded

3 tablespoons BBQ sauce 

Cilantro for garnish 

Turn on oven to 350. Take a tortilla and place it on a baking sheet. Cover it will 1 cup of cheese and then place the 2nd tortilla on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minutes while you complete the next step. 

Warm your oil in a frying pan and cook your onion with your salt until translucent. Rinse and drain your beans and add them to the pan with your other spices. Heat through then mash with a potato masher so they have the consistency of refried beans. 

Take your tortillas out of the oven and top the 2nd layer with beans. Add your 3rd tortilla on top of that. Add your chicken, cheese, and drizzle with BBQ sauce. Put it back in the oven and bake until crispy and the cheese on top is bubbly. Remove from oven.

Cut your avacado and place that and the cilantro on top. Cut into wedges and serve pizza style. 

Feel free to switch up the chicken with whatever type of extra protein you have laying around your house. This would also work well with black beans too. Add chili powder if you love heat. This is the beauty of this type of me, you can clean out your fridge! Just don't leave off the BBQ sauce, it will give your Mexican pizza a lovely Kansas City sweetness and tang. Enjoy! 

Easy Quiche

This morning I think I think I threw the easiest party in my hostessing history. It was a birthday brunch for a friend of mine. I bought everything from costco, (including their dangerous ginormous chocolate cake), clipped a few blossoms from the tree out front, and called it good. 

The only thing I actually made was the quiche. This recipe was surprisingly simple and yummy. 

1 premade frozen pie shell

6 eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

Salt and pepper

1 onion (sautéed and caramelized) 

1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese 

1 cup cubed ham 

1 tsp dried tyme 

Heat oven to 375. Cook your onions, mix all ingredients, pour in pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. The beauty of a quiche is that you can swap out any kinda cheese you want, omit the meat, add bacon, add veggies, it's a great dish to use whatever is left in your pantry. This was a hit at my party today and came together in a snap.