Yam Enchiladas

Sometimes, when you really work hard at what you want and keep a positive attitude (well, for the most part anyway) you find yourself exactly where you planned on being. As much as it took a bit more time than I wanted, I finally found a job that suits my needs and allows me to continue working on Plates for Plants.

I am lucky enough that this also means that I get to work from home! Time saved, no need to commute and no need for bus passes and less temptation to eat out are all massive perks.

And more time for food! It's nice because since being back in Canada, I'm not rushed to absolutely have to do recipes during the day, since the sun doesn't set at 6pm every single day as it did in Costa Rica. Which means good pictures are available for a much longer time period!

Okay, let's get to the food. This recipe is quite delicious and since we are very partial to any type of latin american food, it was very popular. These enchiladas are quite simple to make, you can even make the filling ahead of time, as well as the sauce. So when dinner comes around all you have to do is warm the tortillas, stuff and roll them and slater them in sauce. In the oven and voila! Dinner is served.

As always you can adjust the spice level to your preferences. I enjoy a sprizt of lime and a tumble of avocado to top mine, but yet again if you want to keep your fat intake as low as possible, omit the avocado.

Yam Enchiladas

Ingredients:

- 2 large yams, peeled and cubed.

- 3/4 cup black beans

- 1 small onion, minced

- 1 bell pepper, diced finely

- 1 tsp cumin

- S/P

- 10 corn tortillas

Sauce:

- 2-3 large tomatoes

or

- 2 cups tomato sauce

- 1 jalapeño

- 1 tsp cumin

- 1 red pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Boil the yams until tender.

In a large pan, water sauté the onion and pepper until softened, about 5-6 minutes.

Transfer yams and vegetables into a large bowl and mash until well incorporated. Add spices. Warm the tortillas in the oven and then stuff and roll them, about 2-3 tbsp of filling per tortilla. 

While the potatoes are boiling, blend the tomatoes or tomato sauce with the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer until it has reduced to a thick consistency. 

Pour some sauce into an oven safe dish to cover the bottom, then add in the enchiladas and then pour the rest over them. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

"Sorta Kinda Like Mom's" Spaghetti Sauce

Growing up, spaghetti sauce in our house was always vegetarian. Even though my brothers often asked my Mom to add in some meat, she very rarely relented and just stuck to her veggie filled recipe. Although once or twice she accidentally added way too much spice in the form of new hot sauces from New Orleans, or a loosely tightened cover dropping far too much cayenne. Those dinners were filled with tons of water and bread!

Her recipe was filled with specific veggies, spices and canned tomato sauce. It was delicious and quite labour intensive as I remember. She still makes it to this day and I look forward to enjoying it when I visit. However, in my own house, I neither have the slow cooker or all the spices and I try to avoid canned anything these days. Since we buy our produce in bulk and in season, I also find myself making variations of this sauce every time I make it. I also like to rotate my spices and herbs so that I actually use them, I've been lagging on that as of late so I have some that really need to be used up so I can have an excuse to buy new ones.

Simply put, my recipe tastes similar in many ways, but is different every time. I love variety and being resourceful with what I have in the fridge. This time around we found amazing local heirloom tomatoes for $15.00 a case, and while we tried to et them fresh, there was just too many which is exactly why I chose to make me some sauce. Going from there, I had red onion, zucchini, carrots and red peppers, and into the pot they went!

Simple comfort food at it's best, pre-made sauce just cannot hold up to this. This is also a quick prep recipe, although it takes a few hours to cook, it only requires minimal attention.

Just Like Mom's Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

- 20-35 medium Tomatoes, ripe. 

- 2 large zucchini, roughly chopped.

- 3 large red bell peppers, diced.

- 2 medium onions, diced.

- 5-6 medium carrots, sliced. 

- White and Black pepper

- Hot sauce of choice

- Herbs of choice (I used basil this time) 

- 3-5 large medjool dates, pitted.

- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Core and roughly squeeze out seeds from all the tomatoes, place in blender with dates and sun-dried tomatoes if using and blend until smooth. This may have to be done in several batches, my tomatoes gave me about 5 liters after being blended. Pour into a large pot.

Bring to a boil then simmer for about 30-45 minutes, depending on what consistency you are looking to get in the end. I prefer a thicker sauce so I cook it a little longer, depending on the tomatoes that I use.

Add all the veggies and spices and stir to combine, bring back to a simmer and stir about every 10-15 minutes until the veggies are throughfully cooked. Taste to adjust seasonings. 

This makes a pretty huge batch of sauce, perfect for family's or anyone who like to have some on hand. 

Enjoy over your favorite pasta... or even over any starch. I love it with potatoes or rice! I served it over organic rice/corn penne with a dash of nutritional yeast to add that cheesy flavor. 

Have fun with this recipe, add any veggies you love. I often add mushrooms, other peppers, spinach, etc. Its a great low fat and high nutrient sauce that everyone will enjoy. It also keeps in the fridge for a while, although around here it never really lasts more than a few days! It freezes well, a perfect back up meal so make sure to make a huge batch if you like having quick and easy healthy solutions on hand.