Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

Some people have "life lists." You know, things you want to do before you it's too late. But me? I have a food list: things I want to make and eat before it's too late! And boy, it is getting awfully long these days.

I decided to tackle one small item today: enchiladas. A friend and classmate of mine (the amazing Wendy!) made some awesome enchiladas earlier this week that inspired me to try my own batch. I also just happened to have some corn tortillas lying around (thanks LeAnne!).

I adapted this recipe from Paul McCartney's "Ob-La-Di" enchilada recipe. I had never made enchiladas before, but these were amazing. Instead of rolling individual enchiladas, I used the tortillas as layers, similar to how you would use noodles in lasagna. The result? A delicious and easy enchilada "casserole."

I topped it off with some tofu "sour cream" and fresh cilantro. Usually I'm not a big fan of vegan sauces made from tofu, but this "sour cream" was delicious. It even got Ash's seal of approval -- which, as you know, means everything. :) Enjoy!

This makes about 9 servings.

For the Sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
• small bunch cilantro, chopped
  

For the Filling

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup pinto beans
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/3 cups salsa
• 1 cup steamed kale
  
• 6 tortillas

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Place all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small pot and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until the sauce thickens.

In the meantime, prepare the filling: Mix the beans, onion, sweet potato, kale, cumin, garlic, pepper, and salsa.

Fry the tortillas in a bit of olive oil for a couple of minutes.

I used a 6"x6" baking dish. Add a little sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add 2 tortillas (you might have to rip one into a couple of pieces to make it fit.) and top with a bit of the filling. Add more sauce. Repeat these steps for another layer. Top the final tortillas and top with more sauce. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

For the "sour cream" (Adapted from the Veggie Table)

• 1/2 block tofu
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 3 Tbs canola oil
• Salt to taste
  

Process all of the ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Transfer to the covered container and refrigerate for up to four days.