I’m back at school, the first (half) week is complete, and we already have our first snow day tomorrow! The East Coast winter storm didn't hit Williamsburg as hard as it did Northern Virginia, ony enough to leave a pretty blanket of snow (and potentially dangerous layer of ice) on the ground. It's good to be back at William and Mary becuase I love having a routine and I’m glad to see all my friends at my home away from home. And finally, this semester, I’ll be cooking all my meals for myself since I got off the meal plan (thank goodness). Cooking at school is a little different than at home— I don’t have all the same equipment (like a hand mixer or a meat thermometer), and i have to buy all my groceries with the knowledge that I’ll mostly be cooking for one… meaning lots of leftovers.
Because of this, the recipes to come will be easy to prepare. (Although I agree with the sentiment put forth by Elizabeth Dunn that there is no such thing as easy cooking, some recipes are certain easier than others: common ingredients, perhaps even found in your pantry, and shorter, simpler steps.) Of course, they will continue to be nutritious too (not “healthy,” a crucial linguistic mistake that can lead us astray [one I am certainly guilty of as well!]. While kale might be nutritious because it has a high nutrient density, it is not “healthy”… we are “healthy.” If all you ate was kale, you would definitely still get sick.).
Cooking at school as opposed to whole also means that I am a little more restricted in the ingredients, especially spices, I have on hand. For my spices, I came up with a clever way of storing them that reduces the amount of space they take up! I bought these jewelry organizers at a crafts store for only $1.50. The labels are made from the sticky part of a Post-It note. I bought the spices at Whole Foods because — surprise! — they are actually a lot cheaper when bought in bulk, even at Whole Foods, than anywhere else I have found. Not only can you get a small amount of each spice (meaning more variety for less cost!), buying spices from a bulk section of a grocery store, where you fill your own little baggies, is a lot cheaper than paying for the container the spice normally comes in too… some I found were 5 times less expensive! I organized my spices slightly by category, and also by how much I typically use them. I don’t use mustard seeds very often, for example, so I put them in the smaller container.
Keeping my spices like this definitely help to save space; I now have 18 different spices that take up as much space as about 4 big containers. This way I have lots of variety for spices (and I am really big on spices… they add flavor and sometimes nutrition for practically no calories), and I can still keep bigger containers of the spices I use often: cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper. Spices and herbs are the most fun and exciting ingredients to work with, and they allow a simple dish to develop depth of flavor, complexity, and deliciousness without more labor-intensive cooking processes.
To make good use of my spices, the recipe today is an delicious Mexican dish: enchiladas. The snowy winter means staying inside in the warmth (as long as our heating is working), and thus few trips to the grocery store, so this recipe uses ingredients that you might have in your pantry: a can of black beans, some sweet potatoes, tomato paste, and tortillas. If you don't have smoked paprika or chipotle powder, feel free to leave them out (or add 1/2 teaspoon regular paprika instead). These two spices give the enchiladas a wonderfully warming, smoky heat, perfect for a snow day! Start to finish, the dish took me about an hour to make (40 minutes hands on time). While this disqualifies it from the "easy, 30-minute meal" category, I'd still say it's a pretty simple dish to make on the weekend, especially since it makes so many servings and is great for leftovers! If you have any leftover filling and no more space in the pan, save it and add it to eggs the next morning.
Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Serves 6 (Serving size is 2 small or 1 large enchiladas)
Ingredients
1 pound sweet potato (about 2 medium), chopped
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (omit if you can’t find or don’t like heat)
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 onion (about 1/2 cup), chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 can black beans, drained
1 package of soft tortillas (I used 12 small corn tortillas, but 6-8 large corn or flour tortillas will work)
Cheese, if desired
Fresh cilantro, avocado, and/or lime, for topping if desired
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the cubed sweet potato and 1 cup water in a large nonstick pan. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. The sweet potato should be cooked through.
3. While the sweet potato is cooking, make the sauce. Combine the chicken broth, tomato paste, and spices (through chipotle powder). Taste and add more seasoning if desired.
4. When all the water has been absorbed, add the oil, onion, and garlic and saute about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and cooked through. Add the black beans and 1/4 cup of the sauce, cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes.
5. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Fill tortillas one by one, roll them up, and lay them in the pan. When all the tortillas have been placed in the pan, add the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes (if using cheese, bake until cheese is melted and slightly brown). Top with cilantro, avocado, and/or lime.
7. The enchiladas will freeze well, or keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Nutritional information is for 2 small (corn tortilla) enchiladas without cheese.
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