Fiesta!

Smoky Sweet Potato, Bean and Chilli Enchiladas

I love Mexican food, maybe it’s because I was born on the 5th may, Cinco de Mayo, and I’m a “Fiesta” baby! Who knows, but I do know that it’s a regular on my kitchen table, and I find many of the recipes easy to prepare, assemble and cool. I love the intricate spice layers of spices, and the different taste and textures that Mexican food provides, and then there’s the different heat levels too, as in spice; there’s usually an abundance of tomatoes, onions, peppers, beans and chillies, which also adds to the flavours and once made, lots of Mexican dishes are very well-behaved when reheated. I also love the contrast of cold sour creams and soft cheeses with the fiery spices and chillies that most Mexican cooking contains too.

Now here’s where I “fess up” as they say over the pond, and admit that today’s recipe uses a fair amount of “cheat’s ingredients”; however, if a company can produce handy spice mixes and sauces that means you can cook a Mexican meal in under an hour, than why not I say. Now I DO have a home-made enchilada sauce on my site, as well as a rather fine Mexican spice mix, you can see them here…….Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe and here……Mexican Taco Seasoning, and I also have a lovely recipe for Chicken, Two Cheese and Kale Enchiladas to share soon……but for today, all you need are the ingredients above, some sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and cheese to create a delicious Mexican meal for the family with Old El Paso.

Today’s recipe is also vegetarian, which means I can cook it for my parents (and sister and niece) if I wanted, and the ingredients are brilliantly matched, with mashed sweet potatoes being mixed with fried onions, garlic and jalapeño chillies which are then added to refried beans for an exciting and tangy filling, with a smidgen of heat. I was sent the main ingredients, namely the sauces, wraps and spice mixes, and all I had to provide were the vegetables and the cheese. I did go a little off-piste from the recipe that was sent to me, and I used Manchego cheese in place of Cheddar, and I also served my enchiladas with sour cream, guacamole and extra jalapeño peppers. And, in place of the suggested Cayenne pepper, I decided to use a smoky Pimenton, smoked paprika, for an extra spice layer.

I hope you will try this recipe, it’s easy and would make a fabulous weekday supper dish for all the family – just adjust the chilli heat to personal preference. The recipe is shared below, and don’t forget, it’s perfectly acceptable to use ready-made sauces and spice mixes, I bet all the top chefs do now and then, and the result (for this recipe) was extremely tasty and quite authentic too – some people can get a bit “sniffy” about it, and although regular readers will know I trend to make all my own sauces and mixes, I did enjoy the freedom and speed that when making this recipe one busy evening! Watch out for my latest new recipes next week, I have asparagus, bruschetta, tomato salad and an easy chicken dish on the menu, as well as some travel and press trip news. Karen

Note: I used 2 small sweet potatoes, 1 large onion, half a jar of jalapeño peppers, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and Manchego cheese in place of the suggested ingredients below. I served the enchiladas with sour cream and guacamole, as well as some extra jalapeño peppers.

Disclaimer: I was sent the main components to test a new Old El Paso recipe; all views and opinions are my own.