Sweet Potato, Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Due to popular demand, this recipe needs to be posted.  This recipe comes from a very edgy cookbook called, "Thug Kitchen", the tagline reads, "eat like you give a f*ck".  It's a great cookbook, and a great advocate in terms of eating clean, green, local, homemade, and fresh.  All the values that I like to put into my cooking as well. But, it's not your average vegan cookbook, it's loaded with inneuendo's, swear words, jokes and raunchy humor.  I like this twist on vegan cooking, which in my opinion tends to be snobby and pretentious.  This is my third main course dinner that I've tried, and they're all fantastic.  So, good luck and enjoy!  For more recipes from Thug Kitchen, click here: http://www.thugkitchen.com/ Cheers!

Sweet Potato, Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

"Bring this to a potluck for a culinary mic drop""There are two kinds of people in this world: people who like enchiladas and people who have no f***ing taste.  Which are you?"

Enchilada Sauce
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2-3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
1 Tablespoon lime juice

Filling
1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), chopped into nickel-size pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, grated on your box grater (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 15 ounce can)
1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave syrup
A pack of corn or flour tortillas (I used 10 flour)
Sliced avocado
Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1.  Make the enchilada sauce: Dump everything but the lime juice into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Use a whisk or something and make sure that the tomato paste isn't sitting in a f***ing clump.  Let that simmer together for 10-15 minutes so that the sauce has time to thicken up a little.  Add the lime juice and turn off the heat.  Let that s*** cool while you make the filling.

2.  To cook the sweet potato, grab a medium saucepan, fill it with an inch or two of water and bring to water over medium heat.  Throw in your metal steamer basket and fill that with the chopped sweet potato. Cover and steam until tender, 10-15 minutes.  Dump into a bowl and smash the pieces around.  Some chunks are fine, so you don't need to work hard at making this smooth. (NOTE:  If you have a leftover roasted sweet potato or something, just scoop out the flesh and move on with the recipe.  OR steam it in the microwave if that is your s***.  Stab it with a fork, then cook on high for 5 minutes, flip then 5 minutes more.)

3.  While the sweet potato steams, grab a large skillet or wok and heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until it begins to brown about 3-5 minutes.  Toss in the squash and cook for another minute.  Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic and black beans.  Cook together for another 2 minutes and then fold in the mashed sweet potato and maple syrup and turn off the heat.  Mix until all that s*** is combined.

4.  Now you're going to make the motherf***ing enchiladas.  Crank your oven to 375 degrees, and grab a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

5.  Cover the bottom of the baking dish with about 1 cup of enchilada sauce.  Using your griddle, your oven, or the microwave, warm up the tortillas.  Dip a tortilla around in a little of the sauce in the baking dish so that the bottom is all coated.  Fill the tortilla with a couple spoonfuls of filling, then roll it up and set it seam side down in the dish.  You know how the f*** enchiladas are supposed to look, so handle that s***.  Keep going until you run out of space or out of filling.

6.  Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, cover the dish tightly with foil, and throw it in the oven for 20 minutes.  Take off the foil and cook it for 5 more minutes.  Let it cool for a minute or two before serving.  Feel free to top those savory sons of b****es with some sliced avocado or chopped cilantro if you give a s*** about presentation.

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Whipped Cream

Do NOT buy whipped cream in a can.  Makes me shudder just thinking about it.  Homemade whipped cream is so easy and satisfying.  Keep whipping cream in your fridge you never know when you need a fresh batch of whipped cream... (hot chocolate, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, pie, fruit...or just with a spoon...just kidding...I never do that...)

Fresh Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix on medium low until cream is frothy, and sugar has dissolved, then increase speed to high.  Mix until soft peaks form.  The cream needs to be thick and fluffy, not runny, soupy (undermixed) or solid and buttery (over mixed).  It's ready!  See, that was easy... don't eat it all in one sitting.

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Buttermilk Waffles

The kids love pancakes, and I love waffles.  I make these in large batches, and then freeze them so we have a quick and tasty week day breakfasts.  I think that one of the most elegant looking breakfasts is a perfectly golden waffle, fresh berries and whipped cream....with a mimosa on the side.  This is adapted from an America's test kitchen recipe.  I tweaked it a bit, because I don't always have a few of their ingredients on hand.   Enjoy!

Buttermilk Waffles

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup unflavored seltzer water or club soda

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 200 degrees.  Set the wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.  (NOTE: this is a critical step.  After cooking the waffles you will put them on this wire rack.  The wire rack is crucial, if the waffles are put straight onto a cookie tray they will get soggy ...yuck...not a good texture on a waffle.  While the waffles are in the oven, they will get nice and crispy.  Plus, added bonus, everyone will have warm waffles all at the same time!)
2.  Whisk flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.  In another bowl whisk buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and oil.  Carefully pour club soda over wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Make several wells in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients over the top.  Gently mix....try not to over-mix.  Resist the urge to blend in all those final streaks of flour.  Embrace the lumps!
3.  Heat the waffle iron and cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions.  Keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve!

Serve with butter, fresh berries, whipped cream, or maple syrup (REAL maple syrup...not that log cabin crap).  These waffles are freezer friendly!  When ready to use, take them out of the freezer, and re-heat in the toaster.  

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Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

This is our family favorite breakfast.  It took me a LONG time to master pancakes, and I'm very fussy about the texture and quality.  First of all, homemade pancakes are so, so, so, much better than from a box, and overall, homemade pancakes are not that much harder to make than pancakes from a box.  Maybe a little more time, and energy, but the outcome is worth it.  You'll never look at pancakes the same way again.  When I first started dating James he told me that he didn't like pancakes, I told him that he'd only had pancakes from a box, and that he should try mine.  He's been converted, a true pancake lover now.  This recipe should not be rushed, take your time, your tummy will appreciate it.  I've tried many pancake recipes over the years, and I'm also partial to a yummy pumpkin pancake in the fall.  The ingredients from this recipe are from America's Test Kitchen, the step by step instructions have also been adapted from that recipe.  I like to serve the pancakes with fresh whipped cream, bacon or sausage, and fresh fruit.

Zade's Birthday Breakfast!

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
vegetable oil for cooking pancakes

1.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Pour melted butter into a bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Make several wells (holes) in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the buttermilk and egg to the bowl with the butter.  Whisk the hell out of the egg, buttermilk and butter.  Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture, filling all those holes and wells that you made earlier.  DO NOT MIX.  Walk away from the pancake mixture and set the table, make the bacon or sausage, make yourself a latte, check facebook, whatever you do give yourself and the pancake batter a ten minute break.  It's OK to pick up the bowl and swirl it from time to time, but don't put a utensil in the batter to mix.  You are letting the wet ingredients gently infuse with the dry ingredients, this improves the texture and the fluffiness of the pancakes.
3.  Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees, place a cookie tray in oven.  Gently, mix the batter.  Use a whisk or wooden spoon.  The batter can have small lumps, and streaks of flour.  All you're doing is barely combining the ingredients.  If you over mix the batter the pancakes will be thin and gummy.  If the batter appears to be too thick, add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time.  But again, DO NOT OVER MIX!!!
4.  Heat oil in a large frying pan, when hot, ladle pancake batter into frying pan, and even out with the back of a spoon.  Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on top, and edges are dry.  Flip pancakes, and cook another 30 seconds or so.  DO NOT TOUCH the pancakes while they're cooking in the frying pan.  Don't tap the pancakes with the spatula, don't shift them around the in the pan, just let them do their thing.  Messing with the pancakes while're they're cooking ruins their texture, and makes them flat.
5.  When done, keep pancakes in the warm oven until ready to serve.