Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with Avocado Cream and Feta

It's still winter, right? Mmmk. Great.

It's horribly embarrassing how long it has been since my last post, but working and trying to sleep through the dead of winter takes a lot out of a girl. On another cold day in late January, however, a sign of hope arrived at our house: I didn't need takeout pizza after the gym, but wanted to cook a hot meal myself. Don't despair, readers, we got takeout pizza the next night and the world was right again.

I honestly feel like enchiladas are the best food. It has a great combo of salt and spice and has the most wonderful texture of cheese with tortilla. I think this cheese and tortilla combo will take off in our culture...

A few years ago, I completely changed my eating habits. I was raised in the 80s and 90s, where prepackaged foods were a staple and pop ran through the streets like water. Don't get me wrong, I had a mom who loved to cook beautiful homemade meals, but she had other things to do most days (like work and raise two annoying children). I always struggled with my weight as a teenager/young adult, and found out I had some health issues that made it more difficult for me to lose weight AND maintain a healthy weight. I have been to countless doctors who have given me all different kinds of treatment. I have been thin and have been very overweight just in the past ten years. When I was in law school, I finally found a doctor who clicked with me. She showed me how I was completely focusing on the wrong things (i.e. weight) and should start focusing on healthy positive life decisions. The world we live in is completely focused on quick fixes and fleeting resolutions, and it definitely was sending me the wrong message. It took me a year and a half to lose 90 pounds and I never felt sad or deprived.

When people ask how I did it, I almost smirk at them. There is no "diet" that will effectively get you to a healthy weight and stay at the healthy weight. And my response to them almost seems snarky. But, the answer is: eat for your health, not for your weight. My doctor got me to focus on the contents of food rather than the calories. For a few months, I would focus on getting my 25 grams of fiber in one day. You can't eat much junk if you need to get to that benchmark. Also, if something you are putting in your body has zero vitamins or nutrients, why is it even going in there? It happens to be that most junk foods (high fat, white flour, etc.) won't even make it in your body if you hold yourself accountable to only eating foods useful to your body. Most of the meals I make for P and I now meet these criteria. Not all of them will, and that is the right thing to do! Treat yourself! There is no reason to deprive yourself if you have gotten your vitamins and fiber for the day. We eat pizza more than most individuals, but my favorite pizza is one with lean meats and gigantic pile of greens on top, so I know my vitamins A and C are taken care of along with calcium and protein, and if I have kept the gluten to a minimum for the day, there is no reason I shouldn't enjoy some delicious crust.

Beware: there are side effects to eating for health!! You may start to wake up feeling more refreshed than you used to. You may have the energy to work out after a long day of work or school. If you suffer from depression, you may notice your symptoms decline. Your skin might clear up, and you may notice a glow (perhaps from all the Vitamin A?). You may also be less moody and snap at your husband less. Also, the feelings of guilt you used to have while eating sweets may diminish.

I started toying with this recipe in law school, and think I finally perfected it last month. Boy, was it good! Sweet potatoes are miracle foods in themselves, black beans are a superfood as well. Corn tortillas started being my new best friend, and you of course have to have delicious cheese. These actually do not take a lot of time, and if you can prep before, all the better. Having your sweet potatoes cooked ahead will make this a fast weeknight meal. I am also a huge feta cheese fan, and find it paired with Mexican food to be a revelation. If you don't feel the same way, you can always put your cheddar or jack cheese on top.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with Avocado Cream and Feta

2 sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of black beans (low sodium), drained and rinsed
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 cup of monterey jack or cheddar cheese
1 package of corn tortillas
1 avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
the juice of one lime
1/2 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Boil salted water in a large pot. Add sweet potatoes, allowing to cook through (about 15 minutes). Drain when cooked.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T. canola oil, add minced garlic and let soften. Add onions and let cook through. (I like my onions almost on the caramelized side. This could take 10-15 minutes to accomplish). Add beans. Stir to warm. Add sweet potatoes to skillet, stir. Season with salt and pepper.

While your veggies are cooking, make your sauce! In a small food processor, blend the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and salt until smooth. You may have to add more sour cream, depending on our ripe (or un-ripe) your avocado is.

Then, you are going to create an assembly line! Have your cheese and salsa ready along with your sweet potato mixture. Have a casserole dish greased close by.

In a small frying pan on low, add one tortilla at a time to soften. Remove tortilla from pan, place a small scoop of potato and bean mixture onto the center, spoon some salsa on top, and sprinkle some of your cheese on top. Roll the tortilla, and place seam-side down into the pan. Continue until your pan is full or your mixture is gone. Spread your avocado mixture on top of the prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle a handful of feta cheese on top of the cream.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is gooey and warmed through.

Eat right away to take advantage of the gooey-ness! Your body will thank you (in many more ways than one!)