Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

What better way to get back in the swing of things than to prepare a recipe that uses a few of my favorite ingredients? I have already mentioned my love of sweet potatoes many times but I may not have mentioned my preference for corn tortillas. I have never been a huge fan of soft flour tortillas so every time we go out to a Latin restaurant, I choose corn over flour. I have come to the conclusion that the slightly gritty texture of cornmeal is much more pleasing to me than the smooth texture of flour. Needless to say, Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos, using corn tortillas, was a natural fit. The chipotle sauce was then the icing on the cake.

This recipe requires a method of tortilla preparation called Tortillas Dorado that I was not familiar with prior to today. Tortillas Dorado is a Mexican style of taco that involves toasting cheese-topped tortillas in a skillet before serving. I am always up for a new cooking experience so I was happy to give it a whirl. Before I provide the recipe, I want to tell you that this dish delivered on every level. I highly recommend paying close attention to this one because it is that good!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1 large poblano chili or green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 medium orange sweet potato, cut into 1/2" dice

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

12 (6") corn tortillas

2 cups (6 oz) shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese

chipotle sauce (recipe follows)

Pico de gallo (optional)

Chipotle sauce ingredients:

1 (7 oz) can chipotles in adobo sauce, include sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat heavy ovenproof skillet (I used my Le Creuset pot) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, then onion and poblano chili or green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and 1 teaspoon salt.

In medium bowl, toss sweet potato with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to skillet and cook, stirring, one minute, then place in oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Meanwhile, prepare Tortillas Dorado. Heat frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush one side of tortilla lightly with oil and place oil side down in pan. Scatter generous spoonful of cheese over center of tortilla and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly golden on underside but still flexible. Place on cookie sheet and repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

To make chipotle sauce, combine chipotles in adobo sauce, mayonnaise, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If sauce is too spicy, add more mayonnaise. Use extra sauce on sandwiches, grilled corn or roasted vegetables.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Remove skillet from oven and stir in black beans and black pepper (beans will warm through from heat of the pan). Top each tortilla with sweet potato mixture, a drizzle of chipotle sauce and pico de gallo if desired.

Wow, this was delicious! "Wow" was literally the first word to come out of my mouth after taking my first bite and Brad had the same reaction. The onion and peppers were beautifully caramelized, which added a savory quality to the sweetness of the potatoes. Tortillas Dorado is absolutely delicious. The texture of the tortillas was ideal and the melted cheese served as a mild background flavor. The chipotle sauce was divine. It added the perfect level of creaminess and spiciness to the dish. The recipe made a lot of extra sauce so I plan on using it in another dish tomorrow night. Maybe another type of vegetarian taco or chipotle burritos of some sort? Hmmm.......decisions, decisions.

As a side note, I should mention that I added a small diced banana pepper to the dish, just because it seemed like it would be a good idea. I used green pepper instead of poblano so I wanted to add another spicy-sweet layer to the taco filling. There is nothing about this recipe that I would change and I already plan on preparing it again soon; this time for the McCoys. This recipe is right up Natalie and Dave's alley and I know Brad will be happy to eat it again.

Recipe Source:

Oprah Magazine, February 2012