Not long ago, a friend sent me a clipping from the Austin American-Statesman. In her column Food Matters, Addie Broyles had tracked down the recipe for El Monumento’s swiss chard and sweet potato enchiladas. I knew at first look that this was a recipe I needed to try, but I also knew I’d need to have some time on my hands when I did it.
Last weekend, I had some time. My mom was over to visit, and she chased after Nora while the hubby worked on the finishing touches (finally!) to the paint in our entryway and I puttered around in the kitchen.
This was a very different, healthy-but-not-healthy-tasting enchilada. My balsamic reduction was pretty ugly — I should have let it reduce past half to a more syrup-y consistency, but, lesson learned. It still tasted good! Next time I would strain the sauce, too, as the recipe provides, to give it a smoother texture.
We all ate the enchiladas up, served with refried black beans (homemade by the hubby) and brown rice on the side. What a delicious way to get your veggies!
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large bunch chard, stems removed, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 Tbsp canola oil, divided, plus more for brushing tortillas
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 8 corn tortillas
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a roasting pan until tender, 20-25 minutes, stirring a couple of times to ensure even browning.
- Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the chard and sauté until slightly wilted, then add the sweet potatoes and stir until the chard is tender. Season with salt and pepper to finish. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan. Sauté the onions, garlic and chiles until the onions are softened and translucent, then reduce the heat and continue cooking until the onions are caramelized.
- Add the walnuts and sauté until lightly toasted. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the cream and simmer to reduce by one third.
- Let the mixture cool slightly, and then puree in a blender or food processor. Strain (if desired) and set aside.
- While the sauce is simmering, place the balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer to reduce by half or more, until the consistency is syrupy and thick. Set aside.
- One by one, brush the tortillas with canola oil and heat briefly on each side on a griddle over medium heat.
- Fill each tortilla with the sweet potato-chard mixture, roll and place in an enchilada pan. Repeat for remaining servings.
- Ladle the walnut cream sauce over the enchiladas and drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar.
- Warm to serving temperature, a few minutes in the oven. Serve with beans and rice.
