Most years, we have a Cinco de Mayo potluck at work. It’s a good excuse to bring in some tasty dishes and blow off a little steam. This is the first year that I’ve been vegan, so I knew that a vegan friendly entree option would likely be up to me.

I still haven’t found a vegan cheese I love. Daiya is pretty good, but the taste is strong and a little odd. I wasn’t sure non-vegans would like it. I opted to leave the cheese out altogether and just concentrate on a flavorful filling. I considered using Gardien veggie ground, which is quite good, but I also wanted to make something that was more whole foods based and healthy. I wanted to show non-vegans that plant-based food can be incredibly flavorful, nutritious, and delicious without resorting to fake meats.

I have seen a few recipes pairing black beans with sweet potatoes, both in enchiladas and tamales. I considered making tamales, but it’s an all day event and not that fun by yourself. Enchiladas are much easier and a bit healthier without all the added fat. I did use store bought enchilada sauce (Hatch brand) and tortillas (Trader Joe’s De Mi Abuela Corn), but all the rest was from scratch. You could use canned beans, but I make a big batch most weekends, so I already had that on hand. For the sweet potatoes, I peeled and cubed several potatoes and added some chopped onion, tossed with a little olive oil and salt and roasted in the oven. This is quite good on its own, so make more and enjoy later. I also used a trick I learned from Cook’s Illustrated to soften tortillas for enchiladas. You spray both sides of a tortilla and warm in the oven for 5 minutes. This allows you to get the authentic method of lightly frying tortillas without the added fat or mess.