Sweet Potato Sticky Buns

These sticky buns are amazing, easy to make, and can easily be made vegan. The original recipe appears in the Nov. 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times, but I made a few tweaks, as usual. They seem to be best made a day ahead of time and then reheated before serving.


J'adore: Sweet Potato Stick Buns

For the dough:
1 0.25-oz. package active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling dough
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup mashed sweet potato*
3 Tbs. vegetable oil, plus a dash for oiling the bowl

For the filling:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 stick butter or vegan margarine, melted
chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

For the pan:
1 stick butter or vegan margarine, melted
2-3 Tbs. light brown sugar or use leftover filling

For the icing:
8 oz. cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
2-3 tsp. natural maple syrup
a pinch of sea salt/ 1-2 twists of grinder
confectioners' sugar (the recipe says 1 cup; I just dumped some in but probably less than a cup)

1. stir yeast into 1/3 cup warm water until dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor fit with bread hook.
3. Stir sweet potato and oil into 1/3 cup warm water. (I just used a large measuring cup-- easier for pouring.)
4. When 10 minutes is up, stir yeast into sweet potato mixture.
5. Turn food processor on, and pour liquids through the feeding tube in the lid. Allow to run until dough forms a ball.
6. Remove dough from food processor and place into a large, oiled bowl. Cover with a barely damp, light-weight dish cloth, and allow to rise for 2-3 hours or until dough completely fills the bowl. (I warm up my oven as I'm making the dough then turn it off and stick the dough in to rise. If you have another warm spot, that will work too.)
7. Prepare filling by mixing together brown sugar and cinnamon, although you could just as easily just spread the brown sugar on the rolled-out dough and then shake cinnamon on top of that.
8. Grease large glass dish (9x13? I don't know how big any of my dishes are) with melted (vegan) butter, making sure to get all the way up the sides.
9. Sprinkle flour over a clean work surface, and turn dough onto it. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of dough and rub some onto your rolling pin. Roll out dough into a large rectangle.
10. Spread rolled-out dough with melted (vegan) butter (enough to coat evenly, but not enough to make a runny mess when you're rolling and cutting), then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. You may also add chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling, but I choose not to since some people don't like nuts.
11. If you want larger buns, start with the back of the dough and start rolling it toward you so that you make one big dough tube. If you prefer to make smaller buns that will feed more people, cut the dough in half horizontally and make two dough logs.
12. Cut dough log into approx. 1" thick pieces. The original recipe says to cut off and discard the ends. Madness, I say! Just turn them so that the cut side is up. Waste not, want not!
13. Pour remaining butter into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle any left over brown sugar/cinnamon mixture into the butter in the dish. If you've used it all already in the rolls, simply make some more. This helps to make the buns more like sticky buns and not so dry around the edges.
14. Place dough slices spiral-side up across the dish. Leave room for them to rise.
15. Stick the dish back in a warm spot, covered again with the barely damp dish towel, and allow to rise again for at least an hour.
16. Bake buns at 375° for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
17. To make the icing, combine the maple syrup, cream cheese, and sea salt. Add in the confectioners' sugar and mix.
18. Spread the icing over the buns straight out of the oven. Top with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.


*I boiled the sweet potatoes until soft and then blended them in the food processor. The first time I tried baking the sweet potatoes and then mashing them, but the buns turned out far superior with the added moisture of the boiled potatoes. Cut up 1 or 2 large sweet potatoes and use the left over mash for dinner or baby food.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

I've made this recipe twice in the last two weeks. My neighbor turned me on to it. We found them equally delicious when we used corn tortillas and when we used whole wheat tortillas, so use what's available to you or whatever your preference is. These are my modifications from the following recipe: Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Makes 10 enchiladas when using small corn tortillas, 5 when using larger flour tortillas.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use my trusty garlic press)
1 or 2 limes, juiced (press firmly and roll them around on the counter first to loosen the juices)
3 sweet potatoes, cooked and diced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin plus a little extra
1/2 teaspoon chili powder plus a little extra
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro OR 4-6 cubes frozen cilantro
10 white or yellow corn tortillas OR 5 whole wheat or multi-grain tortillas
Olive oil
American cheese (optional)
Enchilada sauce
Shredded Pepper Jack cheese (optional)

Method

Start by peeling the sweet potatoes and slicing them into approx. 1/4 in. rounds. Pour a little olive oil into a glass baking dish and coat all of the potato slices (by "a little olive oil" I probably mean at least 2 Tbs). Add a little ground sea salt and toss to coat. Heat your oven to 350°F and roast the potatoes for around 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes at least once while roasting/baking.

In a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans, minced garlic, and lime juice. Add the cilantro, cumin, and chili powder. When your potatoes are done (they should be soft all the way through and a little crispy looking on the outside) dice them and mix them in with the beans and spices.

Pour enchilada sauce into the bottom of a baking dish (a long one is best). Be sure to use enough to coat the bottom so that the enchiladas won't stick to the bottom. (The real recipe has directions for a home made sauce. I just used Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce.)

*If you are using flour tortillas skip to next part* To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one. (I was very skeptical about doing this, but it actually worked really well. Just be sure to heat both sides of the tortillas. If you prefer an oil-free method you can microwave them between two damp paper towels for a few seconds, although I have not tried this myself.)

Lay the first tortilla in the sauced baking dish. I placed 1 or 2 slices of American cheese on the tortilla, although this step can be omitted if you are trying to make it low fat or vegan. Spoon some of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas (you may need to add more sauce to the bottom of the dish as you go because you'll be wrapping them IN the dish and using up the "buffer" sauce). Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Pepper Jack cheese (optional). Be sure to wet all exposed parts of the tortillas with sauce in order to avoid having crunchy tops or ends. Note: I use the whole jar of T.J.'s sauce, and I even add a little water to it to thin it out and make it stretch.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Be careful not to overcook them or they'll get dry.