Meatless Mondays

The Meatless Monday campaign, introduced in 2003, encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet. I hope many of you are already driving Meatless Mondays in your households, but even if you’re not, there’s no time like the present to start.

I’m a “friend” of many Facebook pages that advocate Meatless Mondays. One of the trends I've noticed among people “commenting” is that they're actively looking for recipes, some even describing that they've hit a brick wall and are “jonesing” for new mouth-watering and healthful dishes (sans dairy and processed foods) to add to their repertoires.

In that spirit, every Sunday evening I’ll share a tried and trusted whole-food, plant-based dish that continues to be a repeat visitor at our dinner table. This will help you expand your collection of Meatless Monday recipes. I encourage you to share your favorite "meatless" dishes here too.

Tonight, I made Matt’s favorite dinner of all-time … Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas. This fall and winter favorite is a stand-out among non-veg heads like my mom. It’s also our go-to dish when we entertain friends at our house or when we bring an item to parties hosted by friends and family. This dish really wows a crowd!

For a sweet treat, I surprised our kids with homemade Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles, courtesy of Chef Chloe Coscarelli. They ate chocolate truffle after chocolate truffle, furiously licking their fingers and lips after each bite (I caught Ryan licking his napkin!) I even had to threaten Matt with a 3-mile run if he didn’t stop popping these little suckers into his mouth. But seriously … who doesn’t LOVE cookie dough!

Both of these recipes are easy to make and taste absolutely delish. Your guests will think you’ve been slaving all day in the kitchen.

Here they are.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Sauce

15-oz. can tomato sauce

1 ¾ cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tsp. ancho chile powder

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. chipotle chile powder

Filling

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 ½ lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

16-oz. jar prepared medium salsa

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained and minced

15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

Enchiladas

extra virgin olive oil, for brushing baking dish

12 9-inch whole wheat or multi-grain organic wraps (We use Sonoma)

Optional

Vegan cheddar cheese

1 avocado, sliced

Vegan sour cream, for garnish

To make sauce: Bring all ingredients to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine then remove from heat.

To make filling: Heat oil in separate saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3-5 minutes, or until soft. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, salsa, garlic, chipotle chile, and ½ cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft. Mash mixture with potato masher until combined. Add black beans and cook 5 minutes.

To assemble enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush or spray 13- x 9-inch baking dish with oil. Spread ½ cup sauce in bottom of dish. Fill tortillas with filling. Roll, and pack close together seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce. Bake 15 minutes.

Adjust oven to broil. Sprinkle vegan cheese (if using) and broil enchiladas for five minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with avocado slices and a dollop of sour cream on each enchilada, if using.

Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles

½ cup vegan margarine

¾ cup packed light brown sugar (I used Coconut Palm Sugar)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Stone-Ground Whole Wheat)
1/3 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips (dairy-free)

12 ounces semisweet chocolate (dairy-free)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat margarine, brown sugar, salt, vanilla and water until combined. Add flour and beat until incorporated. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls with the palms of your hands. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Freeze for 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining 12 ounces chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Let cool to room temperature.

Remove one tray of cookie dough balls from the freezer. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and remove using two forks. Place the coated balls back onto the baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator. Repeat with the second tray of cookie dough balls.

Chill until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator until serving.