The Veg-Feasting Cookbook includes recipes from all over the world, as prepared by local area restaurants and chefs.  In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we’ve chosen a delicious Yam Enchilada recipe, provided by Oceana Natural Foods Coop in Newport OR, for you this month.

Yams are used often in cooking in Central and South America. They can grow quite large and may be sold in chunks in Latin American markets. What we call “yams” in this country are in fact a dark-fleshed variety of sweet potato. Although they’re not related to true yams, sweet potatoes make an acceptable substitute in recipes like this one.

Serves 6 to 8

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup sweet paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon whole coriander

1 tablespoon chili powder

1½ teaspoons sea salt

1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons brown rice flour

4½ cups tomato sauce, homemade or commercially prepared

 

Filling

1½ pounds yam, peeled and sliced into

¼-inch-thick slices (about 4½ cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

15 -18 small white corn tortillas

3 cups shredded almond or soy cheese

¾ cup diced scallions

6 tablespoons chopped black olives

6 tablespoons diced green chiles

¾ cup soy sour cream

Chopped fresh cilantro

 

Heat the oven to 400°F. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and sauté until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt and bay leaf, stir to blend, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the rice flour and the tomato sauce and whisk thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

For the filling, toss the yam slices with the cumin, garlic and olive oil. Bake on a baking sheet until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the yam slices and reduce the oven heat to 350°F.

To assemble, pour one third of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch casserole and add one layer of tortillas. Spread half of the yams evenly in the pan, then sprinkle in half of the shredded almond or soy cheese, and half the diced scallions, olives and green chiles. Pour more sauce on top. Add another layer of tortillas, top with the rest of the yams, the rest of the scallions, olives, and green chiles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top.

Cover and bake for one hour, then uncover and bake until the top is browned, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Cut and serve garnished with the chopped cilantro.