Today I am in San Francisco at the now-ubiquitous BlogHer Food conference. I have been to numerous BlogHer events during my time here on the internet but this event is different than all other events: I’m not going there to work. In the past, my public relations job has lent itself to staffing sponsored parties and taking furious notes during the always-aggravating bloggers vs. The Big Box Brand panel.

While those assignments were hardly anything to complain about, this conference is all about eating, networking and hopefully picking up a photography tip or two so that you’ll never again have to look at photos like this or this. And did I mention eating?

Aside from catching up with old/new blogging friends and soaking up new information from the talented speakers and panelists, I am excited to be in scenic San Francisco during the fall, which is far and away my most beloved season.

As you may have read yesterday, La Tortilla Factory has generously sponsored part of my trip so for the past week, I’ve been getting a little crazy with tortillas in the In Good Taste headquarters. My latest creation? Fall-inspired enchiladas that marry a creamy, pumpkin filling with a light goat cheese sauce, chili pepper and a few handful of spinach, for what I like to call guilt appeasement.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Enchiladas with Goat Cheese Sauce
Serves 4

what you need:

for the goat cheese sauce:
3/4 cup soft goat cheese
1 cup 2% milk milk
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

for the filling:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 small can chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese (you can use low-fat cheese, but fat-free will not melt as well)
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
8 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious 100-Calorie whole wheat tortillas

what you do:

1. To prepare your sauce: mash the goat cheese and garlic together in a small bowl. Heat over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring regularly until cheese is melted and garlic is fragrant. Add milk and cook sauce for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add black beans and sauté until heated through. Add spinach for the last five minutes of cooking and remove when spinach begins to wilt. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin and chipotle pepperss. Add cheese and season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. In the center of each tortilla, place 1/2 cup black bean mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 25-30 minutes. Top with sour cream, if desired.

UPDATED: Thank you to readers Joy and Vanessa for pointing out a couple of inconsistencies in this recipe. I added chipotle peppers to the ingredient list and included the addition of spinach in the directions.

Tagged as: black bean enchiladas, black beans, blogher food, easy dinner, enchiladas, goat cheese, mexican food, pumpkin, Pumpkin and Black Bean Enchiladas, pumpkin enchiladas, spinach, weeknight dinner