The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. Psalm 145:15

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Black Bean Enchiladas with Cilantro-lime Rice

In order to make eating less meat feel good for your family, sometimes it's necessary to revamp some of your old standbys to a meatless option. One of the meals we used to love cooking together was chicken black bean enchiladas, which contained quite a bit of chicken breast and bacon, along with black beans and fajita veggies. I know, sounds good right?! However, it always ended up being an incredibly expensive dinner, especially if we used organic meat, whole wheat tortillas, canned beans, salsa, and organic veggies. I finally came up with a meatless version that we both salivate over! This meal still has tons of protein because of the cheese, beans, and whole grains.

I wouldn't consider this a quick recipe, but it is easy and cheap! If you want to make it even cheaper (and yummier), make your own homemade tortillas. You will be amazed how much better they taste than store bought, and they are so much cheaper. Or if your family eats gluten-free, try making spelt tortillas, they are amazingly good.


Black Bean Enchiladas with Cilantro-Lime Rice
Prep/Cook Time: 2-3 hrs (some night-before prep)
Ingredients:
12 whole wheat tortillas (10-12 inch) at room temperature
1 package of shredded cheese (or shred a block yourself, montery-jack works well)
1 large onion
1 pepper (green or red, we prefer red)
1 cup dry black beans (or 2-3 cups pre-cooked/canned black beans)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can tomato puree/tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (dried cilantro works, but isn't as tasty)
2 Tbsp lime juice (fresh is best)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
1 small can of chopped chili peppers (or substitute ~1/2 tsp chili powder per 1 Tbsp chopped chilis)
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Soak overnight, 1 cup of dry black beans in 3 cups of water. Before cooking, drain and rinse the soaked beans. Place beans in a medium-sized pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low (should be a slow boil) and cook until beans are tender and just starting to fall apart (~1 hr). Alternatively, cook pre-soaked beans in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Strain cooked beans and set aside. (I usually cook more than this at once and freeze the rest for another time)

In a rice cooker or stovetop, cook 1 cup brown rice according to package directions (this step could be easily done the night before). Once cooked, set aside to cool.

To make the sauce:
Taking part of the onion, chop about 1/4 cup. In a small saucepan, saute onion along with 1 clove minced garlic in some oil over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, 1-2 Tbsp of chili peppers, 1/8 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, start the bean and rice fillings. Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet. Slice the rest of the onion and the bell pepper into strips. To the skillet, add the onion, pepper, and garlic, and saute over medium heat until onions start to get translucent. Add 1-2 T of chili peppers, cooked black beans, 1 T lime juice, a can of diced tomatoes (first drain some of the liquid out of can), 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 tsp cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix it all together until heated through. Add a 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro, stir in and remove from heat.

While you cook the onions and peppers, you can prepare the cilantro-lime rice. Take your ~2 cups of cooked brown rice, add 1 T of lime juice, a handful of chopped cilantro (1/4 cup or more), and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together and set aside.

Now its time to fill the tortillas! Heat oven to 350. Take a large 9x13 casserole and coat the bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Make sure your tortillas are at room temperature or slightly heated to make them pliable and prevent cracking. In each tortilla, spoon a few tablespoons of rice and about 1/4 cup black bean filling. Top with 1-2 T of shredded cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place seam-side down in the casserole dish side-by-side the others. Repeat until the dish is full, and don't be afraid to squeeze them in there tightly. If they crack a little, just use them anyway, it will be fine. I can usually fill a 9x13 pan and another small one. Once you have all the tortillas rolled and in the dish, cover generously with the sauce, making sure to moisten the whole surface (to prevent the tortilla from drying out). Take the rest of the cheese and sprinkle on top.


Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through. Laying foil over the top of the pan during cooking may prevent it from drying out or burning on the top in some ovens. You can prepare the tortillas the day before, follow all the steps, but just cover and refridgerate instead of baking. If baking straight from the fridge, add about 10 minutes to the baking time.
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