Bean enchiladas

Do you have an enchilada recipe you love? We are so simple with ours, it is a bit embarrassing. First, we go get some fresh corn tortillas from a local tortillaria, make some guacamole, make pico or salsa, shred some cheese, and get the beans.

12 corn tortillas
Refried beans or 1 can
2 C shredded cheese
Salsa or Green chile sauce
Guacamole
Chopped onion

Spread beans on the tortillas, top with cheese and roll. Put into baking dish, cover with green chile sauce, cheese, and chopped onions. Bake on 375 till bubbly.
Serve with salad, salsa, and guacamole.

**We say yum. I canned the salsa in the late summer this year.

Southwest Salad with Black Beans and Corn

This is a delicious salad that I make everytime it is fresh corn season. Although the recipe calls for cooked corn, I always use raw. You can also substitute canned black beans.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu. You can get the complete recipe online from the A Life Divided blog. Although I often cook my own beans, I've show this adaption with canned black beans.

2 cans black beans 
2 cups raw corn (about 2 largish ears worth- make sure it is organic!)
2 medium-sized cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup well-minced red onion 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, minced garlic, red onion, cumin, olive oil, and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. 

**Delicious. We ate it with tortilla chips.

Black Bean And Zucchini Chilaquiles

This recipe originally comes from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, found on the Epicurious web site. I needed a quick make ahead recipe for a very busy evening.

1 1/2 tablespoons light or extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
One 28-ounce can crushed or puréed tomatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
One 16- to 20-ounce can black beans or 2 1/2 cups cooked black beans (from about 1 cup dried)
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 small fresh hot chile pepper, seeded and minced, or one 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies
12 6-inch corn tortillas, torn or cut into several pieces
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese or Cheddar-style nondairy cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking pan or 2-quart round casserole.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the bell pepper and continue
to sauté until it has softened and the onions are golden. Stir in the tomatoes, seasonings, beans, zucchini,
and chile pepper. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3. Layer as follows in the prepared pan. Half the tortillas, half the tomato black bean mixture, and half
the cheese. Repeat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 5 to 10
minutes, then cut into squares or wedges to serve.

**I left out the bell peppers. I used my frozen garden tomatoes. I used chipotle chili powder. This was a very fast and easy dish to make. The sauteed onions added the sweetness to balance the spice. Kind of a deconstructed enchilada dish.

Black bean enchiladas with guacamole

Tonight I am going to try a slow cooker enchilada recipe. I was originally thinking about using pinto beans, but I didn't get them cooked. I found this recipe on a site I've never used, The Kitchn.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
Serves 4-6
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color) *
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn*

Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.
Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa.
* I'll be using green chili instead of bell pepper and my leftover corn tortillas.  My daughter will be making "Uncle Lee's famous guacamole". Let me know if you want the recipe.

 The filling was good and it was easy to make. Next time, I would use a green chile sauce- like Tio Frank's instead of two jars of salsa. I would also layer rather than roll the tortillas. I think this is a good alternative if you don't have the time to cook your enchiladas when you get home at night. Using a timer on the crockpot would make it worthwhile.