As a young girl growing up in Southern California I loved watching my mother make enchiladas! It was quite a process back then and a rather messy one at that. Carefully, she would drop corn tortillas one by one into a fry pan of hot oil. Next, she would transfer the soften tortillas into a pot of simmering enchilada sauce where they would sit soaking up the spicy sauce for several minutes, after which she would gingerly lift each tortilla out and stack atop a large platter. Finally, the tortillas were ready to fill and roll into enchiladas.
I figured out early on in my cooking career that I neither had the time, the will, or the patience, to fry, soak, and roll several dozen fresh enchiladas as the case may be. In this recipe I’ll share with you a few time saving and healthier tips I’ve developed over the years that I believe still produce great tasting enchiladas, and with less of a mess!
Ingredients
2 cans black beans rinsed and well drained
2-3 cloves garlic finely diced
1/2 yellow onion diced
1/2 cup red pepper diced
1/2 cup black olives chopped (extra to place on top)
2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach chopped fine (measure spinach before chopping)
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
4 ounce can green chilies
1/2 cup cilantro chopped (extra for top/serving)
1/2 jalapeno seeded and diced (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cumin powder
4 ounces cotija or queso-fresco cheese crumbled
4 cups cheddar/Monterey cheese grated (reserve 1 cup for topping)
1 (28) ounce can red enchilada sauce
2 dozen corn tortillas, large (Grande)
1/3 cup vegetable oil for brushing tortillas
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1) Rinse beans in a strainer under cold water for one minute. Let drain well and add to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2) Chop or dice garlic, yellow onion, red pepper, black olives, and spinach either by hand or in food processor. Add to black beans.
Step 3) Add cheese and combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix well, and set aside.
Step 4) Starting with 8 tortillas at a time, lightly brush both sides each with oil and place on sheet pan (rimless works best). It is fine if they overlap each other. Place in oven and heat until softened and pliable about 4-5 min. Watch closely so they don’t over cook. Remove from oven and carefully stack on a large plate. Repeat twice more until all the tortillas are heated. To save time you can begin filling and rolling tortillas while the next two batches of tortillas are in the oven.
Notes: Following this process you eliminate having to soften each tortilla individually in hot oil and soaking them in the sauce before filling. This not only saves time, but also saves on added fat calories from the additional oil used for frying, making it a somewhat healthier entrée. As far as the sauce goes, I wait until I am ready to put them in the oven to add it. This I have found keeps the enchiladas from getting too soggy during the heating process. It also makes it easier for saving or storing extras for a later date. You can make them ahead and keep frozen in zip-lock bags. Makes it a great and easy way to grab just a few or more for a quick lunch or dinner. You can always cook ahead and re-heat in the microwave.
A few other options if you are interested in cutting back on dairy might be to try replacing the cheese with seasoned extra-firm tofu or roasted butternut squash, and/or another vegan cheese alternative or combination thereof. Just to note, I have never tried this, but do think the butternut idea sounds good with or without the dairy cheese.
Step 5) Place approximately 1/3 cup filling mixture on each tortilla and roll tight.Place 12-14 enchiladas in a greased 9″x 13″ baking dish or all 24 on a large greased rimmed sheet pan.
Step 6) Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas, cover, and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
Step 7) Removed from oven. Top with extra cheese, green onion and/or olives, return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted and the edges of the enchiladas start to brown.
Step 8) Serve with chopped fresh cilantro. For a complete meal serve with either a crisp lettuce or cabbage slaw salad, rice and refried beans. Note: Recipes for delicious side salads, Mexican rice and refried beans coming soon!