Meatless Monday #1 Enchiladas

First post in awhile! No excuses, I was too busy with work, a 2.5 year old, and I got sick for a couple of weeks. I have had a few people question if I am still cooking or not, a big fat yes is your answer! And for the most part I have been taking pictures, so I have a back log of stuff to write about. It is just a question of getting down to it and writing it out. I do have to admit though that until recently we have been eating home made meals but not always sitting down at the table. The last couple of meals though we have been sitting down to a proper dinner and both my husband and I have commented on how nice it is; to sit instead of in front of the TV at the table, and be able to talk to each other, laugh and smile at Miss Molly, and generally enjoy each other's company. Turn on a little soft/smooth jazz on the TV as background music and you have a nice ritual end to a busy day! Which is why I started this blog anyway so it just reinforces the point really.

I am going to attempt to do more "meatless" meals from here on out, we aren't going totally veggie but as Michael Pollen says, "It doesn't hurt to have a few meals a week that are meatless." I do have a vegetarian (well now vegan as of the first of the year) in the family so I am constantly, not that I cook for her, but I am constantly thinking in my head as I am eating my creations how easy and/or hard it would be to make it "meatless."  So this isn't a stretch and I think overall it is a great idea. This is one of those "meatless" meals that we had this week.

Now over the years I have tried different enchilada recipes and not really found one to my liking, one had an absurd amount of cinnamon in it -which I questioned at the time but still did it anyway- it ruined the dish, well at least for my family it did! That is something that people need to think about as they read over a recipe, really look at the ingredients and if there are too many that your family -on their own don't really like- then don't use the recipe, or if there are some pieces that you can sub out something in place do that, and most of the time you can custom make a recipe to your families tastes. So for example my husband hates olives, so I generally leave those out of all recipes. Or when it comes to spicy flavors, I am real careful no matter how much the recipe calls for because I can't deal with too much heat. Or if I don't have Oregano, think of what you can sub in place (like Italian seasoning, or dried basil). Because bottom line, not all recipes are going to hit the nail on the head every time at least by being quick on your feet you can salvage a recipe for the whole family. This recipe was a SUPER WINNER! Regardless of the fact that it is meatless, not vegan though, it is now my new enchilada recipe! SO GOOD!

Black Bean Enchiladas 

Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

14 WW pts
2 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 red onion , chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
12 ounces frozen soy crumbles, thawed (can sub BOCA burgers)
1/2 cup prepared chunky salsa (I used half sweet mango salsa, and half HOT salsa)
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (this is 2 oz on your cream cheese pkg)
1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese Mix

8 6-inch corn tortillas

1 can high-quality enchilada sauce
4 green onions , chopped
olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

[1] Add a little oil and onion and saute until tender, 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder and garlic. Add the beans and soy crumbles and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
[2] Stir in salsa and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and add cream cheese and a 1/2 cup of the Mexican cheese mix, stirring until the cheese melts.

[3] Spread half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread bean mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up and then arrange them, seam sides down, in the baking pan.

[4] Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. (you might think you need more sauce, you don't make sure you cover evenly with cheese but overall you don't need more sauce it is the perfect amount)
[5] Bake until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted, 20 minutes.
[6] Top with green onions and serve

*Something to think about, making this lasagna style so you don't have to roll the tortillas...

These were so good, my husband and I were still raving about them the next day as we ate them for lunch. Really a stellar recipe.

Easy Corn Side Dish
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp butter
3 cups frozen corn
(For a little heat you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, but be careful!)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Splash of milk
1. Saute the bell pepper, butter, corn, and salt and pepper till warmed through.

2. Right before serving splash in a bit of milk. Taste to make sure it is nicely seasoned and serve.