Vegetable and Black Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

Hey!  I haven’t updated my blog in awhile.  Tell me you noticed.  Or pretend.  Either way works for me.

The Omnivore and I went on a second honeymoon.  Actually, it was vacation, but isn’t it more romantic to call it a second honeymoon?  I thought so too.

We ate out in restaurants for a week straight.  Boy are we sick of other people making our chow!  He hugged me last night in the airport and said, “I can’t wait for your home cooking, love.”  So sweet.  And this is the dish I started out with – not exactly classic American style home cooking, but perfect for the house of Branny.

Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo sauce.  This was my first time using corn tortillas for my enchiladas, thanks to my doc’s advisement against gluten in my diet.  I had my serving sans cheese (making my portion vegan) since, well, my doc won’t let me eat that either.  But the ‘vore had plenty of cheese.

By the way, wheat-free and dairy-free are the worst for traveling!  In all my years as a vegetarian, I was never a high maintenance eater.  I never made wacky substitutes or gave vegetarians a bad rap with an attitude.  But throw the non-dairy-non-wheat restrictions in the mix and my world was upside down.

I found myself ordering pasta-primavera-hold-the-pasta and settling for a half-roasted chicken, and only the chicken, due to the lack of gluten and dairy free side dishes, for dinner in many fine restaurants.  Boy am I glad to be home so that I can eat a wholesome, well thought out, meal.

One Year Ago: Black Eyed Pea Patties

Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo sauce (serves 5-6)
3 cups black beans
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
1 large summer squash
1 1/2 tsp chili powder (I used ancho/chipolte blend)
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
12-14 5″ corn tortillas

For the tomatillo sauce
6-8 tomatillos, husks removed and washed (about 3/4 lb)
5 cloves garlic, skins removed
1/2 bunch cilantro
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place tomatillos and garlic in a pan for roasting, and spritz with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook 35-40 minutes, turned once or twice, until all vegetables are soft and fragrant.

Meanwhile, chop bell pepper, onion, and squash into a small dice.  Saute over low heat in a pan sprayed with cooking spray for about 8 minutes, until all veggies are soft.  Season with all chili powder, cumin, salt, and oregano.  Add black beans and cook 3-4 minutes longer.  Remove 2/3 of the portion of beans and puree in a food processor.  Incorporate with reserved portion and add lemon juice.  You should have a consistency like this:

I did this for a two reasons.  First, it gives you a creamy consistency without adding cheese.  Second, the Omnivore hates squash, so I had to hide it.

Continue making the green sauce by adding tomatillos, garlic, and washed cilantro to a food processor.  Turn the processor to ON and stream in water until you reach your desired consistency.  Place 1/3 of the sauce in a rimmed dish.

Working with one tortilla at a time, dip each corn tortilla into the tomatillo sauce so that it is covered on both sides.  Then place about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of the bean mixture into the tortilla.  Fold over tightly and place seam side down in a baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Repeat until all the filling is gone.  Spread the remaining 2/3 portion of the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Per enchilada without salsa
Calories 93.8
Total Fat 1.3 g
Total Carbohydrate 17.7 g
Dietary Fiber 3.9 g
Protein 4.9 g