Black bean-chicken-veggie Enchiladas with smoky red pepper sauce
You have got to make these! STAT. Hands down the best enchiladas I've made, and also the healthiest (but shhhh, nobody needs to know this). These can easily be a weeknight meal with a little prep work done ahead of time---the sauce can be quickly pulled together the morning of, if you soak your cashews overnight, and the veggies can be chopped/sautéed early, too. You can definitely shave some time by using leftover chicken or buy a roasted chicken, or skip the chicken all together and keep this a delicious vegan meal. You do not need to use the vegetables that I listed below, feel free to use whatever you have on hand… Sautéed spinach would make a great addition! The sauce is so simple to throw together (and craaAazy delish), just make sure you soak your cashews so they soften up before you blend them!
Mission fantastic enchiladas: Accomplished
Serves ~8
Ingredients:
10 large corn tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory which had a corn-wheat blend but regular corn to stay gluten free. If you use an all corn tortillas, just microwave them before you make the enchiladas so they stay pliable)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, mashed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp each chili powder, oregano, and coriander
Pinch of salt
.75 lb chicken breast or thighs, cooked and shredded (you can use more if desired or skip this all together)
1 large zucchini, diced
1.5 cups chopped mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 garlic clove, mashed
Salt and pepper to taste
2.5 cups salsa verde (or green enchilada sauce)
Toppings: cilantro, pepitas, olive slices
Sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight
1.5 jars roasted red peppers (or roast your own, use 3)
~1/2 cup water
1 shallot
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
3/4 tsp smoked paprika (to taste)
Method:
Soak cashews in advance for about 2 hours minimum. To make sauce: add roasted red peppers, drained & soaked cashews, water, shallot, garlic, spices, and lemon juice to your high-powered blender. Purée for a couple of minutes until creamy and smooth. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.
Cook your chicken, if using, or shred about 2 cups of pre-cooked chicken.
In a large skillet, sauté the onion, zucchini, and mushrooms in a little bit of oil until soft, about 5-8 min. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the corn and garlic and mix well. Cook for a couple more minutes. Finally, add the cooked chicken (if using) to the vegetable mixture. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl make your smoky beans. To your drained black beans, add the smoked paprika, garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, oregano and pinch of salt. Stir well.
Add beans to the chicken-veggie mixture. Stir to combine.
In a large 9x13 pan, place about 1/2 cup salsa verde or green enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan (this is so they don't stick). Fill each tortilla and place them in the pan seam side down, packing them tightly so they don't unfold. Top enchiladas with the remaining salsa verde. **on two of the enchiladas I added a bit of cheese for kid-appeal but honestly you don't need any cheese for these!
Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until warmed through.
Once out of the oven, pour a liberal amount of the warmed red pepper sauce over the enchiladas and garnish heavily with cilantro, pepitas, and any other toppings you desire. Enjoy!!
** I ended up having at least one cup of extra red pepper sauce. I froze part of it for another night. The rest I am using to drizzle on salads, roasted veggies, as a dip, and I think it would be delicious tossed with zucchini noodles!
*** just an idea... You could easily make these into soft tacos! I would just add a little bit of the salsa Verde with the filling and top it off with a tablespoon or so of the red pepper sauce. Maybe a little bit messy but oh so good.
****want a Paleo/grain free option? Just use the chicken veggie mixture (skip the beans if you are hard core) on top of salad greens for a delicious salad. Garnish with salsa Verde, red pepper sauce and all the trimmings.
