Meatless Meal: Spicy Bean Enchiladas

It's been a while since there's been a food-related post on this blog, so I figured it was time to remedy that! Here's a great recipe that's healthy, cheap, and meatless!

With just under a month until we move out, Operation Pantry Clean Out is in full effect. Somehow, even in just 7 months of living here, we have accumulated a pretty full pantry and fridge/freezer. Typical! We have no desire to move a ton of food with us across the country, so we are seriously trying to use up what we have.

When I spotted this recipe for Spicy Black Bean Enchiladas, I immediately knew I wanted to make it. Not only did it look delicious, but it would also be a good use for a couple of the cans of beans and green chiles that were hanging out in our pantry. Perfect!


I made a few adjustments to the recipe, which I noted below, but mostly kept it the same. And oh man were these tasty!! They were super filling, even despite being meatless, and I loved the creaminess that the sour cream added to the filling.

They were super easy to make too, especially with a little help from the husband. We tag teamed the filling and rolling of the tortillas, which made it go a lot faster. I love working together in the kitchen! Great husband-wife bonding time. :)
Spicy Bean Enchiladas

Source: Adapted from Keep it Simple Foods

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 package small corn tortillas (with 10-12 in a package)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of red kidney beans since that's what I had on hand)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 handful cilantro, chopped (plus some for garnish if desired)

1/2 cup onion, chopped (divided)

1 small can green chilis or a spoonful of jarred/fresh sliced jalapenos

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (The Husband said he would omit the cinnamon next time, as he doesn't like cinnamon in savory foods. I couldn't even taste it though, so it didn't bother me!)

1/2 cup (light) sour cream (You could also sub plain greek yogurt for this but I didn't have any...gasp!)

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (or whatever kind you like) (divided)

1/2 lime (juice and zest)

1 can green enchilada sauce (I used a jar of tomatillo green salsa that I had on hand instead of enchilada sauce....but I also think these would be yummy with RED enchilada sauce. Just use whatever you have!)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine beans, garlic, about a third of the chopped onions, cilantro, green chiles, all the spices, sour cream, lime juice & zest and about 1/3 cup of cheese. Combine well.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into each of the corn tortillas and roll them by hand. Try to get them as tight as you can and then place them in a baking dish seam side down.

Pour the green sauce on top so that it coats each tortilla.

Top with the remaining cheese, onions, and chopped pickled jalapenos (if desired).

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted and tortilla edges look crispy and brown. Let sit for about 2 minutes before serving. Top with more sour cream, cilantro, jalepenos, or whatever you like!

NOTE: You could easily add some chopped, cooked chicken to the enchiladas if you need more substance. I'm sure it would be tasty, but they don't need it! They are very flavorful and yummy as written!

Eggplant Parmesan

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you probably already know that my husband is a "man's man" who dislikes meat-free main dishes. In his mind, No meat = Not a meal.

There are two notable exceptions to his No Meat rule though.

(Source)

Pizza (specifically Margarita style) and...

Eggplant Parmesan.


Why are these exceptions? Well I honestly don't know, but I have a feeling it has to do with the copious amounts of cheese.

Eggplant Parmesan has always been one of Hubs' favorite things to order at an Italian restaurant, but surprisingly enough I had never made it at home for him.

Until now.

And now, I think I've created a monster.

Because he could. not. stop. talking about how good this was and how it was "the best eggplant parmesan he has ever had".

I have to agree. It IS really, really, really good. But what I like even better is that this "healthified" version is just as good, if not better, than the "real" thing.

Usually Eggplant Parmesan involves deep frying slices of eggplant and then covering them in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. This version lightens things up a bit by oven-baking the eggplant and then still topping with tomato sauce & cheese.
So. Stinkin'. Good. You must make this!

FYI it's a bit more labor intensive of a dinner than I typically go for, but it is SO worth every extra minute of effort!

Eggplant Parmesan
Source: adapted from Cooking Light

• YIELD: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (1-pound) eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs (or use plain and add Italian seasoning)
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce* (I used Emeril's Eggplant & Gaaahlic)
  
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese OR sliced fresh mozzarella (which is what I used)
  
• Fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Place eggplant in a large bowl; add water to cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain well; blot dry with paper towels. Combine 1/4 cup water and egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese; stir well. Dip eggplant in egg white mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place half of eggplant on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and broil 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant. Set eggplant aside.

Spread half of tomato sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant over sauce; top with half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining sauce, eggplant, and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

*NOTES: The original recipe called for you to make your own tomato sauce, but I went the easy way out and used store-bought sauce. I used Emeril's Eggplant & Gaaahlic sauce and it was DELICIOUS! Highly recommend.

A Hangover and Enchiladas

Today I did basically nothing all day because I was "sick".....and by "sick" I mean hungover. I think I'm officially too old to drink copious amounts of alcohol. It was rough!

The culprit for the hangover was a very fun Halloween party that we went to last night. Hubs and I dressed up as the Blues Brothers, I drank margaritas and played MANY games of cornhole and beer pong. Too many, in fact, but I was winning so I kept going to prove it wasn't a fluke!

If only having so much fun didn't result in a terrible all-day long hangover and one stint with my head over the toilet at 9 am. Yuck!

When I finally started to feel human again around 6 pm tonight and the thought of food hitting my mouth didn't make me gag, I decided to cook.

Veggie Enchiladas....aka hangover cure

And I'm so glad I did, because this is probably one of my new favorite dishes.

I spotted the recipe over on How Sweet It Is a while back and had it bookmarked since. I'm so glad she shared this because it is a great way to incorporate lots and lots of veggies in a more palatable way for those who aren't huge veggie fans (ahem husband).

Plus, it's warm and gooey and cheesy! Who doesn't love those things?!

I modified the recipe slightly so my way is listed below. My mix of veggies was pretty random, but that's the great thing about this recipe: you can modify it to include whatever veggies you have on hand!

Loaded Veggie Enchiladas

Source: Modified from How Sweet It Is

8-10 whole wheat tortillas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 medium white or red potatoes, chopped

1/2 cup butternut squash, chopped

1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped

1 summer squash, chopped

1 cup refried black beans (half a can)

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add peppers, onions, potatoes and butternut squash, sprinkle with salt and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add in summer squash and broccoli, sauteing for another 5 minutes. Add refried beans and half the can of enchilada sauce, mixing until combined and heating through.

To assemble enchiladas, add about 1/2 cup mix into the center of a tortilla and roll tightly. Add to baking dish and repeat with tortillas and mix. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Hangover officially cured.

But I'm still never drinking alcohol again. (yeah right)

Don't Judge a Recipe by its Ingredients

Okay I'll be the first to say that tonight's husband-less dinner was a random mish-mash of ingredients thrown together that is....well....just a little bit weird.

Enchilada Sauce + Chickpeas + Artichoke Hearts

But I can assure you, that although odd, the finished product was seriously GOOD and just what I was craving.

I came home from work today wanting to make some sort of Indian-inspired, vegetarian chickpea and tomato dish because that is most DEFINITELY something that my husband would turn his nose up at normally.

The only issue with this craving was that I had no recipe and not many ingredients on hand....so I just winged it and used what I had in the pantry and/or fridge.

One of those things hangin' out in my fridge was the majority of a can of enchilada sauce, leftover from when I made enchiladas. I figured that could be the basis for a semi-homemade spicy tomato sauce (Sandra Lee would be proud).

I also had some artichoke hearts that were calling my name...so I tossed those in too. Why not, right?

Served over jasmine rice and a few mixed salad greens and I called it a meal!

Chickpeas and Artichoke Hearts in a Semi-Homemade Tomato Sauce

Source: Me

1 tsp Olive Oil

Half an onion, chopped

Half a red bell pepper, chopped

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can of red enchilada sauce

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of chicken broth

3 artichoke hearts (canned in water), coarsely chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add chickpeas, enchilada sauce & garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chicken broth and artichoke hearts. Let the whole mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit. Serve over jasmine rice and salad greens, if desired.

Before I go I just have to share this picture of our little furball.

We call this her "smile face" and it always makes ME smile in return.

She sure is enjoying having "her" side of the bed back to herself now that Hubs is gone again. Enjoy it while it lasts, Libs!

I'm gonna get back to watching The Waitress on Lifetime now. Even though this movie got horrible reviews and it's a little weird, I have always loved it. I'm a sucker for a movie about pies! Makes me want to jump up and bake a "Bad Baby Pie" or a "Naughty Pumpkin Pie". :)

Have you ever made or eaten something that has odd ingredient combinations? How was it?

Plan to Not Plan

I really didn't think I liked not planning out our meals. But today as I started dreaming up what I would make for dinner tonight I realized that it can actually be kind of fun to have no plans! Fly by the seat of your pants, be resourceful, let your mind wander kinda cooking. Make whatever you feel like making that day! No restrictions! {well, except ingredients}

Hmmmm...what do I have?

Sweet Potatoes
Onion
Black Beans
Cilantro
Eggs

WAIT. Sweet potatoes + black beans! I've heard a lot about how wonderful that combination is and I've been chomping at the bit to try it.

For some reason those ingredients were screaming "Mexican Hash!" at me so...

I typed "Sweet Potato & Black Bean Hash" into Google and VOILA! Several recipes popped up and I ultimately found one where I had almost everything I needed.


Sweet Potato, Corn & Black Bean Hash

From EatingWell

Quick and easy hashes are fabulous one-pot meals for those nights when getting dinner on the table fast is a priority. Make it a meal: Serve with warm cornbread or tortillas.

2 servings, about 2 cups each | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 2 large cloves garlic, minced
* 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
* 4 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup water
* 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
* 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, cumin and salt; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in corn and black beans and cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition

Per serving : 419 Calories; 6 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 80 g Carbohydrates; 16 g Protein; 17 g Fiber; 771 mg Sodium; 621 mg Potassium


I didn't have any jalepenos {side note: how do you add the squigly line to the n in jalepeno...I should ask my mom....since she's a Spanish teacher and all...} but I did have a yellow bell pepper that was on it's last leg so I subbed that in. I also added a few drops of Sriacha hot sauce to add back some of the heat too.

I served my hash with spoonfuls of salsa and light sour cream on the side. I must say, I think the hash would have been a little too...hmm...blah?....without the salsa and sour cream. I mean it was good, don't get me wrong! But the tanginess of the salsa and the creaminess of the sour cream really kicked it up a notch!


I also served my hash with a runny fried egg on top. This was an unnecessary addition {as opposed to the salsa & sour cream} but it surrrrrrre was delish!

Because, duh, everything is better with a runny fried egg on top.

Also, I don't know if my sweet potato was extra large or what, but this made WAY more than the "2 servings" the recipe says! I have enough left over to cover my lunches for at least a few days. {Yessssss....I love lunch leftovers.}

And since I've now realized that it's actually not all that bad to not plan a meal here and there, I think I may start planning to NOT plan anything for one night a week.

Did that make any sense at all?

I didn't think so.

Are you a planner or a non-planner when it comes to cooking? Do you ever plan to not plan?

Vegifying and Healthifying my Lunches

Through reading some amazing healthy living blogs lately I've begun to realize that my lunch routine was not as healthy as it could be. So I've been trying out some new things and trying to develop new habits when it comes to lunch.

First new habit: Meat does not have to be present in every meal. I think up until now I've automatically based my eats for lunch and dinner around what meat the meal will have in it. I've blogged a couple times in the past about how I occasionally enjoyed a meat-free meal but those were honestly few and far between.

Unfortunately my husband is not on board with the meat-free thing so I really have to limit my vegetarian dinners to once in a blue moon. Lunch, however, is all mine and I can do with it what I want! :)

And I'm learing now that just because it's vegetarian doesn't mean it isn't filling! I use protein-packed, non-meat products like hummus, avocado, eggs and canned beans paired with delicious veggies to make a light, filling and yummy lunch.

Second new habit: Limit frozen meals. My go-to, take to work & eat at my desk lunch choice, Lean Cuisines, are not as healthy as they want you to think they are. I probably ate 3-4 Lean Cuisines a week for lunches and I always thought I was being "good".

I'm seeing now that LCs are usually packed with sodium and processed grains and severely lacking in the fiber department. Also, they never really filled me up with those tiny portions. I think deep down I really knew they weren't that good for me all along, but the convenience factor always won me over. Grab and go. No lunch packing required. That brings me to new habit number three...

Third new habit: Take time to pack healthy lunches. Confession: I am a chronic late-to-work offender. No matter how hard I try, it always seems like I'm rushing out the door in the morning with wet hair and no time to prepare anything for breakfast or lunch. Just dedicating the time to packing a good lunch really makes all the difference in the world!

So with trying out all these new habits, I've already found a meat-free and non-frozen lunch that I am seriously in love with. All it takes is a little prep at night or in the morning and I'm enjoying this delicious and filling meal midday:

That would be a vegetarian sandwich consisting of the following:

-Sandwich Thin {whole wheat}

-Hummus {schmeared on both sides...probably a little more than a tablespoon total}

-Baby Spinach

-Bell Pepper Strips

-Red Onion

-Avocado {1/4th of a big fat one}

Seriously, SO. FREAKING. GOOD. So good that I proclaimed to my coworker, Kelsey, as I was eating it "This sandwich is so good!" She agreed that it looked delish.

The sandwich alone fills me up quite well but I pair it with some fresh fruit {cantaloupe, blackberries & raspberries were in the mix today} to round out the meal.

Oh and a FUZE...I'm loving these lately because sometimes water just gets boring. Although, be careful that you check the nutritional label...only a few of the FUZE flavor choices have 5-10 calories per serving. The rest have anywhere from 60-90 calories per serving.

Yes, this is a self-pic taken at my desk. Welcome to my closet of an office! :)

Today I also packed a banana and a greek yogurt in case hunger struck me later. It's important for me to have healthy snacks on hand because who knows what I would eat if I got hungry and didn't have any healthy options! :/

However, my lunch really filled me up and I actually ended up not even needing the snacks. It's about 5:45pm right now and I'm just now starting to feel the grumble in my tummy. Maybe I'll have a small snack before we head over to our friend's house to eat some dogs and celebrate a birthday!

Pizza, Pizza! {What's for Dinner 3/12/2010}

Another Friday during Lent, another no-meat pizza! This time we took some homemade pizza dough out of the freezer and loaded it up with mushrooms, red onion, fresh basil, garlic & red bell pepper {no bell pepper on my half though}.

Alex PILED his side up...mine was more modest.


Unfortunately this pizza was just okay. I don't think we let our frozen dough come to room temperature for long enough because it really didn't rise at all. Plus we didn't have enough dough so it ended up being a reaaally thin crust. Alex also tried a new trick to make the pizza sauce stretch a little further by adding tomato paste to it...I didn't like it this way at all. It just tasted like pure tomato paste to me with no spices or flavor. Oh well, you live and you learn! It was a good idea in theory. :)

Ash Wednesday Dinner {What's for Dinner? 2/17/2010}

Happy Ash Wednesday!

As Catholics, we celebrate the first day of Lent by going to Mass and not eating meat. The 2nd part of that tends to be the annoying part, as we are major meat eaters. However, tonight we had a great no-meat alternative: Veggie Pizza! Lots of veggies {kalamata olives, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms} and lots of cheese. Yum!


The priest who conducted Mass today made a great point about how we always consider Lent to mean giving up things like chocolate or coke. But in reality those trivial items don't necessarily bring you any closer to God. He suggested trying to forgive more as a true challenge. That message really hit me hard, as I just wasn't feeling my typical "give up coke for Lent" sacrifice.

So this Lenten season I'm going to try to improve myself and my relationship with God in the following ways:

1. Practice more forgiveness {especially with coworkers}

2. Be more positive at work and life in general {I tend to be a big pessimist}

What are you doing for Lent?

Alex's Awesome Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan

Alex made this DELICIOUS gluten-free eggplant parmesan last night for our party. It was a huge hit!! And we totally didn't miss the unhealthy fried coating on the eggplant. I think the thing that makes the recipe is the homemade marinara sauce so I definitely recommend taking the extra time to make it. It would also freeze well so make a big batch of it!

Alex's Eggplant Parmesan

• Eggplant, sliced ¼ - ½ inches thick
• Marinara sauce (recipe below)
• Mozzarella cheese (both the grated kind and fresh)
• Olive oil
• Fresh Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Sauté the eggplant in olive oil until softened and cooked, flipping at least once. When done set aside.
Cover the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the pan. Cover the eggplant with sauce, grated mozzarella, and chopped basil. Repeat to make three layers, ending with the sauce. Finish with slices of fresh mozzarella and the remaining basil. Bake until hot and beginning to brown (approximately 45 minutes).

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eggplant-parmesan-recipe2/index.html


Alex's Marinara Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ large yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves roasted garlic, pressed
½ jar roasted red peppers, chopped
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Combine ingredients in a large pot and let simmer at low to medium heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.