Friday, March 2, 2012

Friday Favorites 3!

Happy Friday, all!

I am sooooooooooo excited to share this week's Friday Favorite with you because it has become a...well, a favorite of mine. :)

I made this vegetarian recipe for the family and it was a huge hit. Seriously. It's scratch-your-eyes-out good. How often can you say that about a vegetarian recipe? (It's probably because of the cheese that's added to it, but who cares?)
Deal with it.


Vegetable Enchiladas

for the sauce:

  • 1 tsp. canola oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp. chili powder (I am a spice pansy, so I started with 2 tbsp and added more from there)
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
  • ½-¾ cup water
  • Salt and pepper
for the filling:
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
  • 1 (8 oz.) zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ cups enchilada sauce (above), divided
  • 1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
  • ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup drained chopped canned green chilies
  • Salt and pepper
for assembly:
  • 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Lime wedges, for serving
To make the enchilada sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

To make the filling, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Transfer half of the black beans to a bowl and mash with a fork until almost completely smooth. Set aside. Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until slightly softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook just until tender, 3-5 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mashed beans and remaining whole beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl and stir in ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, the queso fresco, cilantro and green chilies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, briefly microwave the tortillas until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Place 1/3 cup of the filling mixture down the center of a tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla and place in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the enchiladas, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top of the sauce. Cover with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes more.

Honestly, it looks like a lot of steps, but it's easy-peasy to make. I actually couldn't stop licking the bowl, I thought the filling was so tasty!!
PS. I used feta cheese, since that was all I could find.
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In other exciting news, my new romance SUNNY DAYS FOR SAM just got put up on Goodreads and now is also up for a Goodreads giveaway.
If you're on Goodreads, don't forget to enter for a chance to win or add to My Shelf!
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Whew! And that's all from me today.

Have a great weekend!!

22 comments:

Old Kitty said...

Thanks for the recipe - am printing this off to see if I can whip this up - it's got all my fave stuff in it - I love garlic and spices and cheese and courgettes! All the best with your Sunny Days for Sam!!

Take care
x

Jessica Nelson said...

Wow, that sounds delicious!! Thanks for the heads up about your giveaway too. I'd love to get my hands on one of your books. *grin*

Jessica R. Patch said...

This looks yummy. So, your kiddo doesn't mind passing on meat? If Myles couldn't have his chicken nuggets, he'd run away from home. :)

Laura S. said...

Congrats on your new novel, Jennifer! Do you have an exact release date? I need to add you to my Blog Buddy Must-Reads page!

Unknown said...

Yum! I'm making enchiladas tonight, but I'm using only about five ingredients including canned enchilada sauce. I'm pretty sure yours taste better :)

Anonymous said...

The recipe sounds fantastic! I can't wait to try it.

Off to Goodreads now...

Wendy Paine Miller said...

You had me at enchilada.

Nothing like waking up drooling!

Happy Friday!
~ Wendy

Linda G. said...

Oh, my, those enchiladas sound so yummy! Now, if only I cooked... ;)

Rula Sinara said...

Sounds yummy! I love cilantro so much that I grow it fresh in my herb garden.

Jennifer Shirk said...

Rula! I need to grow my own cilantro. I buy it every week. It's my favorite herb!!

Tamika Eason said...

Congrats on the new book! And let me know when dinner is:)

I'm a long way off from cooking this well!

Jill Kemerer said...

Yum! I would cheat and buy pre-made enchilada sauce. You're my hero!

Just entered the big giveaway! Off to tweet it!

Linda Kage said...

Thanks for the recipe! And thanks for the giveaway. I've enter but it looks like I have too much competition for a chance to win. Oh well!

Karen Baldwin said...

YummEE! Now living here in Mexico I was surprised by two things (obviously more) regarding their cooking...they don't use hardly any cheese (Americans LOve cheese), nd if they do, it's the queso fesco, and enchiladas aren't cooked in the oven.
I say...who cares? As long as it tastes good!

Sarah Forgrave said...

Yum! Those enchiladas sound soooo good. And hooray about your book! If it's as fun as Georgie, I know I'll love it. :)

Cheryl Klarich said...

Oh my gosh... those look fabulous!!!

Congrats on your book! I know it's awesome- I LOVE romance novels and will head over to Goodreads right now! :)

Carol Kilgore said...

Yummy. Spinach enchiladas are good, too :)

Happy Weekend!

Liza said...

This does sound great! Trying to eat less meat...this would be a great addition to the recipe box. Thanks!

Maria Zannini said...

I do a variation of this. Instead of zucchini, I do spinach. Love veggie enchiladas.

I'll try the zucchini when my garden over-floweth.

Melissa Sugar said...

Yum, this sounds delicious. Mexican food is my all time favorite and I always love trying a new recipe. Congratulations on your new book. I will head over to goodreads shortly.

Jemi Fraser said...

Yummy! My family would definitely like this!!

Off to Goodreads...

Sandra Cox said...

Thanks for the recipe share. Great cover. Good luck with the contest.