Vegetarian Crumble Enchilada

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Last Friday my friend Carolyn came over.  We had margaritas, chips & salsa and enchiladas.  Both of us love Mexican food!  It is Lent, and I know many of you may not be eating meat on Friday’s, so here’s one for later this week.  I thought it’d be fun to try out the MorningStar Farms Meal Starter Crumbles in an enchilada, and it was definitely worth it.

Want to try some other Mexican dishes from Fifth Floor Kitchen?  Here are some ideas: spring salsa, zucchini-chicken enchiladas, chile reyenos with rice, fish tacos, masa harina tacos with shrimp salad, Mexican meatballs with rice, Mexican tortilla cassarole, squash and bean burritos, tamale bake, zucchini enchiladas, or corn and zucchini burritos.  It’s clear I like Mexican!

Vegetarian Crumble Enchilada
Servings: 8

I’ve made so many Mexican dishes that I feel that I could make most of them in my sleep.  But I always like to play around with new flavors and textures.  The MorningStar Farms Crumbles definitely made this dish a lot lighter than when you make it with ground beef.  Feel free to add more heat or different vegetables.  Maybe change up the cheese? 

Filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bag of MorningStar Farm Crumbles
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
16oz black beans, rinsed & drained
8 flour tortillas (10-inch)

Sauce:
1 large onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1-2 jalapeños, roughly chopped (optional)
5-6 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

1/2 cup cheddar, shredded

To make the filling:
Spray a large baking pan (9×13 inches) with cooking spray.

In a pan, pour in the olive oil.  When it heats up, add the MorningStar crumbles.  Allow the meat to defrost, and heat up a bit.  Once it’s been defrosted, add in: onion, garlic and jalapeño.  Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent.  Then stir in: chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Stir the mixture around, until the spices are blended in.

Pour the meat crumble mixture into a large bowl, then add the black beans.  Stir everything well.  Then add in about 1/4 cup of into a tortilla, and then roll it up before placing it into the baking dish.  Continue to do this to the rest of the tortillas (I got about 8, but it could be more or less).

To make the enchilada sauce:
In a pan, add the olive oil.  Once it’s heated, then add the onions, garlic and jalapeños.  Allow them to cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Then add in the tomatoes.  Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally on low heat.  Once the tomatoes have cooked down, stir in: chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Then pour in the vegetable sauce into a food processor or blender.  Pureé the sauce until it is smooth.  Pour it over the enchiladas in the baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Then sprinkle the cheese over the sauce.  Bake the enchiladas in the oven for 10 minutes.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy this with some salsa or a margarita!

Black Bean, Corn and Cheese Enchiladas

As you read many of our blog entries, you’ll know that we’re fans of spicy food.  And although we loved the food in Europe, there was a lack of spiciness in all of the meals that we had eaten there.  So, once we were back we definitely needed something with a good kick.

I really enjoy going to Mexican restaurants- for the chips and salsa.  Although there are great dishes on the menu, too many of them lack the extra bold flavor that resides in Mexican food made at home.  So when trying to make-up for the lack of spiciness, we turned to a great enchilada recipe.

Black Bean, Corn and Cheese Enchiladas
Adapted from: Cooking Light (October 2011)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
7 garlic cloves, chopped
1-3 jalapeños, chopped (optional)
2 cups of water
2 tbsp oregano, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 oz can of green chilies (optional)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 15oz can of black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cups of Mexican cheese, shredded
1 cup of corn (frozen, canned or fresh)
1/8 cup of cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
6 12-inch tortillas

Heat olive oil in a pan.  Add onion, garlic, jalapeños and sauté for 3-5 minutes.  Once the onion is translucent add water, oregano, tomato paste, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor.  Blend/process until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine black beans, 1/2 cup of cheese, corn, cilantro and green onions.  I also added jalapeño, but that’s always optional.  Mix the ingredients together.

Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Then spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom.

Spoon about 3 tbsp of the bean-corn mixture down the center of the tortilla (pictured below).

Roll each of the filled tortillas and place them seam-side down in the baking dish.  Continue to do this with all of your tortillas and filling.  Once they are all completed, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Bake the enchiladas for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly brown.

Zucchini-Chicken Enchiladas

Remember when we made these amazing enchiladas?  And remember how we mentioned that having shredded chicken in them would be ever better?  Yes, we tried it, and so should you.

I wanted to post a picture of them, but honestly, they look exactly like last time.  So instead, you’re going to get the step-by-step on how to make them without the picture.

I highly recommend using this shredded chicken in other meals (chicken salad anyone?).  It was delicious, and we couldn’t stop snacking on the shredded pieces.

Shredded Chicken 

2 whole chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cups water

Cook in a crock pot for 8 hours on LOW.  Once it is finished, shred the chicken meat apart with forks.  There might be some extra chicken leftover.

How to incorporate the shredded chicken into your enchilada?

Follow the steps per the recipe.  Then, when you’re putting the zucchini into the tortillas, only add half of the amount.  Use the shredded chicken to fill up the tortilla, and then roll it up as usual.  Follow the rest of the directions as stated in the previous post (including heating the enchiladas for 20 minutes at 400°F).

Zucchini Enchiladas

I apologize for the lack of posts this week.  I was actually planning on putting this recipe up on Thursday (Cinco de Mayo), but unfortunately I was not eating Mexican that evening but at a work function.  It’s been a busy week!

We love Mexican food.  We (more like Sam, but I’m getting there) cannot find anything spicy enough in restaurants.  So, homemade is usually better since it is spicy enough.  In this recipe, we added the adobo chiles and jalapeños in the sauce, but feel free to omit them if super spicy is not your taste.

These are excellent vegetable enchiladas, I would have not thought to shred the zucchini before adding it to the dish.  But it gives it a meaty and soft texture, even though there is no meat in there.  Excellent idea!

We plan on making these again, but adding either shredded pork or chicken, we’ll make sure to share it with you!

Zucchini Enchiladas
Adapted from: Skinny Taste

Non-stick Cooking Spray
2 tbsp olive oil
7 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (optional or more if you want spicy)
1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 zucchinis, sliced or grated
1 onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups Mexican-blend cheese
4 large tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat the over to 400°F degrees.  Spray a baking dish so the tortillas do not stick (appropriately sized dish to fit the tortillas).

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.  Then add 3 chopped garlics and sauté.  After a minute add: chipotle chile, jalapeño, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tbsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Set aside until you are ready to pour over the enchiladas.

Either grate the zucchini with a grater or in a food processor.  In a saucepan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Once it’s heated, add 4 garlic cloves and onion and sauté.  Then add the zucchini, green onions, 1/2 tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp ground cumin.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.  Mix well, until the cheese has melted in the mixture.

Divide the zucchini mixture between the 4 tortillas.  Roll each tortilla and place, seam side down, into the baking dish.  Once all of them have been arranged, pour the sauce over the tortillas.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the dish.  Bake until the cheese has melted, and enchilada sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

After plating, sprinkle chopped cilantro on each enchilada.