Very Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas

We love Mexican-inspired dishes, and I am always looking for ways to make them a little more healthful. I have written this as a vegetarian recipe, but you could easily add some shredded chicken or beef if you have meat-eaters in the house to appease. Whenever I am trying out newfangled recipes on my family, I try to combine the new/different ingredients with flavors that are familiar to them. Carrots, zucchini and broccoli aren't usually found in this type of dish, but I think the sauce, cheese, beans and tortillas are enough to distract everyone!

I am trying to cut down even further on the gluten in our diets, so I am choosing to use brown rice tortillas tonight. They are $2.00 more per package than the whole wheat tortillas at my favorite grocery store (they sell whole wheat tortillas under their own label pretty inexpensively), but this is such an economical recipe overall, the added cost doesn't bother me, nor does it really add up to much when you break it down to the cost per serving. I'll run the numbers for you though with the whole wheat tortillas too. I don't use corn tortillas since I can't find organic ones, but they would work as well. Again, I am using organic cheese, you use what you like or even skip it. Fresh parsley and cilantro are very inexpensive at the grocery store, though the parsley I used came from my backyard. I am serving the enchiladas tonight with fresh peaches and pineapple, both grilled (on the charcoal grill). The peaches were on sale, and after a great sale and an elusive manufacturer's coupon (yes, for fresh fruit!), I paid only $1.38 for a huge pineapple--delicious, easy and cheap sides!

Very Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas

6  brown rice or whole wheat tortillas (8-10")
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 med zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced small
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans (or 1 cup dry, cooked according to pkg directions)
1 8 oz can no salt added tomato sauce
1/2 tomato sauce can of water
2 tsp chili powder (divided)
1 tsp cumin (divided)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
2 Tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt to taste (optional)


Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine tomato sauce, water, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, garlic powder and salt to taste.

Step 2: Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic, bell pepper, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, parsley/cilantro and a little sprinkle of salt. Saute for 5 minutes, add zucchini and broccoli, saute for another 3 minutes, stir in beans and remove from heat.

Step 3: Spray sides of 9 x 11 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and then spoon about 1/4 cup of sauce into bottom and spread out.

Step 4: Warming tortillas in the microwave or oven will make them more pliable if necessary. Spread each tortilla with one tablespoon of sauce, spoon 1/6 of the vegetable/bean mixture on each tortilla, sprinkle with one tablespoon of cheese, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. When all of them are rolled up and in the dish, top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cost:

Brown rice tortillas (pkg of 6) = $3.67

Can black beans (organic) =  $1.39

Zucchini: On sale for $.99/lb, used a 5 oz zucchini = $.31

Tomato Sauce (on sale) = $.25

Montery jack cheese (organic): On sale for $3.49/8 oz pkg, used 1/2 = $1.75

Onion: $.75/lb, used 6 oz onion = $.28

Garlic: $.25/ head, 2 cloves is 1/12 of head = $.02

Carrots (organic): $1.98/2 lb pkg, 2 carrots is 1/9 of pkg = $.22

Red Bell Pepper (on sale): $1.50
Broccoli (cut and bagged): $2.99/lb, used 2 oz =  $.37

Total Cost: $9.76

Six Servings: $1.63 per serving

Using Whole Wheat Tortillas:

Whole wheat tortillas: $1.67/pkg of 8, 6 tortillas is 3/4 of pkg = $1.25

Total Cost: $7.76

Six Servings: $1.29 per serving