Black bean enchiladas

I am in the process of cleaning out some of the older stuff in the pantry. A can of enchilada sauce caught my eye and it's been a while since I've had enchiladas, so I put them on the menu.

I really thought I would miss the cheese in these dairy-free enchiladas, but I didn't! They have lots of flavor and texture and I will be making these again.

Black bean enchiladas

1 can of black beans

1/2 c. frozen corn

1/2 of a shredded zucchini

1 can of enchilada sauce (I used Hatch)

Put the beans, corn, zuccini, and 1/4 c. of the enchilada sauce into a pan. Heat until the mixture has thickened. Smoosh some of the beans with the back of a spoon if you like.

Spoon some of the mixture into a corn tortilla (I use these) and roll them up. Place them seam-side down into an oven-safe dish sprayed with cooking spray. I used a 7-inch square glass pan. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until everything is heated and bubbly. 

Top with some shredded kale for crunch and color.

Makes 5 enchiladas that are sooo good. 

layered bean dip

I love beans. I love chips and dip. This is the best of both worlds.

No gluten, no dairy, no meat, but a really satisfying meal. Yes, I called chips and dip a meal. The dip is basically veggies and beans. I could do worse.

Layer in the following order in a glass container:

1. Black beans: Place a saucepan on medium heat. Add in 1/8 of a chopped onion and 1 minced garlic clove with a splash of olive oil. When they are browned, add in 1 tsp of GF taco seasoning, and 1 can of black beans, undrained. Turn off the heat and mush the beans. Don't let too much liquid evaporate, you want the beans to be somewhat spreadable.
2. Frozen corn, prepared according to package directions
3. Drained canned jalapenos (or fresh chopped jalapenos)
4. Fresh diced tomato
5. Fresh diced avocado
6. Finely shredded lettuce

If you're feeling 7 layers, you could also add salsa or some mexican rice.

Serve with your favorite gluten free chip.

simple stir fry

I ate a sensible breakfast today.

Then, I went over to my sister's house to hang out with her and her cute nugget offspring, and also I was watching my man's dog, who likes playing with their dog, and everybody had a great time. It was especially joyful for me because my (previously nonverbal) youngest nephew kept saying, "Hi Aunt Nen!" every time he saw me, and the oldest was making pretend youtube videos that were so funny, and I miss hanging out with my sister and talking about nothing/everything.

Naturally, for lunch I had two kinds of chips and some popcorn. It was all delicious and I regret nothing.

However, this evening when I got home at around 8:30, I was ravenous and craving real food, except, as usual, I have nothing in the fridge because I'm always traveling.

Usually in this case I'll grab freezer food or heat up a can of soup, but sometimes I make a stir fry.

This was heavy on the ginger, light on the soy sauce, and in my belly in less than 30 minutes.

Stir fry:

Put a pan on the stove, and turn the heat to medium.
Drizzle in some olive oil. Add a little bit of onion, plus any veggies you have in the freezer or fridge. I had broccoli and carrots and cauliflower rice.

Let that heat up for a minute. Add fresh grated ginger (I keep a peeled root in the freezer and grate it as needed) and some pepper. After a few minutes, create some space in the middle of the pan and crack an egg in it. Put a lid on and let it cook until the egg is done to your liking.

Dump everything in a bowl with a drizzle of sesame oil (which is necessary) and GF soy sauce.

Quick, simple, and delicious.

Quinoa Veggie Salad

When I made this for dinner tonight, I didn't plan on posting the recipe. I didn't think it would be that good. Hubs even remarked about the lack of meat as he served himself a helping. I'm TRYING to keep us healthy and fit. Especially because I basically had vodka and tator tots for dinner last night.
It's all about balance...

I expected this to be mediocre.
It's Tuesday, I'm tired. My feet hurt. I'm not in the mood for shenanigans. I don't want to make an elaborate gourmet dinner.
You know what I really wanted? Chicken nuggets and tator tots warming in the toaster oven while I sat on the couch with my feet up and a glass of wine. But like I said, healthy. And I should probably limit that behavior.

As it turns out, this dish was actually really good.
I didn't want it, but when I started eating I realized this is what my body needed and it was delicious.
It's fine for us as a meatless meal, but in the future I'd make it for a potluck or something.

Made with quinoa, edamame, and black beans, this meatless dish has enough protein to satisfy... I think. The real test is after I eat the leftovers at work tomorrow, throw myself back into the lab gauntlet, and see if I get hungry by 3pm.

Basically though, it's fine for a weeknight dinner.

The idea is to throw a bunch of veggies together in a bowl with quinoa and beans, then toss with lime juice. For the specifics of this dish, read on:

Quinoa Veggie Salad

Start quinoa on the stovetop.

Saute red onion, chopped carrot, frozen shelled edamame, chopped kale, and a can of rinsed black beans. Season with salt, pepper, ground thyme, and garlic powder.

In a bowl, mix slivered almonds, chopped cucumber, and the juice of two limes. Add the sauteed ingredients and the cooked quinoa, still hot. Mix to distribute.

Be surprised at how the flavors jive, and be humbled by the power of fresh lime juice.

Black bean zucchini enchiladas

I've been trying to fix a meatless meal at least once a week, and in general serve more vegetables with our meals. Great strides have been made over the past couple of years, but sometimes the same old vegetable gets boring and needs to be incorporated a different way-- or hidden!

I first heard of shredding carrots into ground meat from a friend who used the trick to fit more vegetables into her son's food and also stretch her meat budget. I thought it was a genius idea, and have used it myself a few times. [Like in these turkey meatballs- made GF by using crushed chex instead of bread crumbs]

As most of my recipes go, this one started with another sad old zucchini sitting in the fridge. I don't know why I always have sad vegetables sitting in the fridge. Wait, yes I do. I just talked about not liking vegetables. Moving on.

Black bean enchiladas were on the menu tonight. Black beans have made an appearance on our meatless menu more than a few times. [tacos, with sweet potatoes] They're just so easy and tasty and filling. It was super easy to add the zucchini to the party. Since zucchini shreds really easily using a cheese grater, minimal extra work is required.

Black Bean Zucchini Enchiladas

In a pan, heat up 1 clove minced garlic in a splash of oil until it's browned.
Stir in:
1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained
1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chiles
1 zucchini, shredded
1/4 block of cream cheese
1/2 t. cumin
salt, to taste (depends how salty the beans and chiles are)

Heat the mixture until the cream cheese melts and it thickens. How thin it starts depends on how well the beans are drained, and how much moisture the zucchini releases.

Once it's ready, spoon the filling into GF corn tortillas. Roll them up and place face down on a cookie sheet or a casserole dish. I line mine with tin foil because easy cleanup rules.

Pour a can of GF enchilada sauce over the top, and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until everything is nice and hot and the cheese is melted.

Serve with greek yogurt/sour cream and of course avocado. I add a couple of chips to scoop up the stuff that falls out of the enchilada.

For the record, hubs complimented me on this meal 3 times.
Makes 8 enchiladas