Happy Meatless Monday!
I’m excited for our first Meatless Monday post for the new year! It combines my love of Mexican food & my quest to eat healthier during the week.
Which sidebar- I really want you all to know that most of my lunches during the week are meatless.
I’ll eat chicken or steak, but I eat meat mostly at dinner time. I just wanted to reiterate that I actually make all of these meatless meals & eat them throughout the week.
That being said- this was one of my favorite veggie filled meals to make. It was absolutely delicious and flavorful. The homemade enchilada sauce combined with cheese covered veggies makes a hearty, filling meal.
I found this recipe on Pinterest from Cookie & Kate. Her website celebrates healthy eating & using fresh ingredients to make delicious meals.
I really enjoyed this recipe & just made a few changes based on what I had in my refrigerator at the time. This recipe is not quick so make sure you give yourself enough time. I made this on a Sunday & had enough leftovers for a few lunches that week. Serve with rice for an even more filling meal!
- 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce (see notes for recipe)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 5 cups baby spinach
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack & Cheddar Cheese mix
- ½ tsp salt
- Pepper, to taste
- 8 whole wheat tortillas
- Chopped cilantro, for garnishing
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9 pan with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until simmering. Add the onions & a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are tender, about 5-7 minutes (stir often).
- Add the cauliflower, bell pepper. Stir a few times then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover the skillet & cook for about 8-9 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the cauliflower starts to turn a golden color.
- Add the cumin and cinnamon & cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the spinach (a few handfuls at a time) and stir until it has all wilted.
- Pour everything into a mixing bowl. Then add the black beans, ¼ cup cheese and 2 tbsp of the enchilada sauce. Season with ½ tsp of salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble the enchiladas: Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan & spread it around until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. Spread ½ cup of the mixture down the middle of a tortilla, then snuggly wrap the left side over the right. Place the enchilada seam down into the pan.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas & filling.
- Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas, leaving the tips of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, in the middle of the oven for 20 min (or until the cheese is golden & bubbly on top).
- Remove from the oven & let enchiladas rest for 10 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the enchiladas.
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
Pepper, to taste
Add all the dry ingredients (flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt & cinnamon) in a mixing bowl. In a medium sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Pour in dry ingredients mixture once hot & whisk constantly. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in tomatoe paste & then slowly pour in the broth. Continue to whisk. Raise heat & bring to boil, then reduce heat to low to simmer the sauce. Cook for 5-7 minutes, whisking often. The sauce should thicken. Remove from heat, whisk in vinegar & season with pepper. Add more salt if necessary.
