red + green enchiladas

I have a thing for Mexican food.  I went to college 3 hours away from home, which also meant 3 hours away from my wonderful boyfriend, who just happens to now be my husband.  The weekends I came home to visit, it was a tradition to go out to El Maguey for some delicious Mexican food.  Anytime I hear Mariachi music, I crave El Maguey, pregnant or not.

I really don’t make a lot of Mexican food at home.  But when I do, I tend to go for enchiladas.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, enchilada sauce makes everything better.  I honestly could drink it straight from the can (don’t worry, I know I eat pickles with ketchup, but I’ll restrain from doing that).  Plus, enchiladas are super easy to make – prep the filling, wrap in a tortilla, top with sauce + cheese, stick in the oven, and tada.  You have a delicious Mexican meal!

RED + GREEN ENCHILADAS
Makes 4 enchiladas.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound asparagus, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained + rinsed
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 can red enchilada sauce
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (don’t use light cheese, it doesn’t melt)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Once the olive oil is hot, add all the veggies, beans, taco seasoning, and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Meanwhile, place tortillas between paper towels and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Once the veggies are cooked, scoop 1/4 of the mixture into a tortilla, roll, and place seam-side down in a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Repeat with the rest of the veggies and tortillas.  If there is any veggie filling leftover, spread out on top of the tortillas.  Top with enchilada sauce and cheese.

Place dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

I enjoyed this for lunch today, and it was just as delicious as leftovers!  I also got a ton of compliments on how good it smelled.  I did add a little bit more cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and it was super spicy.  But yummy none the less.

This would be great with any other vegetables in it also – I planned on putting sweet potatoes in them, but I decided not to at the last minute.  I don’t have any other combos in mind, but if you think of one let me know – I always need more ideas for meals!