And we’re back…at least for today. I’m trying to get back into the whole blog writing thing again. It’s hard after all that has gone on over the past few months. But the whole reason Deena and I started this blog was to research and share things we learn about health and fitness and disease and what we can do in our everyday lives, little by little, to make a change. I know I personally want to continue to make changes in honor of Owen and I know Deena does too. So we’re back, and hopefully better than before. But we can’t do it alone, so we hope you’ll continue to read and give us advice and suggestions to make our health and our world better.
Now on to Meat-Free Monday. Just as a reminder, we have vowed to go meat-free at least once a week (join us if you haven’t already!). I’ve actually eliminated meat a lot more than once a week lately so I have a backlog of recipes to share with you. Of course some things I eat are my old, tried and true favorites such as falafels, quinoa patties and black-eyed peas salad, just to name a few. But I have tried many new recipes as well, like today’s Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas.
Any recipe that starts with roasting a whole pan’s worth of vegetables has got to be good for you.
And…it tasted good too! It reminded me of the Hot Corn Dip recipe we reviewed in the past, only it wasn’t a dip you eat with chips, but a meal you could eat with a fork. Even better!
Check out those chunks of sweet potatoes in there. That gave it a nice, sweet flavor that really made the dish, I thought.
Be sure to add this one to your rotation!
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks – I omitted this
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen – I used frozen fire roasted corn from Trader Joe’s.
3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut – I used olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro – I added the cilantro to my salsa
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo – I made my own with diced tomatoes, cilantro and lime
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved (try making homemade tortillas!)
2 cups shredded cheese – I used a Mexican blend
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions for garnish, if desired
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, and mix everything together to coat. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
Serves 4-5
Thank you to Perry’s Plate for this recipe!