Bean Sauce Enchiladas "Enfrijoladas"

Awesome Sauce of Leftover Beans

If you follow me, last week on stories I purged my pantry. It was a dreaded job but it needed doing. Pushed to the back of my pantry was a huge bag of New Mexico chilis that needed help and fast. First came the enchilada sauce that cloaked some butternut and black bean enchiladas [see last week's Instagram post]. Next came this dish, which is called Enfrijoladas. 

Enfrijoladas are Mexico's answer to making leftovers bougie. They're enchiladas enrobed in a creamy bean sauce and stuffed with whatever you like, although minced onion is typical. Frankly, the concept is an ingenious step toward zero waste! The whole idea is to use up stale corn tortillas and yesterday's beans. To make, all you need is a little minced onion, some cooked beans, garlic, some water or stock and in my case some leftover enchilada sauce. It's whirled in the blender to make a sauce, heated a bit on the stove and then enchiladas are born and made. 

My Version

Last night's version were stuffed with jack cheese, mushrooms and minced onion. I absolutely loved the combination and will add more mushrooms next time. Frankly, the mushrooms were an afterthought. I had a handful sitting around in the fridge. Once baked, they were topped with some shredded lettuce and a drizzle of ranch dressing. I highly recommend the shredded lettuce. It added texture and interest to each bite. A vegan effect can easily be done by using water to loosen the the sauce and by layering vegan cheese or omitting it in the filling. The options are endless.

RECIPE NOTES:

• Cooked black beans are traditional used but I used pintos. 
• If not using canned beans, you'll want approximately 1 3/4 cups cooked beans.
• Corn tortillas are traditionally used. Feel free to substitute.
• Mexican oregano is not the same as oregano. It's actually a thyme variety and a unique flavor. Avoid substituting. 
• To make it spicy, add 1 chipotle in adobo to the sauce. I had some medium spiced enchilada sauce so I used that.
• If using enchilada sauce, I recommend Frontera red enchilada sauce. It's the best in class.
• If you have a sensitive stomach consider cooking the onion and garlic before adding to the sauce. Some add it uncooked, which will give you a very authentic flavor. Others saute first.
• Some filling ideas: butternut squash and mushroom, leftover chicken, chorizo and kale 
• Don't skip the shredded lettuce as garnish. It adds great texture!

RECIPE:

Serves 2
For 1: 245 cals/8.1g total fat/4.5g sat fat/42g carbs/14g protein/23g fiber

14 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained well
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Kosher salt [I use Diamond Kosher]
1 small onion, minced finely and divided

Handful mushrooms.
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano 

2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
6 slices Sargento thinly sliced Colby Jack Cheese
1/2 cup no-sodium added chicken stock [I used Herb Ox No Sodium Chicken granules dissolved in water]
4 low-carb flour tortillas [I use Mission Carb Balance]

1/2 cup shredded lettuce, garnish

Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 F. 

1. In a blender add the beans, garlic, a couple tablespoons of the raw onion, salt and oregano. You'll want to loosen the mixture with stock. Add a little bit stock at a time. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick soup. 
2. In a microwave safe bowl add the rest of the onion and mushrooms to it. Spray with olive oil cooking spray, toss to combine oil with the vegetables and microwave until softened, about 2 minutes. The goal is to take the raw flavor of the onion off. 
3. In a sauce pan preheated on medium-low add the olive oil. The pan is ready when the oil runs loosely in the pan. Add the sauce from the blender and allow it to slowly simmer for approx. 3 minutes.  
4. Soften the tortillas: put them on a microwave safe plate, cover with a damp cloth and microwave for approximately 20 seconds. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Then add some of the bean mixture to the bottom of pan to avoid sticking. Then put the sauce on a plate and place one tortilla in it. Add 1 1/2 slices of cheese, a quarter of the onion/mushroom to 1/2 of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over the filling and place in the dish. Repeat with the rest. Cover, bake for 15 minutes or until everything is heated through. Garnish with shredded lettuce and toppings of choice.