Bean and Quinoa Enchiladas

There are a number of things I could have titled this post. The most appropriate one being "The week my computer decided it was just as tired as I am and quit working." Or perhaps "That time I walked out of the mall crying, with my mascara running all over my face while I had a wedding meltdown."

Both would be true, but neither very fun to talk about. Thank goodness I had a batch of these in the freezer to save me from having to make dinner last night because I just didn't have it in me.

The requests and e-mails just keep rolling in asking for more easy dinner ideas that can be prepared quickly or made ahead of time and frozen. To those of you wanting more dinner recipes, I have great news because these enchiladas fit the bill. 

I'll be the first to admit that I've been known to stock a freezer that contains its fair share of Trader Joe's frozen bean and cheese burritos. They're easy to pop in the microwave and relatively healthy, plus Joey ate one for dinner the other night and didn't even miss the meat. Major win-win.

My one complaint, however, is that they aren't made with whole wheat tortillas, which is typically a deal-breaker for me. That and the fact that they are more expensive to buy than make at home.

So when I sat out to make some of my own, I knew I wanted them to be healthier and heartier. Mission accomplished. Inside the whole wheat tortillas is a combination of fat-free refried beans, shredded cheese and, here's my favorite addition, cooked quinoa in place of rice. Not that I have anything against rice, it's just that I had quinoa on hand and it's absolutely packed with high-quality protein not normally found in other foods.

Plus, when wrapped up with beans and cheese, picky eaters will never notice it's not rice. That goes for future husbands, too. :)

Bean and Quinoa Enchiladas
Ingredients
*1 cup uncooked quinoa 
*4 whole wheat tortillas
*3/4 to 1 cup fat-free refried beans (vegetarian if you follow a veg diet) 
*1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
*1/4 to 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
*Additional shredded cheese

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. 
*Bring 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the quinoa to the saucepan. Reduce heat to low (simmer) and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from heat and toss lightly with butter.
*In the center of each tortilla, spread some of the refried beans and Mexican cheese blend. Spoon some of the quinoa into the center, atop the cheese (you will have leftover quinoa).
*Fold in the shorter ends of each tortilla first, then roll lengthwise to form tortilla 'pockets'. Place in a large baking dish. Top with the enchilada sauce and some additional shredded cheese.
*Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mixture on top is bubbly and cheese is melted.
*Make Ahead Tip: You can make these ahead of time. Just fill the tortillas as directed and place each tortilla in a zip-top bag. When you are ready to eat, top with the enchilada sauce and cheese and bake at 375°F until heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Breakfast Enchiladas

Oh goodness gracious, what a weekend!  A weekend that was about ten steps away from what I had planned. For more details on that and a little lesson in getting up and brushing yourself off visit the Kitchen Confidential tab above, where I'll be blogging food musings every now and again of the off-the-record variety.

Aside from the things that can't be counted on, like when you stack cake on top of cake on top of cake, there are a few things that can be counted on. Good food tops that list, and boy did J. and I eat well all weekend.

We stuffed ourselves full at Pita Pit on Saturday afternoon, followed by a late dinner that night at Azalea where I ate the most delicious portobello mushroom fries. There was also lunch at Macaroni Grill and lazy Sunday morning breakfast that consisted of these Breakfast Enchiladas with a few too many cups of dark roast Starbucks coffee.

Most of the time my cooking inspiration comes from magazines, blogs, and cookbooks. But the enchiladas were all J.'s idea. When asked what he wanted for breakfast, he said breakfast burritos with eggs and salsa, which I turned into enchiladas with sharp cheddar cheese and avocados. Couples collaboration at its best. Simple, quick, delicious.

Breakfast Enchiladas
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*8 large eggs
*1/3 cup milk
*1/2 tsp. taco seasoning
*1/8 tsp. black pepper
*4 large flour tortillas 
*6 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
*3/4 cup jarred salsa
*2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 12x12-inch casserole dish. Set aside. 
*In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, taco seasoning and black pepper. Pour into a nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until eggs are soft-scrambled. Remove from heat.
*Place 1/4 cup of the shredded white cheddar cheese in the center of each of the four tortillas. Evenly divide egg mixture among the four tortillas, placing the eggs atop the cheese. Roll up each tortilla, folding in the sides to prevent the mixture from spilling out, and arrange in the greased baking dish.
*Top enchiladas with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and the salsa. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn oven to broil and continue to cook for 5 minutes more.
*Remove enchiladas from the oven and top with chopped avocados just before serving.

Happy Cooking!

Madison