Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

I have gotten numerous requests to post healthy, nutritious and preferably vegetarian dishes for weeknight dining.  These enchiladas are my response. I grew up eating very American and Eastern European food so let's just say the extent of my background in Mexican cuisine was limited to guacamole and salsa. But as I get older I find myself becoming more and more of an adventurous foodie willing to try all sorts of new things. I mean, I'm not exactly Andrew Zimmern (google him, he's awesome!) but for me, it's a start. Not that these enchiladas are funky in any way, they are just not something I would have ever been drawn to 10 years ago and I regret that. Because they are so so so good. And healthy. And filling. And pretty easy to whip up on a weeknight. Hallelujah! 

The filling is brown rice, black beans, veggies and cheese, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and topped with homemade enchilada sauce (you can use store bought in a pinch) and topped with more cheese. It's like a Mexican cannaloni and you're gone LOVE it. Serve them hot topped with some sour cream and you got yourself a taste of Mexican food heaven. Feliz Comiendo!

For the sauce:

1/4 cup canola oil

2 Tbl flour

3 Tbl chili powder (you can use mild or spicy depending on your preference)

1  cup tomato sauce or puree

1 cup of water

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp granulated garlic powder

salt to taste

Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the flour and chili powder mixing constantly over medium heat for two minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, water and seasonings and continue stirring for about 10 minutes until thickened.

For the Enchiladas:

10 whole wheat tortillas

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (one cup uncooked brown rice will yield approximately this amount)

1 can black beans

1/2 cup prepared salsa (mild or hot depending on your preference)

1 large zucchini, shredded

1 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups Monterey jack cheese  

(or you can use any Mexican cheese blend. Alternatively if you cannot find Monterey Jack cheese you can substitute Mozzarella)

1/2 cup enchilada sauce (recipe above)

Preheat your oven to 350. In a bowl mix together the rice, beans, salsa, zucchini, one cup of each of the cheeses and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Place  some filling down one side of each tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled tortillas in a 9x13 pan ( I was able to squish 10 in one pan), top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake covered for half an hour, then uncover and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted nicely.