Thursday, April 3, 2008

Enchilada Casserole

At the beginning of the year, I vowed to eat beans everyday. I was doing well but unfortunately, beans became a weekly thing instead of a daily thing. We all know that beans are an important part of the diet, especially for vegans and vegetarians, so I am trying my best to makes beans an everyday thing again. I had a hankering for a Mexican themed dish so I came up with this enchilada inspired casserole. I fried up small pieces of tofu in a little canola oil until they were very crisp and brown. In a separate pan I sautéed red onion, red bell pepper, corn and black beans with salt, cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, chili powder and a little store bought enchilada sauce. I add the tofu to the bean mixture and combined. In a casserole pan, I coated the bottom with a touch of canola oil (to prevent sticking) and put a layer of corn tortillas, then the tofu bean filling, then another layer of corn tortillas and finally I drenched the whole thing with enchilada sauce. I baked the casserole at 375 for about 15 minutes. It didn't "hold up" like I would have liked but it was so good! Once plated, I added chopped Roma tomatoes, green onions and a little tofu sour kream.
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13 comments:

Leigh said...

I love enchilada casseroles! Yours looks colorful and yummy.

Anonymous said...

Beans are definitely something I should be eating more often! I only eat them when I open a can and have to finish it, but I should start eating them more often as you suggested. =)That enchilada casserole looks AMAZING.

Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...

I too am trying to eat more beans everyday. They're healthy. They're important. They're cheap. They're earth friendly. Wait! I don't need to tell you this. Bah. We're all bad vegans 'eh?

I told Scott I wanted a 101 ways to eat beans cookbook and he told me I'm so infomercial gimcky. Bah!

p.s. I really am diggin on this enchilada casserole.. and I think it fits squarely into our detox too! hmm... do I have all the ingredients? hope so!

Jenny Wren said...

I've never made an enchilada casserole. Your's sounds very tasty!

Judy said...

Mmmm, this looks so good, and colourful.

J said...

I bet you couldn't guess that I adore beans. ;-)

This looks fantastic! I heart Mexican sooooo much.

aTxVegn said...

It's beautiful and sounds delicious! I can't eat tofu so I do eat beans every day. I usually make a big pot of homemade pintos or black beans every weekend so they last all week.

Liz Ranger (Bubble Tea for Dinner) said...

hee, it's a good thing enchilada casseroles don't need to 'hold up', they just need to be big delicious mess! Eating more beans can be tricky, but I've found it gets a lot easier. (although sometimes I have to consciously put the tofu back on the grocery shelf!)

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Delicious! Enchilada casserole used to be one of my staples. It sounds like I need to make it again.

Anonymous said...

Here's the way I find makes eating beans regularly very easy: Soak one to three cups of black, pinto, kidney beans etc. (or a mixture) overnight. Put them in a crockpot with water, a chopped onion, a few garlic cloves, and a dried chipotle pepper if you have it. Cook on high for 8 hours or so. Remove the pepper and add salt to taste. You can also add cumin and other spices if you like. Mash the beans with a potato masher if you like the refried texture; if you do, you may want to drain off some of the liquid first. The result is quite good as a thick soup or eaten with rice, guacamole, roasted corn, salsa, chopped scallions or onion, etc. in a tortilla or on a plate. (I always keep a supply of corn tortillas in my freezer for quick heating in the oven; fresh tortillas are available dirt cheap around here -- $0.99 for fifty-- in the hispanic groceries or the Farmers Market on Buford Highway!) This dish is fine as leftovers and also freezes very well. Note that it contains no oil or other added fat.

Sam said...

Enchiladas are one of Rob's favorite dishes. Yours look so pretty! I love the colors of Mexican cuisine.

laura k said...

Oh man, I love enchiladas.

Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...

okay. this is def. going on the menu next week! this is the THIRD time today I've come to look at it!