Black Bean and Quinoa Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

If you've never had enchiladas before, they are remind me of a Mexican lasagne.  This is a vegetarian version, but could be "beefed" up with the addition of shredded roast chicken.

Enchiladas are great party food because you can divide the responsibilities between each person.  It is great date night food because it is low stress (I am writing this blog post while I am cooking it).  And it is great make ahead food because the quinoa and salsa verde (tomatillo sauce) can all be made ahead of time so that all you have to do is reheat, assemble, and broil when you are ready to eat.

If you have never had tomatillos before, you will really enjoy their bright tang and freshness.  The avocado sour cream and fresh tomatoes are optional but really complete the dish.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed well
1 cup V8 juice
1 cup water

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, about 15
1 serrano chile, cut in half and deseeded (or leave the seeds in if you want it spicy)
1/2 red onion, quartered

1/2 cup water
1 tsp honey
pinch of salt
one garlic clove
squeeze of lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro

15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
12 small corn tortilla shells
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided

1/2 very ripe avocado
1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup fresh, diced tomatoes
fresh cilantro, to garnish

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the V8 juice, water, and a pinch of salt to a boil.  Add the quinoa, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Set aside.

2. Remove the husks from the tomatillos.  Rinse and dry.  Place the tomatillos, serrano, and onion into an oiled baking dish. Broil on high heat for about 15 - 20 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking.  They will be brown and soft when done.

3. In a food processor, combine the cooked tomatillos, serrano, onion and juices with the water, honey, salt, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro.  Process until everything is combined.

4. Combine the quinoa with the black beans (and chicken if using).

5. Cover the tortillas with a damp kitchen towel and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.  Fill each tortilla with the quinoa mixture and a tablespoon of the cheese, and place seam-side down in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.  * Place the tortillas in the baking dish and fill there.  Then, just turn them over.  If they break, it is because they are too cold.  Broil for 3 - 4 minutes.

6. Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.  Broil for about 2 - 4 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

7. Blend the avocado and sour cream together in the food processor and serve on top of the enchiladas.  Top with the fresh tomatoes and cilantro, if desired.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Tomatillos are sold in most grocery stores.  I found them in two of the three grocery stores I visited.

2. Corn tortillas are sold fresh, so they will be in the refrigerated section, usually in the deli.  They are preferable because they add to the authentic flavour and don't get soggy as quickly as flour tortillas.  Use flour tortillas if you have to, though.

3. Serrano chiles look like large jalapeños.  They are green and milder than jalapeños, so even though you are using a whole one here, the dish will not be spicy unless you include the seeds.

Even if some of these ingredients are new to you, this dish is easy to throw together and the bright, fresh flavours are well worth the adventure.

Savoury Autumn Pita Pockets

Scott asked for something that was vegetarian and could be eaten in a pita pocket.  Why?  Because it would be easy to heat up and assemble on a weeknight.  Sounds reasonable...

There are so many variations to this dish, the possibilities are endless.  You could eat it without the pita pocket as a warm potato salad (very yummy), you could add white beans, you could add strips of sirloin steak, you could even leave out the squash and potatoes and eat the zucchini and chard as a side to any meaty or eggy dish.  If you don't have swiss chard, you could use kale, spinach, or beet greens.  If you can't find delicata squash (they really are great), you could use butternut instead.

You can use any kind of pita pockets you want for this, but I used Happy Camel spinach and herb pitas that I got at the farmer's market.  I will admit, this makes a huge batch.  For some reason, I got the most ginormous bunch of swiss chard for $3.  It was so large, that I used mostly the stalks and only some of the leaves.  However, if you get a reasonably sized bunch (no more than 10 stalks), you might want to just make a half a batch.

This recipe makes about 8 large pita pockets.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 pound baby potatoes, chopped into cubes
2 - 3 small delicata squash (or butternut), seeded and chopped into cubes (skin on)

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 onion, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped into cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 bunch swiss chard (see note above), chopped finely
2 tsp honey (or agave syrup for a vegan option)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Toss cubed potatoes with 1 Tbsp oil.  Spread into even layer on parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Do the same thing for the squash.

3. Bake the potatoes and squash in the oven for about 18-20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.  They should be tender and lightly browned when they are done.

4. In the meantime, in a large skillet, sauté the oil, red pepper flakes, and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and zucchini and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.

6. Add the chard stems and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

7. Add the shredded chard leaves and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.

8. Add the honey and vinegar and reduce, about 1 - 2 minutes.

9. Remove from the heat and toss with the potatoes and squash. You can top with fresh basil, if you want.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Delicata squash look kind of like small footballs.  They are a light yellow/orange colour with green stripes.  Sometimes they are in the organic section.  Like I stated above, if you can't find them, you can use butternut squash.

2. Swiss chard is sometimes called rainbow chard or just chard.  It might have red, yellow, or white stalks.  It all tastes the same.  As stated above, you can always use kale, spinach, or beet greens instead.

3. If you can't find Italian seasoning, although it is pretty common in the spice section, use a combination of dried oregano/thyme/basil.

Crunchy Baked Strawberry and Rhubarb Oatmeal

This recipe is adapted from one in Vegetarian Everyday by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl.  I call for this to be prepared the night before, in fact, the first time I made it, I took it to a breakfast potluck at work.  But, in a real pinch, it can be made the morning of.  It definitely benefits from sitting, though.  It can also easily be made vegan if you substitute almond milk and a flax or chia egg*.  If you use gluten-free oats, it is also a filling gluten-free breakfast.  One more option: If you pair it with ice cream, you can eat it for dessert!

Serves 4 - 6.

Ingredients:

2 stalks rhubarb, sliced
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
21/4 cups milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, depending on your preference
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup flaked coconut, pieces as large as you can find (I use dehydrated flakes)

Directions:

The night before you want to eat this...

1. Place the almonds and hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 - 7 minutes. Chop to large chunks.

2. Place the sliced rhubarb and strawberries in a large round baking dish.

3. In a bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.  Spread on top of the fruit.

4. In the same, now empty bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Pour on top of the oats, making sure everything is soaked.  Cover and refrigerate.

5. In the morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Combine the coconut oil, nuts, and maple syrup.  Spread on top of the oats.

7. Bake oatmeal for 40 - 50 minutes.  Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with yogurt, if you wish.  Enjoy!

*Vegan Egg:

For an egg alternative with no sacrificing in taste, combine 2 Tbsp chia seeds or ground flax seeds with 1/3 cup of water.  Let sit for 15 minutes.  This will replace the two eggs in the recipe.

Warm Halloumi Salad

Several years ago when we lived in England, Scott discovered donair kebabs (pronounced donner  kebahbs, for some reason).  These are not kebabs as we Canadians know them, but are actually donairs.  At the time, I was a fish-eating vegetarian (otherwise know as a pescetarian) and couldn't eat the meat donairs that he was eating; however, there was one little Lebanese shop down the street from us that served vegetarian halloumi donair kebabs.  I had never heard of halloumi before, but it is a wonderfully mild cheese that you can grill because it doesn't melt.  Depending on the kind you buy, it can be a bit salty and might need to be rinsed, but otherwise it is a great addition to many savoury meals.  This recipe is a healthy way to incorporate halloumi into a warm salad that makes a very filling meal.

Serves two as a main or four as a side.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole grains (spelt, wheat berries, farro)
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, or more or less to taste
1 large or 2 small leeks, cleaned and sliced into half moons
1 tbsp ready-to-eat sun-dried tomatoes (or packed in oil)
6 kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 clamshell of baby spinach, chard, kale
juice of half of one lemon
1 tsp honey
4 1/4 inch slices of halloumi
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp fresh basil
pepper

Directions:

1. Cook whole grains ahead of time.  Most will need to be soaked overnight.  I used spelt for this recipe.  Because I forgot to soak it, I poured boiling water over it and let it sit for two hours, did the same thing again, and then cooked it for about 25 minutes.  However, it can take up to 60 minutes of cooking time.  For that reason, it is always easier to cook whole grains ahead of time and then throw them into boiling water for 30 seconds when you need them.  You can even freeze them and then throw them in the pot, frozen, when you need them.

2. In a dry medium pan, toast pine nuts.  Keep an eye on them.  You want them to be brown, but they burn quickly.  Set aside to cool.

3. In the same pan, sauté oil, red pepper flakes, and leeks until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, olives, garlic, and basil.  Slice the halloumi and rinse, if needed.

5. When the leeks are tender, add the garlic and baby spinach.  Continue cooking until the spinach has wilted.  Add in the lemon juice, honey, and a bit more oil, if needed.  Add pepper but do not add salt as the olives and haloumi are both salty.

6. Add the cooked spelt to the leeks and spinach.  Toss to coat with the dressing in the pan.  Add in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.

7. Heat a small pan.  Brush both sides of the halloumi with oil and sprinkle each piece with the Italian seasoning.  Grill the cheese in the hot pan on both sides until it is brown.  Place on top of the salad and top with fresh basil.  Enjoy!

This salad is great warm, cold, or room temperature although the cheese is best served hot.

Shopping Tips:

1. Halloumi is not sold in all grocery stores.  It is sold at Superstore as "halloom".  This is what I buy as it is not as salty as the haloumi that I have bought from specialty stores in the past.  They also sell a herbed version if you do not have Italian seasoning.

2. I buy the plastic clamshells of mixed baby spinach, chard, and kale, but if you can only get spinach, that's perfectly fine.

3. Whole grains are becoming more available, but I make a special trip to the organic store to buy them in bulk.  I then store them in 1L canning jars.  If you are going to use them quickly, you can store them in the pantry, otherwise, you can keep them in the freezer to keep them from going rancid. The same goes for nuts.