Carbs Are Not The Enemy! And an Enchilada Recipe...

Hiya!
I had hoped to post this earlier in the day but unfortch time got away from me, so here I am with a dinner recipe, kinda late in the day. Maybe you can make it another time this week if it sounds yummy to you- Veggie Enchiladas Melissa Style. I don't know what it is, but now that it's snowed, and gotten colder, I dream of hot, savoury comfort food that has a modicum of health. And that reminds me of hot sunny places, like Mexico. So the recipe itself probably isn't very authentically Mexican, but whatever, they taste good to us!

Thing are good around here. I spent some quality time at the Cottage on Friday afternoon doing some groceries, among four billion other errands the last few days. I had a nice compliment (I think) at the grocery store though. My cart was LOADED with stuph, as we were down to the bare minimum food wise. So I wheel up to the checkout with all kinds of goodies, and when it was all said and done, the checkout lady said: "Wow, I think this is probably the healthiest order I've ever put through!" And no, I did not elect to tell her about the burger the size of my head, on a glorious fluffy white bun, that awaited me on Saturday night, ahem.

It was interesting because after she said that she went on to lament that her own diet felt like it was lacking because "all I eat is carbs". I've said it before: I am NO dietician. But I responded that as she could see, the majority of what I eat is carbs too. Maybe a different kind...I'm not mowing down on chips and milk chocolate (or burgers) every day for sure, though I do have what the Bean refers to as A Salt Tooth, A Sweet Tooth, A Grease Tooth, and all kinds of other teeth- I'm a regular person. But the point is: Carbs are not the Enemy! Don't believe the hype! Potatoes and bananas are our friends! You need them to be strong and healthy and happy. Your brain won't work properly if you don't get carbs, and your muscles need them for energy. Low Carb Diets, like Atkins are for suckas. It really is, and don't let anyone tell you different. (Of course, if your doc indicates that you should have some kind of specific diet then that's another thing...I'm directing this to the rest of us who just want to be fit/healthy.) The key is moderation, of course. Don't eat white potatoes twice a day every day, that's ridiculous. But enjoy all kinds of healthy carbs- veggies, fruit, legumes, brown rice, quinoa, whole grains, that kind of thing.

I think the reason I felt like I had received a compliment is because I am that dorky person who is totally mortified if I 'need' to buy anything unhealthy, I worry that someone I know might see me at the store, peer into my cart with a look of disdain on their face. I'm no health food martyr, believe me, but most of the time we eat pretty well. I guess I'm a grocery snob...I feel like I have to explain myself to the checkout lady if I have to buy a frozen lasagna once in a blue moon (those are gross btw) for my husband if I'm going out of town or something...

So how did you guys make out the last week? Am I the only one who feels the need to go incognito when buying junk at the grocery store?

So speaking of carbs, veggies, and legumes, let's get down to bidness a'ight? Like I said, I realize this probably isn't a particularly authentic recipe, but it works at my house, and is pretty healthy I think. Here goes:

Ingredients:
-6 Large Tortillas ( I prefer Ezekiel Wraps bc they are hearty, nutritious, and stand up well in the sauce, but you can use whatever you like)
- 1 TBS Olive Oil or Coconut Oil for sauteeing
-1 can EACH of black beans & kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-1 large onion, diced
-1-2 TBS minced garlic
-1 tsp ground cumin, 1 TBS chili powder
-Veggie Stock or Water
-Salt & pepper to taste
-1 small zuchini, diced small
-1/2 sweet red pepper, diced small
-Baby Spinach, washed
-Chopped Black or Green Olives & Sliced pickled Jalapenos (both optional)
-1-2 cups grated cheese of your choice (cheddar, mozza, jack all work well, quantity is up to you based on your Cheese Tooth)
-1 can of prepared Enchilada Sauce, mild or hot.

Directions:
-In a large saucepan or frying pan, heat the oil over medium/high heat. When ready, add onions & garlic, sautee until translucent. Add cumin & chili powder and give a stir to release the flavour. When it smells nice and fragrant (should just be a few seconds), add the beans. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash the beans up- but not to a pulp, you want some texture. Add a bit of water or stock (about 3/4 of a cup) to make it saucy, and reduce the heat to medium. Keep stirring the mixture until the bean mixture reduces down into more of a pasty consistency as opposed to soupey. Remove from heat and set aside.
-Lightly oil a rectangular casserole dish (like a lasagna pan) and preheat oven to 375.
-Take 1 wrap and spread about 1/4 cup of spinach in bottom. Top with 1/4 cup (or more) of bean mixture. Sprinkle with diced zuke & red pepper (portion it out so you hae enough for all 6 wraps). Then, fold edges of the wrap over, like a tube with the beans & veggies inside. Lay seam side down in the dish, and repeat with all other wraps, beans & veggies.
-The enchiladas should be lined up side by side in the dish, touching one another, nice and snug. Pour the enchilada sauce over everything to coat it, spread it around with a spatula if need be.
-Top with grated cheese, olives & jalapenos if using. Cover with foil and bake for 1/2 hr, till hot and fragrant. Then remove the foil and broil for a bit to get the cheese all golden & bubbly.
-You might want to let it sit for just a little while, then dig in. This is yummy served with chopped cilantro, sour cream and salsa.

At mi casa if anyone tries to get between me and the crunchy corner bits where the cheese melts over into the dish, they're liable to lose a finger. Not even kidding.

Let me know what you think!

Ok, I gotta run for now. I truly hope to post some more in the next week but things are a bit crazy right now so I'll have to play it by ear. I have a wicked recipe for homemade protein bars that will knock your socks off, so if I can I will do my best to put it up!

Hope everyone is well, stay safe on those icy roads out there, yikes...
xoMelissa