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Tag: black beans

  • Meatless Mondays…Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

    Meatless Mondays…Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

    Recently I served as a guest speaker and demonstrator at an event called The Veggie Connection. It was an expo for vegetarians and vegans to learn about new products and companies that support their eating habits & beliefs. There were speakers, demonstrations and tons of food vendors. How does a carnivore find herself amongst a sea of herbivores? How did I fit into this non-meat equation? Easily as before I am anything else, I am a chef.  During my talk, I spoke about what I know and that is food and cooking, with or without meat.
    Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
    1 cup uncooked quinoa
    2 cups vegetable stock
    2 cans black beans (drained & rinsed)

    1 1/2 cups cut corn

    1 small red onion diced

    1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I use flat leaf parsley)

    1 tsp kosher salt

    1/2 tsp black pepper

    1/2 tsp chili powder

    1/2 of a fresh lime

    2 1/2 -3 cups shredded colby jack cheese (shred your own)

    10-12 flour tortillas (taco size)

    1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce

    In a fine mesh strainer rinse quinoa with water and allow to drain. Bring vegetable stock to boil then add quinoa. Bring back up to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes then fluff grans with a fork.

    Pre-heat oven to  In a bowl add black beans, corn, diced onions, cilantro, quinoa and spices. Mix through. Taste mixture and adjust seasonings if needed. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Lay 2-3 tortillas to cover bottom of dish, overlapping is fine. Spoon enchilada sauce over the tortillas then layer on black bean mixture. Then top with some shredded cheese. Repeat layering two more times. Tortillas, sauce, black bean mixture and cheese  ending with tortillas. Finish with enchiladas sauce and top with cheese. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until center is heated through and cheese is bubbly. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then cut into squares.
    You can serve with rice and a salad. Or just a salad. Sour cream and guacamole are excellent accompaniments.

    When you make this dish don’t forget to share pictures of it with me in the comments or through social media. I’d love to see your creations.

    Now go forward and make new memories.

    ~ The Chef In Pearls

     

  • A Quickie…..Building a Better Burrito

    A Quickie…..Building a Better Burrito

    How do you build a better burrito? It’s pretty simple… you have to start with fresh Ingredients. That’s what draws us to places like Chipotle. They promise us fresh ingredients. It’s one of the reasons the McDonald’s corporation purchased the sweet Mexican chain. It wanted to be associated with fresh ingredients. Well if a big conglomerate like McDonald’s knows it’s all about the fresh then you should know it too.

    I wish  knew how t make my own flour tortilla because I would have but since I don’t I purchased some from my local supermarket. Everything else was freshly made. I made a pot of lime rice with chopped parsley stirred through. Dried black beans that I soaked over night and then cooked down with chopped onions and spices. Ground beef that I browned with cumin, salt, black pepper, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and fresh garlic. Corn salsa with diced red onions, jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice, kosher salt and black pepper. And of course fresh guacamole made with avocado,diced red onions, lime juice, kosher salt and a dash or two of siracha sauce. I sautéed some bell peppers and onions. We cannot forget the cheese, Sargento’s Mexican blend. And of course a little sour cream makes it extra yummy.

    This is just one idea for a burrito but the options are endless. You could go pork or chicken, grilled veggies, multiple kinds of beans, potatoes just whatever your heart desires but remember to keep it fresh. Now get in that kitchen and go make memories.