15 Bean Enchiladas

Original Recipe HERE

Don't let the thought of buying or preparing 15 separate varieties of beans scare you.  These 15 come all together in one handy-dandy bag.  This is an easy-to-prepare meal that's also easy-to-assemble.  Better than that, everyone in my family really, really liked it.  Even *J*, who is going through a picky, I-don't-need-to-eat-dinner phase, asked for seconds.

I used the recommended "15 Bean Soup, Cajun Style" from Hurst (which was conveniently recommended because the company sponsored the creation of the original recipe; I assume any other bean mixture would work as well).  I didn't soak the beans ahead of time, so I had to give them 90 minutes to boil that afternoon - which was fine because they were low maintenace.  I did use the provided seasoning packet and am glad I did.  I made the entire bag, which left me with plenty of leftover beans.  Not sure what to do with them; will probably toss them with some feta and salad dressing or something equally uninspired and lazy.

The only change I made was to use eight 10" tortillas which required using two casserole dishes to fit everything.  Next time I'll skip the packet of taco seasoning and just give some generous shakes of cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, etc.  I might throw in some cream cheese to change the consistency and mellow out the spiciness a bit (though no one complained about the flavor).

Ingredients

* For sauce:

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon taco seasoning

* For enchiladas:

3 to 4 cups cooked beans [15 Bean Soup, Cajun Style by Hurst]

1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes, well drained

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
8 10" or 12 8" tortillas
1 to 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Directions

(1) Cook the beans.  Drain.
(2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9×13" glass baking pan.
(3) Prepare sauce by whisking taco seasoning into tomato sauce.
(4) In a medium bowl, combine cooked beans, diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and taco seasoning.
(5) Spoon bean mixture into tortillas. Roll; lay seam side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat for all tortillas.
(6) Pour tomato sauce on top of enchiladas, being sure to cover edges of tortillas. Sprinkle Mexican blend cheese over the top.
(7) Cover with foil.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove foil; bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese has melted.  Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk sauce and seasoning
* Stir bean mixture together
* Scoop bean mixture into tortillas
* Spread sauce on enchiladas
* Sprinkle cheese on enchiladas

Couscous & Feta-stuffed Peppers

Original Recipe HERE

I was nervous about this dish because I don't always like cooked peppers.  Roasted, yes.  But so often they're served as part of something else and are mushy, limp, and almost bitter.  I'm pleased to announce that this dish has assuaged my fear and will be made again.  I assume the trick is to use sweeter peppers instead of green.

*J* ate the filling but didn't like the pepper shell, which was not a surprise.  What did shock me was how much *N* loved the entire thing, even asking for seconds.  I was so excited that she was eating peppers for once, instead of fastidiously picking them out of her meal, that I even let her use a "grown up knife" (under eagle-eyed supervision) to cut the pepper into bite-size pieces.

Ingredients
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup couscous
4 extra-large or 5 large bell peppers [red, yellow, or orange]
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 zucchini or yellow squash [or a combination of both] peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced across thinly
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half [or one large tomato, diced with seeds removed]
15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.
(2) Bring the broth to a boil in a small pot.  Add the couscous; cover and remove from the heat.
(3) Cut stems and top half inch off peppers.  Scoop out seeds and membranes.
(4) Place peppers upright in the baking dish.  Roast for 15 minutes or until they soften.  Remove from the oven.
(5) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, squash, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
(6) Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste. Scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in crumbled feta.
(7) Fill peppers with the couscous mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
 
Notes: Only change I would make is to make the tomato flavor more pronounced (via pasta sauce or more tomato paste) to fit my personal preference.
 

Kid Participation: None.