Zucchini Enchiladas

December 10, 2018 Laura

We’ve been talking about no-recipe recipes a lot lately. We consider these to be dishes that require more assembly than creation and every busy kitchen needs a handful of these kinds of dishes in order to hum. In our opinion, this one is the best no-recipe. Well, that’s just my opinion, and I am an enchilada lover, but they are really damn good! I started making them last Spring using corn tortilla and then morphed the recipe into using sheets of zucchini when I was given the vegetable cutter attachment from KitchenAid. However, if you don’t have the easy attachment, a mandolin does the trick. I make them both ways now depending on what we feel like eating. By omitting the tortillas and using the veggie version, I figure I can eat more tortilla chips on the side. That makes sense, right?

No recipe recipes lean on your pantry and get you to dinner more quickly since it’s about combining easy ingredients with less cooking and prep. This recipe is also a nice one for the new year since it really is a healthier version of a traditionally calorie-laden dish. Obviously, you can cut back on the amount of cheese. I tend to go overboard (witness the photos below!) because, well, you know, cheese. But you can pull back on the amount or use cheese substitutes if you’re looking to make this a vegan dish. These enchiladas have been served to so many of our friends and, I can tell you with confidence, all the kids couldn’t tell the difference between the tortilla version and the zucchini option. They ate the zucchini like it was their last meal. You can also be versatile with this dish. If you want to add more protein, you can roll shredded chicken or pork into these guys. What’s non-negotiable are the sides. I believe it’s imperative to eat this dish with sour cream and guacamole. End of story. (Actually, that’s the real end of the story. We hope you enjoy these healthy enchiladas.)

Note: this recipe also works well by subbing the sheets of zucchini with 10 medium size corn or flour tortilla.

Zucchini Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 box Spanish rice
3 zucchini, washed and ends cut off
1 18 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 finely chopped red onion
1 350 ml jar enchilada or taco sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan
juice of one lime
salt
1 /2 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro
2 cup monterey jack or cheddar cheese

Method

Follow package directions for making the rice and then set aside.

Using a Vegetable Sheet Cutter Attachment or a mandolin, cut your zucchini into thin sheets. Once you have your sheets, cut them into about 4 x 6 rectangles and set aside.

Over medium heat, warm a skillet. Add a drizzle of oil as well as your corn. Allow the kernels to brown; about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the kernels to a medium bowl, with your black beans, onion and salt. Stir in your oil, lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 400.

Pour about half of your jar of enchilada sauce into a 11 x 13 inch casserole dish and spread it around so there is a thin layer covering the bottom of the dish. Take one sheet of zucchini and add a tablespoon of rice, the bean mixture and cheese to the centre. Roll the sheet around the filling and place it seam side down in your casserole dish. Repeat process until you have used up all your zucchini sheets. Cover the rolls with your remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and then return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes; or until the cheese is melted and golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve enchiladas with a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro, sour cream and guacamole.

Assemlbe

Sweet Potato Chronicles