Black Bean Enchiladas with a Warm Verde Salsa

Last night we celebrated Taco Tuesday with this recipe. It was a big hit in my house, so I thought I'd share. I also don't like the way the original recipe reads, so I'm putting it here in a clearer format.

Get in my belly!

Black Bean Filling

• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small white onion
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• Coarse salt to taste

Warm Salsa Verde

• 12 tomatillos, husked and halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion, grated or minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 14-oz. can vegetable stock
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Coarse salt to taste
• 1 ripe avocado
• Chopped fresh oregano leaves from 1 or 2 stems, optional

1. 1. Make the Salsa Verde: Place tomatillos in a food processor, and pulse to a coarsely ground paste.
2. 2. Heat garlic in oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. When garlic begins to sizzle, grate onion with a hand grater directly into pan. Add jalapeno. Heat onion and jalapeno through for 1 to 2 minutes, and add ground tomatillos. Simmer tomatillos with onion for 5 minutes. Add stock and seasonings.
3. 3. Halve avocado with skin on by cutting in and down to the pit all around avocado. Separate avocado halves, and scoop out pit with a large spoon. Scoop flesh out of skins and into pot. Mash with back of a fork. Stir avocado into sauce to thicken it. Return sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to warm until enchiladas are assembled.

4. To make Black Bean Filling: Preheat broiler. Heat oil in large skillet, and add garlic. Grate onion into pan with a hand grater. Add jalapeno. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans, and mash with back of a fork. Stir in cumin and tomato paste, and season with salt.

1. 5. Optional step: warm the tortillas by wrapping them in aluminum foil, and heat in oven at 275F until fillings and sauce are ready. I skipped this and just used room temperature tortillas. 
2. 6. Scoop some sauce onto bottom of a casserole dish or shallow serving platter. To make an enchilada, place 1 to 2 scoops of filling down center of a tortilla, and roll. Place filled tortillas seam side down into sauce on platter or casserole. Line up tortillas, one next to another, and top with remaining sauce and grated cheeses. Melt cheeses under broiler (about 5 minutes), and serve immediately with Warm Salsa Verde. (and more toppings like sour cream, diced tomatoes, extra cheese, etc.)

I found it easiest to dice my onions, garlic, and jalapenos first, that way everything was ready to go and the recipe came together quickly.

Also, I just gave Emily a tortilla filled with warm beans, cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes. Not the bean mixture, but whole beans that I separated out before I made the filling. She would have freaked out about the onions - trust me. But she pounded down her bean taco, so still a win in my book!

Do you "celebrate" Taco Tuesday, Meatless Monday, etc? What's for dinner tonight?