Portabello and Black Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce

I am increasingly enjoying many more meatless dishes and, to my surprise, I'm finding it pretty easy to find meatless main dishes that are really flavorful. When I saw these I couldn't wait to make them. Black beans are almost always my bean of choice and I love the flavor of roasted red peppers. Pair that with some mushrooms and this makes a tasty and "meaty" filling for these enchiladas. My husband wasn't so thrilled about the dish when I told him there wasn't any "meat" meat in it, so I put it off for about a week or so. However, he was pleasantly surprised when he actually tasted them and gave me the thumbs up.

I love the smokey, spicy flavor of roasted poblanos. It made really nice sauce to accompany the enchiladas. One tip though, the less time it's roasted, the more heat it will retain, so if you don't like too much heat, cook it a little longer, or use less of it. You could always add more tomatoes or tomato sauce too to tone it down.

These enchiladas do require a little more effort and time spent in the kitchen. Natalie, from Perry's Plate, suggests that you can make both the sauce and filling ahead of time so you won't spend too much time in the kitchen right before dinner. Or make them on the weekend when you have a little extra time, like I did.


Portabello and Black Bean Enchiladas
with Roasted Poblano Sauce
for the sauce:
1 poblano pepper
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground chipotle pepper (optional)
2 cups (1 can) tomatoes, crushed or chopped, undrained
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish

for the filling:
2 roasted red peppers, diced (jarred or fresh)
*12 oz. portobellos (about 4-5 large), stemmed, gills scraped out, and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

12 corn or whole wheat flour tortillas
4 oz. queso fresco (or sub feta)
cheddar cheese
fresh tomatoes or pico de gallo, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Roast the poblano pepper (and red peppers if using fresh) directly over the flame of a gas burner, turning frequently with tongs, until evenly charred. (Alternatively, char under the broiler, turning once or twice, for 5 to 7 minutes total.) Transfer to a deep bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to steam for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika and ground chipotle (optional) and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Peel the pepper, discard the stem and seeds, and chop. Add to the saucepan along with the tomatoes, water, and chopped cilantro. Return to medium heat and cook, uncovered, at a steady simmer, until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Puree using an immersion or stick blender (or very carefully transfer to a blender or food processor) until smooth.

While the sauce simmers, place the mushrooms and red onion in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Alternately you can saute them in a large frying pan with olive oil, until tender. Do not salt and pepper until mushrooms are finished cooking. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in beans and roasted red peppers (if you are using jarred peppers make sure to remove the excess moisture).

Reduce oven temperature to 375 F.

To assemble the enchiladas: Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place a skillet over medium heat. Coat both sides of a tortilla with cooking spray. Heat in skillet for 5 to 10 seconds per side, adjusting the heat if the pan gets too hot. (You can also warm the tortillas in the microwave, wrapped in a tea towel, but make sure you spray them with a little water first so they are pliable without breaking.) Spread about 1/3 cup of the filling and 1 Tbsp. of the sauce down the middle of the tortilla and roll it up to enclose the filling. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, filling and sauce. Spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with crumbled queso fresco and cheddar cheese.

Bake, in preheated oven, uncovered (I covered mine the first half), until hot, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with fresh tomato or pico de gallo and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4-6.

*Portabellos can be pretty expensive, but you can substitute crimini mushrooms here, especially since they get chopped up. Criminis are mini portabellos and a little more cost-effective to buy.

SOURCE: Perry's Plate


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