Operation Pantry Cleanout: Vegetarian Enchiladas

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Photo credit: Dana Treat

I'm loving this Operation Pantry Cleanout project. It's forcing me to try new recipes. Last week I made vegetarian enchiladas inspired by the ones I saw on the blog Dana Treat (recipe here). They were not only delicious, but I was able to use up 4 cans of food in the pantry which felt great.

Instead of using tomato puree, I thought this was a great opportunity to use the Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies that I've had in the pantry since May when I started cooking more vegan. I never did use these tomatoes so there they sat for almost a year. Now I'm excited to buy more for this new gem of a recipe. Using those tomatoes also eliminated the need for a can of green chilies which I didn't have in the pantry, and didn't want to buy since I'm trying to use up canned goods rather than buy more.

Vegetable Enchiladas
Adapted from Dana Treat

Serves 4-6

Sauce
2 cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 t kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Filling
Canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
3/4 can of ORGANIC corn
1 t dried oregano
1 14-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/ 4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Assembly
7 or 8 8-inch flour tortillas
2-3 cups grated Cheddar (I like a good layer of cheese)
1 small can sliced black olives
1/4 cup green onion (optional)

Toppings
2 T minced cilantro
Sour cream
Cholula sauce

Puree the tomatoes in a mini Cuisinart one can at a time. (I did this after using it to mince the garlic and left some garlic in. It mixed it in for me.) Pour the now pureed fire roasted tomatoes into a large bowl. Add heavy cream, cilantro, garlic (if you didn't already), salt, and pepper. Stir and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Pour in just enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the onion. Sauté until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for a few minutes, being careful not to burn. Add the zucchini and oregano. Sauté until tender but not mushy, about 5-7 minutes. It’s ok if the zucchini gets a little brown, but try not to burn the garlic. Add the corn and cilantro and cook for a minute or two. Stir in pinto beans, salt and pepper and remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.

I like to throw the flour tortillas in the oven for a minute to toast them slightly. Remove and set aside. Pour a layer of sauce over the bottom of a large casserole dish. Spoon 1/2-1 cup of the corn and bean mixture along the center of a tortilla, then roll the enchilada up. Place seam side down in the baking dish and repeat with the remaining tortillas. You should have enough filling and enough room for 7 or 8 tortillas.

Spoon the remaining sauce over all the enchiladas, and sprinkle the cheese over top. Sprinkle with black olives and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion and bake for a few more minutes. Turn oven to broil and watch closely until cheese is perfectly melted. I like it a little burnt in a few places for added flavor. Watch closely. This could take between 1 and 4 minutes depending on your oven. Remove and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with sour cream and hot sauce.
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