In a magical world where time travel is real and being a mermaid is optional and the decision between getting on the express train or staying on the local during rush hour would guarantee the fastest arrival to work, there would also be authentic Tex-Mex enchiladas in NYC. Sure, we have enchiladas, but they are not less than $10 and they aren’t served with refried beans and they aren’t oozing with near enough cheese. Cheesy, cheap, Tex-Mex enchiladas, with chips and salsa and queso and refried beans, would, in my dream world, thrive in New York City. Oh yeah, and rotel would be available at every supermarket.
A good enchilada in Texas is made with flour tortillas, a dark red mole sauce, shredded cheese, and either chicken or beef. My enchiladas aren't quite there; I used corn tortillas and filled them with black beans and corn instead of a meat, but they were still really good. On a chilly day like this past Saturday, where I slept in until almost 11 am, then plopped myself in front of the TV to watch Pirates of the Carribbean—the thought of enchiladas popped in my head, and there are few things better than hot, steamy, cheesy enchiladas to warm your belly on a cold day. And while these aren't necessarily the prettiest things to photograph, they tasted wonderful.
The nice thing is, after I made these, we had a ton of filling left over, but I just used them to make quesadillas the next day. They were just as delicious and so incredibly easy. I scored this can of rotel when my parents came up a couple of weekends ago. Every time they visit, they ask what I need them to bring. (My answer is always tacos and rotel!) But besides trying to find rotel, you can also be hard-pressed to find good enchilada sauce in this city. Our grocery store a few blocks down didn't have any, so I was forced to make my own. But it was actually pretty easy and tasted delicious!
Black Bean and Corn Cheesy Enchiladas (serves 4)
Ingredients:
for the sauce:
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 tbl olive oil
- 2 tbl chili powder
- 1½ tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the enchiladas:
- 10 corn (or flour) tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 diced yellow onion
- 1-10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes (or, if you live in a city where it is rare, 1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 can green chiles will work)
- 1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen or fresh corn
- Cilantro and/or avocado for garnish (optional)
Directions:
To make the sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add oil. Stir in all other ingredients until combined. Set aside.
For the enchiladas, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish, approximately 8" x 12". Fill the bottom of the baking dish with half of the enchilada sauce. Spoon a little of the enchilada sauce in each tortilla, and then fill it with the onion, corn, black beans, and rotel. Sprinkle some cheese on top, and then loosely roll up, placing it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with rest of tortillas until dish is full. Cover with the rest of the enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro and avocado!
