Monday, January 25, 2010

Kale and Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce





Last week my friend Sheri told me about a recipe she found and loved for Pumpkin Enchiladas. She sent me the recipe, and said she couldn't wait to see what I came up with (clearly she knows I don't follow recipes!)
On the same day, I saw this recipe for Kale and Bean Enchiladas pop up in my google reader. I thought it would be really interesting if I tried pairing the two, rather than make chicken enchiladas as Sheri's recipe instructed.
I loved the filling for these enchiladas, it made what can be a very caloric dish seem extremely light and healthy. Cate used pinto beans, but I had kidney beans on hand, so I used them. The sauce was really creamy, and made it seem like the enchiladas had much more cheese on top.

Kale and Bean Enchiladas (via Cate, adapted from Daily Unadventures in Cooking)
Pumpkin sauce (via Sheri, adapted from Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart)

Enchiladas:
2 cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 zucchini, grated
Salt and pepper
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
Pumpkin sauce, below
6 tortillas (I used flour, but they got soggy, I'd recommend corn)
Handful or two of grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat.
Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, jalapeno, zucchini, cumin, pepper and a big pinch of salt.
Cook for about 5 minutes, add kale and stir until soft.
Remove from heat and stir in a a few grinds of black pepper, the pinto beans, cilantro, and a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce.

Pumpkin Sauce

1 15oz can pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable stock
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalepeno pepper, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat if desired)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato paste

In a blender, puree the pumpkin, stock, garlic, jalepeno, chili powder, tomato paste, salt and pepper until smooth.
Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8in square (or other shallow 2 qt) baking dish.
Spoon kale mixture into tortillas, roll and place in baking sheet.
Finish with all tortillas, cover in sauce, top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

8 comments:

Cate said...

I can't wait to try these with your pumpkin sauce!

Previously Plump... in progress said...

Oh My!!!! I'm really looking forward to trying these!!! They look soooo yummy :)

katerina said...

I am so glad you liked myenchilada recipe! I just love enchiladas, I MUST try this pumpkin enchilada sauce. So good!

Joanne said...

I am a sucker for any recipe with the word pumpkin in the title. I love it!

Hot Suace Recipe said...

I tried this using a hot sauce instead of the pumpkin sauce. Yum!

Sandra Irena said...

Yumm, made that last night and couldn't stop eating!I didn't have pumpkin, so I used canned sweet potato -> works great too. I also added sliced baby portabellas, which gave the dish a nice, meaty texture.
I didn't mind the soft texture of the tortillas (whole wheat) - I thought it made it taste like pasta shells! Thank you for sharing this!! You really do not miss meat in this dish.

Natalie said...

I want to make this for dinner tomorrow. Do you think I could prepare the filling and sauce tonight and then assemble and bake tomorrow?

Ashlee said...

definitely, nataie!