Healthy Tex-Mex

One of the things I miss most about living in Texas is the great Mexican food. Considering I practically cut my teeth on tortillas, I don’t suppose my love of Tex-Mex should be too surprising. It is by far my favorite food in the whole world. I would eat it every day if I could - especially enchiladas. All that cheesy, gooey goodness… YUM!

Anyway, after I moved from Texas to New England, I went through withdrawal. Ever hopeful, I kept trying out Mexican restaurants up here that my friends swore were great, only to be disappointed time and time again. Don’t get me wrong, Vermont has many lovely things, but good Mexican food is not one of them. So every time I went to visit my parents in Houston, I would get them to take me straight from the airport to the Mexican Restaurant so I could get my “Mexican Fix.” And then I would, of course, proceed to eat as much Mexican food as I could during my stay.

I have finally come to accept (grudgingly) that I will probably never get good Mexican food here in Vermont, at least not at a restaurant. And in all honesty, that's probably not a bad thing considering that many Tex-Mex dishes are full of fat and calories. So what’s a homesick Texan who wants to eat healthy to do? Why, make her own Tex-Mex food, of course!

A number of years ago, I saw this recipe for Black Bean Enchilada Casserole in Cooking Light Magazine and tried it out. While it’s not quite the same as authentic Tex-Mex enchiladas, it satisfies that craving without sending me over the top with fat and calories. I have made a few changes to the recipe over the years, so feel free to make your own changes and adaptations. The only rule is to enjoy!

Black Bean Enchilada Casserole (adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

½ cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded 50% reduced fat cheddar cheese (Cabot 50% is great)
1 cup cooked rice (I use brown for extra nutrients and fiber)
1 cup light sour cream
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped – OR – 1 chopped canned chipotle*
1 (19 ounce) can red or green enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso)
Cooking spray
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix shredded cheeses together. Combine ½ cup cheese, rice, and next 7 ingredients (rice through jalapeño) in a large bowl. Spread ¼ cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Heat remaining enchilada sauce in a skillet until warm and then remove from heat. Dip 6 tortillas in sauce, coating on both sides, and arrange tortillas, overlapping, over sauce in baking dish. Top with half of the bean mixture and spread evenly over tortillas. Dip remaining tortillas in sauce and overlap in dish on top of bean mixture. Top with remainder of bean mixture, remaining enchilada sauce, and ½ cup cheese. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly. Cut in squares and serve.

6 servings. Per serving: 338 calories, 10.5 grams fat.

*Chipotles come canned in adobo sauce (a smoky tomato based sauce). They freeze well, so when you have opened the can and taken what you need, chop the remainder and freeze in a small container. The next time you need chipotles, just thaw slightly in the microwave and scoop some out!