Black Bean Enchiladas NY times

Sometimes you don't have to "travel" far to find tasty food. Many are on the internet and can be made in your own kitchen. While looking for other blogs and recipes to my links on my blog, I targeted the New York Times. They have a nice health and nutrition section with many nice recipes and much more.
One of the showcased recipes yesterday (3/10/2009) was Black Beans enchilada. I have made many recipes like this but I thought this would be a good one to try. The walnuts are an interesting take with this recipe as well. White cheddar is used instead of the orange cheddar (which has higher grams of saturated fat and sodium/ salt per serving).

Take take a look at this new book that I found that tells much more about what you should and should not eat. Then have a look a that recipe below and try it.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/health/nutrition/10recipehealth.html
Black Bean Enchiladas NY times
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
Published: March 10, 2009

When I began my cooking career, this was my signature dish. It begins with a great pot of beans and well seasoned tortillas.
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Recipes for Health: Black Beans: Nutrition From South of the Border (March 10, 2009)

1 pot Simmered Black Beans

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

2 to 3 teaspoons mild chili powder (to taste)

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

6 ounces medium or sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

12 to 14 corn tortillas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Fresh salsa for serving

1. Make the black bean sauce. After making the beans as directed, pour off half the liquid and set aside. Puree half the beans in some of the remaining liquid and stir back into the pot. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide nonstick skillet, and add 1 tablespoon of the cumin and 1 to 2 teaspoons of the chili powder. Allow the spices to sizzle for about 30 seconds, then stir in the beans. Allow the beans to bubble and thicken for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. They should resemble runny refried beans. Taste, adjust seasonings and transfer back to the bean pot. Clean and dry the pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil two 2-quart baking dishes. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil and a generous pinch each of cumin and chili powder. Add 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce and stir together. One at a time, soften the tortillas in the mixture, turning as soon as the tortilla begins to buckle, about 10 seconds on each side. Use a spatula to scrape off excess sauce. Remove from the heat, and set aside in the baking dish or on a sheet pan. Add oil, spices and tomato sauce to the pan as needed, and continue to soften all of the tortillas.

3. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the black bean sauce and 3/4 cup of the grated cheese. If necessary, thin out the bean sauce with the black bean broth that you set aside. To assemble the enchiladas, spread a large spoonful of black bean sauce over each tortilla, then a sprinkling of grated cheese. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Fill each baking dish with one layer of the enchiladas; you should be able to get six enchiladas in each pan. When all of the tortillas have been filled, pour on the reserved sauce and sprinkle with the reserved cheese and the optional walnuts. Cover tightly with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Uncover, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve using two spatulas, as these tend to fall apart. Pass salsa at the table.

Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: The beans can be made through step 1 up to three days ahead. The enchiladas may be assembled and kept in the refrigerator overnight. Cover tightly with plastic and foil. Remember to remove the plastic before heating in the oven.

stuffed poblano peppers : Cotija cheese substitute

I found a good recipe for stuffed poblano peppers (see below) . However this particular good recipe used a cheese I never heard of it, This recipe called for Cotija cheese. I then started looking for substututes and found several at this webpage with other substitutes for other cheeses.

http://www.sonic.net/~alden/Chefirm.html

Cotija is regularly found in Hispanic markets.This Cotija cheese can be substituted for many other more popular and each to find at your grocery store cheeses like
Parmesan OR
Romano OR
anejo cheese OR
feta cheese OR
Munster or
Jack

Stuffed Poblanos with Black Beans and Cheese
Difficulty: Easy

TIME/SERVINGS

Total: 1 hr 25 mins

Active: 30 mins

Makes: 6 servings as a meal (12 servings as a side dish)

By Kate Ramos

Like a super veggie burrito, this stuffed pepper is loaded with black beans, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro. Serve it warm off the grill—all you need to pair it with is a cold beer.

What to buy: Look for poblano peppers that are all about the same size; cooking time and portions will be more consistent that way.

Cotija is a crumbly Mexican cheese that can be found in Latin markets and many grocery stores.

Game plan: If you stuff the peppers ahead of time, take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling to let them come to room temperature.

Read more about grilling.
INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 3 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
* 6 medium poblano peppers
* 1 cup cooked black beans
* 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 4 ounces) sub Parmesan OR
Romano OR
anejo cheese OR
feta cheese OR
Munster or
Jack
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
* 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (about 2 small tomatoes)
* 2/3 cup chopped scallions (about 1/2 bunch)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place rice in a colander or a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low; cook until water has been completely absorbed, about 10 minutes (rice will be slightly undercooked). Remove the lid and set the pan aside to let rice cool.
2. To prepare peppers for stuffing, use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around each stem (like when carving a jack-o’-lantern), so you end up with a cap that can be replaced once you’ve stuffed the peppers. Be careful not to puncture or rip the peppers. Clean any seeds and membranes from the cap and from the interior of each pepper; set aside.
3. Place beans in a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, lightly mash them (some whole beans will remain).
4. Stir cumin, sour cream, Cotija, cilantro, tomatoes, scallions, pepper, and remaining salt into mashed beans and mix until evenly combined. Gently mix in cooled rice. Taste mixture and, if necessary, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Note that the filling should be quite salty to compensate for there being no salt on the peppers.)
5. Divide rice mixture into six equal portions. Stuff each pepper with the filling and replace each cap, pressing caps into the stuffing so the peppers remain closed while on the grill; set aside until ready to cook. (If you’re stuffing the peppers more than 30 minutes before grilling, cover and refrigerate them. Let peppers sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes before grilling so that they cook faster and more evenly.)
6. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat (about 350°F). Once the grill is heated, place stuffed peppers on their sides and close the lid. Roll each pepper a quarter turn every 7 minutes or so to cook all four sides. The peppers are finished once the filling is hot, the skins are well-charred, and the flesh is soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. If serving as a side dish, slice peppers in half lengthwise.


Beverage pairing: Dos Equis Ambar, Mexico. A soft amber lager brings together the mellow grilled peppers and earthy black beans. If you throw some spicy peppers or salsa on top of the stuffed poblanos, it will soothe the heat. Otherwise it’s just light and thirst quenching for what is a fairly dense dish.