Black Bean Vegetable Enchiladas - Vegan or Not

After reading the new book from Dr. Fuhrman that has a small part about how to incorporate very small portions of meat into the diet if you desire and after speaking with many of my friends who aren't ready to go completely meat-free, we've decided to play around with some mostly meat-free and mostly dairy-free meals.  The first was the lasagna we made which incorporated a bit of dairy (and could easily have added 3-6 ounces of ground meat for flavoring).    These enchiladas are the second meal that incorporates one 3oz serving of meat into a dish that serves 6.




Black Bean Vegetable (Smoked Chicken) Enchiladas 


Ingredients:

Onion, 1 large or 2 medium, chopped
Bell Pepper, 1 large, chopped
Mushrooms, 8 oz, chopped
Zucchini, 1 medium or large, diced
Tomato, 2 large, diced
Black Beans, 3 cups or 2 cans

Green chiles - fresh or canned, about 1/2 cup 

Salsa

Optional - Smoked chicken, about 3 ounces, diced or shredded 

Corn Tortillas, 12-16 small 

Avocado, 2 medium or 1 large, diced 

Tomatoes, 2 large, diced  

Optional - Poblano Cream Sauce 

Optional - 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese 

Directions:

In a skillet moistened with 1 tsp of oil or 1/2 cup water, cook onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and 2 tomatoes until onions are translucent.  Add black beans and green chiles and stir until combined, then remove from heat.

In a 9x13 baking dish that has been oiled (lightly sprayed or wiped on using paper towel and very little oil), layer ingredients as follows:

• Corn tortillas 
• 1/3 of the cooked vegetable and bean mixture 
• 1/2 of smoked chicken, if using
• About 1/2 cup of salsa 
• Repeat all 4 of the above
• Top with a last layer of tortillas and then the vegetable bean mixture. 

Cook at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  

Remove from oven and top with diced avocados, tomatoes, and any of the optional toppings.

Suggested side dishes:

• steamed green beans
• green salad 
• black bean or pinto bean soup