Easy Black Bean & Rice Enchiladas

So this dish is probably a no-brainer to most of you, but I'm a wee bit behind on the home-made Mexican/Tex-Mex food game :)  I don't know why that is, perhaps it's because our family generally gravitates towards Asian cuisines when we cook at home.  But we are huge fans of ALL cuisines when we go out to eat.  I'm slowly trying my hand at new cuisines when I cook at home.  I figured, what better place to start than Mexican.  Most Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes are very easy to make and extremely delicious (my favorite combo:- easy + delicious).

The enchilada sauce recipe is an adaptation of Emeril Lagasse's recipe and the rest was something I whipped up from memory.  Needless to say it turned out to be awesome and my taste-tester could attest to this :)

Easy Black Bean & Rice Enchiladas  [Serves 2-3]

Sauce Ingredients:-

• 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Can of Tomato Paste (6 Oz.)
• 2 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 Cup Chili Powder
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Oregano
• 2 Tsp Cumin Powder

Enchilada Ingredients:-

• 6 Medium Multigrain Tortillas
• 1 Cup of White Rice (or brown if you prefer)
• 1 Can of Black Beans (drained)
• 1 Medium Onion (diced)
• 1/2 Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1/4 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
• 1 1/2 Cups of Shredded, Mexican Blend Cheese
• 2 Tbsp of Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tbsp of Butter
• 2 Tbsp Lemon/Lime Juice
• 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 Tbsp Chilli Powder
• 2 Tbsp Salt 
• 2 Cups of Water (for the rice)

*Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

Sauce Instructions:-

1. In a medium saucepan with the heat on medium-high, heat the vegetable oil and add the flour, blend and cook for a minute.
2. Add the chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken/vegetable stock, tomato paste, oregano, cumin powder and salt and blend well (make sure there are no clumps).
4. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for another 15 minutes before turning the heat off.

Enchilada Filling Instructions:-

1.  In a non-stick sauce pan, add the cup of uncooked rice, butter, 1 tbsp salt, tbsp of chili powder, chopped cilantro, turmeric powder, lemon/lime juice, 2 cups of water.  
2. Bring to a boil on high heat and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover the pan and cook for 12 minutes or until rice is cooked and water has evaporated.
3. In a non-stick skillet on medium heat, add vegetable oil and sautee the diced onions until translucent.
4. Add the dice bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the drained black beans and a tbsp of chilli powder, 1 tbsp of salt.  Cook for 2-3 minutes and turn heat off.
6. Mix rice and the black bean mixture together in the sauce pan.

Enchilada Assembly Instructions:-

1. On a plate, place one multigrain tortilla.  Add about 5-6 tablespoons of the rice & black bean mixture near the bottom of the tortilla.
2. Fold the bottom of the tortilla and roll over the mixture, continue rolling until a cylinder forms and tuck into seam. Place the roll, seam-down, into a 13x9 greased baking pan.  Repeat this until all 6 tortillas have been rolled, filled and placed next to the other tortilla rolls.  *note:- you can also just assemble the tortilla within the baking pan if it is easier!
3. After the rolls have been placed, pour the sauce until all the tortillas are evenly covered.
4. Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top and place the baking pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes.  

I know this seems extensive, but trust me this takes approximately 45 minutes to prep and make if you have all the ingredients on hand! If you're a novice with Mexican food, I urge you to try this out!  It was truly divine :)