Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

I am trying to be healthier and cook healthier this year, plus I watched this documentary called Vegucated.  It is about 3 people who go vegan for 6 weeks.  I am not going vegan, nor will I, but I know they have some healthy recipes.  So, I gave this recipe on pintrest a try.  Scott, my meat lover, was not excited about this dish.  But the nice thing about my meat lover is that he is willing to try anything once.  Scott said it wasn't bad and both he and kaden had seconds.  This is a success in my book!

Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas
Ingredients:

Sauce:
3 c organic low sodium veggie broth ( I used low sodium chicken broth :)
1/4 c tomato paste
1/4 c all purpose flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
Salt/Pepper to taste

Enchiladas:
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c corn ( i used frozen, thawed)
6 oz fresh baby spinach
6 oz green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 c cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
3 c shredded 3 cheese blend or pepper jack ( I just used what I had on hand)
8 whole wheat or flour tortillas

Directions:
Make the sauce: in a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add tomato paste, flour, 2 tsp cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.  Cook 1 min, whisking.  Whisk in broth, bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 min.  Salt/pepper to taste and set aside.  ( at around the 6 or 7 min mark I tasted the sauce and thought it needed some sugar, so I added 2 large pinches of sugar)

Saute the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 min until slightly wilted.  In large bowl, combine beans, 2 c cheese, spinach, corn, green onions, 2 tsp cumin and cilantro.
Preheat oven to 375 F.  Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish, and pour a small amount of the sauce to coat the bottom.
Generously fill tortillas with mixture, roll up tightly with ends tucked in, and place seam side down in dish.
Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, coating evenly.  Sprinkle 1 c cheese on top.  Bake about 20 mins, and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions (optional)

White Bean Chicken Chili (soup)

My sister-in-law, Kim, gave me a binder full of recipes for Christmas. I needed a recipe in which to use my canned beans that we've gotten being on WIC. Jeremy is not a fan of beans, so I shared this with mom, dad and Kristi when I made it and it was a hit.

White Bean Chicken Chili:
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion (I'm not a big onion fan, so I bought one white onion for this and about 3 other recipes)
1 7 oz. can diced green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
4 c chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic
1 15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained (I skipped the kidney & used 2 cans of these, cause that's what I had)
1 15 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked chicken chopped (I used 1 can and 1 shredded, cooked chicken breast. I'd take the time to cook chicken next time, it was just better.)
1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped (just yum)

Heat the olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, chiles, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then add broth. Add beans, chicken and cilantro. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Suggested Toppings:
2-3 corn tortillas cut into strips
2 green onions, diced
Shredded cheese (I used mozzarella and it was yummy!)

While the soup is simmering heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and place tortilla strips on it and spray them with cooking spray and season with salt. Bake 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.

Ok now I want to make this soup again. I might even convince Jer to try it this time. :) If you try it let me know what you think.