Lentil Enchiladas

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!

So, so, so happy the weekend is here.  Is it just me or did the week go kind of slow?  It seemed insanely slow for me.  Just glad today is Friday, and only 8 hours of work to get through.  Today I have for another quick recipe for you that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  I love quick meals, especially during the week, when your feeling lazy from having such a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGG day at work.

On today’s menu I have Lentil Enchiladas.  This is the first time I ever really made anything with lentils besides my  Cucumber and Tomato Lentil Salad.  I have fallen for Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils (click the cucumber and tomato lentil recipe to see the pkg. of the lentils), and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head to make enchiladas with them.  So glad I did!  Personally I like beans and lentils, so I don’t have an issue using these ingredients instead of meat, however my Husband may beg to differ.  This was the first time he ever had lentils and he is NOT good at trying new things.  He gave me that disgusted look and said what is that?  I told him it has just as much protein as meat, now just try it!  He did, and he at one.  He said my dinner would have been of the hook if I used ground beef.  Sorry, but I wanted to try this with lentils.  After he ate his one enchilada,  he just sat there staring at  my over-loaded plate that was filled with enchiladas and hot sauce.  He broke down and said I’ll have one more.  See, he liked them, but just doesn’t want to admit it.  If he really didn’t like it, he wouldn’t have finished his first one.  Trust me, he would rather starve then eat something he simply didn’t like.  He is so old school.  But one thing he didn’t notice is that I used whole wheat tortilla shells.  That’s another thing he hates, wheat!  I’m laughing.   I personally think he just likes to be difficult!  He ate two enchiladas and honestly, normally I could have put away 3 enchiladas, but I was stuffed and just managed to finish my second one.  So I think that is why he only had two.

I should tell you that these enchiladas are most excellent, and I would make these again for sure!!  I honestly didn’t miss the meat at all. Actually I think the lentils tasted between a cross of beans and ground beef.  They are a great sub for meat and are loaded with protein and fiber.  Matter in fact this dish has so much fiber in it, that you don’t need to eat anything else with fiber for the rest of the day.  It has 27 grams of it!!!  That’s a lot.  Also the high fiber count also because I used La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber whole wheat flour tortilla shells (50 calories).  I’m not the biggest  fan of them, I like Mission better, but they weren’t bad, plus they are extremely healthy and work great with enchiladas.  I didn’t notice the difference in this dish!

For the enchilada sauce I made homemade.  Trust me, it takes 3 minutes to make and doesn’t require to be heated up, it’s quick and easy.  It’s the same sauce I used when I made Skillet Enchiladas.  The sauce is phenomenal!  It’s got a slight smoky taste from the chili powder and has a nice Mexican flair from the cumin.  My Husband actually loves my sauce.  It was one of those wing it recipes I made once and now whenever I need enchilada sauce I make that.  It’s quick, easy and low in calories and beats store-bought!

Lentil Enchiladas

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 8 enchiladas

• Serving size: 4 servings (2 enchiladas each)

Prep time:  6 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  26 mins

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Healthy, good for you baked vegetarian tacos filled with lentils and topped with homemade enchilada sauce.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups lentils, cooked (I used Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup onion, diced
• ½ tbsp garlic, minced
• 4 oz can fire roasted green chilis
• ½ cup lite shredded Mexican cheese, divided
• 8 8"whole wheat flour tortilla taco shells
• **Enchilada Sauce**
• 1 15oz can (1¾ cup) tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. To make enchilada sauce: In a medium bowl, add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Mix until combined; set a side.
3. In a skillet add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add green chilis and lentils, cook until warmed. Add ¼ cup of cheese and mix until cheese is mostly melted.
4. Spoon a little bit of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Evenly distribute lentil mixture to tortilla (about ¼ cup), place tortilla seem side down onto baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
5. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until cheese has melted
6. Optional: Top with tomatoes, jalapenos and greek yogurt

Notes

Calories for two enchiladas: 328, Fat: 7.4, Cholesterol: 7.5, Sodium: 1300, Potassium: 15.7, Carbs: 55, Fiber: 26.9, Sugar: 4, Protein: 24.7

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I know a lot of you are meat eaters, hey I am too, but if your up for trying something new, give this dish a try.  It just may surprise you on how good it is.   Even though my Husband moaned and groaned and said he didn’t like it, he did because he ate two and these bad boys are so filling you couldn’t eat more than two.  This is really a good for you recipe and will keep you filled for hours.  No night-time snacking for me.  I was even to full to eat tortilla chips with dinner and that’s amazing!!

Have a great weekend and stayed tuned for what I am calling my jar weekend!!  I have some fun treats planned, but I can’t tell you too much about it because I haven’t made them yet, but the recipes are in my head!  Hopefully they turn out.  Eck…

Have a great weekend everyone!

Toodles,

Jennifer

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