Black Bean Tacos...mmm mmm GOOD!!

Since I have become a "vegan" for lent I have been searching for good Mexican food recipes that do not have meat or the classic staple, cheese. One of my favorite on-the-go lunches has been the "Amy's" brand frozen burritos, they are so delicious! They are definitely big enough for a full meal, but I feel alittle guilty heating them up in the microwave and yelling to Ben in his office, "Honey, dinner is ready!"  So, I decided , surely I can recreate this meal using fresh ingredients, and anything home made has to be better than anything you can get in the freezer isle, right??  So I went on a mission last night to create a burrito inspired by the delicious frozen burritos I have been eating.  I decided to call them Black Bean Tacos...creative right?? If you have a better name, please feel free to comment on this post!  I thought that some mexican rice and chips with salsa would be good company for the tacos, too! Wait...did I say rice?? Well......scrap the rice, or at least scrap my rice "recipe" while I reconvene with my husbands hispanic side of the family for tips...I definitely did something wrong, ha! So for now, just grab the Old Elpaso Rice Mix, or use a recipe you already have!! At any rate, the tacos were a MAJOR hit, and Ben didn't even miss the cheese or sour cream (but he may have missed the rice, I know he had his heart set on his Mom's recipe...sorry honey)!  So here it goes, Black Bean Tacos!!

Start with fresh, simple ingredients.....

 Get all your pans pre-heated to medium-high heat.....(over on the right....RIP spanish rice)

Begin Cooking! (this is your rue for the Enchilada Sauce that will bind your ingredients together)



                                               
 Saute your veggies.....

 Combine Veggies and drained black beans with Enchilada sauce.....

 Top with fresh Cilantro......

 Es Muy Delicioso!!

Black Bean Tacos

2 15ounce cans of Black Beans drained

1/2 white onion diced

2 serano peppers, seeded, and diced

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

1 anaheim pepper, seeded and diced

(you can use any pepper combination you like, these happen to be my favorites)

2 TBS Fresh chopped Cilantro (optional)

1 tomato diced (optional)

Enchilada Sauce

3 TBS whole wheat flour (or regular flour, that works too!)

4 TBS Olive Oil

1 1/2 TBS Cumin

1 1/2 TBS Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp Corn Starch

1 1/2 c Vegetable Stock (or whatever stock/broth you have on hand)

Heat your oil over a  medium-high heat.  Using a whisk add flour and let cook for approx 30 seconds to 1 minute until flour begins to dissolve with the oil.  Add Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic salt, and Corn starch with a whisk until a paste forms.  Slowly whisk in your vegetable stock, whisking while you pour as to not create any clumps in your sauce.  Continue to whisk occasionally while sauce thickens for approx 15 minutes.  (If you were to make the sauce for enchiladas, you would double this recipe and substitute half vegetable stock and half water so it is not too salty.)  For this recipe, you want it to be fairly salty so you do not add any more sodium once your black beans and vegetables are combined.  

While Enchilada Sauce is thickening....Add your diced veggies to a saute pan with about 2TBS heated Olive oil. Saute until soft.  Once sauce is thickened, and veggies are cooked, combine your veggies and drained Black Beans with the enchilada sauce.  Stir in and let thicken for approx 15 minutes (the longer it cooks the thicker it will become, if it gets thicker than you prefer, you can add water or broth to thin it out). Top mixture with fresh cilantro and tomatos. Heat your corn tortillas (or Flour tortillas if you prefer) and ENJOY!

Rice

to be continued after said meeting with Mother In-Law.....