Before I get into the details of these Avocado Enchiladas, I should give a small disclaimer. I am a whole foods advocate. For me, whole foods are defined as anything completely natural or as close to natural as possible. This obviously includes all fruits and vegetables, but I have a short list of whole foods that, although natural, I eat less frequently. This is a special occasion recipe for our family for two reasons: cheese and corn. For weight management and overall health, I try to limit these two things to “every now and again” status. With that said, this is an amazingly delicious and overall very healthy dish that is loaded with nutrients! It’s perfect for the family that’s transitioning into whole foods, because it tastes every bit as good and comforting as any other not-so-healthy Mexican dish. I hope you enjoy our family’s Avocado Enchiladas!

Serves Approximately 8
317 calories

I chose 8 servings because it reheats like a dream for lunches the next day, but you can easily cut each ingredient in half for 4 servings.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped bell pepper (any color, can be frozen to save time)
1 bag frozen corn (about 2 cups) (Or fresh off the cob)
2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes
juice from 3 limes
2 15oz. cans black beans
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 cups leafy greens (I use baby spinach. Can be frozen, but thaw before)
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
2 avocados
Parchment paper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Chop bell pepper. Add bell pepper, corn, and diced tomatoes (mostly drained) to a large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Coarsely chop or tear the leafy greens into small pieces and set aside. It’s going to seem like a TON of greens, but just go with me on this.

3. Add the lime juice, black beans and chopped cilantro to a large bowl and coarsely mash together with a potato masher or fork (or have a child or spouse do this for you while you grate cheese!).

4. Once the pot of veggies starts to sizzle and most of the moisture has evaporated, take the pan off the heat and dump the greens in. Stir it all together for about 30 seconds. As you stir, the greens will quickly wilt and shrink down. Set pot aside for a sec.

5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Layer the enchiladas like so (from bottom to top):
1 corn tortilla
bean mixture (use all of it on this layer, evenly divided)
about 3 Tbsp vegetable mixture
light sprinkling of cheese (optional)
1 corn tortilla
more vegetable mixture (use the rest this layer, evenly divided)
light sprinkling of cheese (optional)

15-20 minutes prep time (depending on fresh versus frozen ingredients) and 15 minutes bake time or until cheese is melted.

Serve with avocado, extra cilantro and lime wedges.