Couldn't Decide What I Wanted Tonight...

I was originally going to make burritos tonight but ended up making beef enchiladas instead with unfried black beans. On Saturday's I usually loose my tween daughter to her friend. More often than not I find myself cooking for the three of us than four. (I took one out before I snapped the picture)

Here's how I made the enchiladas.

Sauce
1 can of tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder (I prefer the Mexican hotter kind)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. water
a few dashes hot sauce

1-2 lbs ground beef  browned and fat drained off
1 packet of  taco seasoning (reserving two teaspoons for the black bean recipe below)
1/4 c water
sliced black olives (optional)

9 flour tortillas (you may use corn for a different flavor)
1 cup taco cheese (reserve 1/2 for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start sauce in the sauce pan adding all the above ingredients from the tomato sauce through the hot sauce. Heat on medium heat until ingredients are blended together. Taste to see if you need more of the spices.

Take browned meat and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce to it and black olives. Ladle 1/2 c. of the sauce onto the bottom of a baking dish. Take each tortilla and lay in the sauce in dish add 2TBSPS of the meat and a pinch of cheese to each enchilada. Roll and put seam side down in the dish one after the other to keep them from unrolling.

I have a daughter whom doesn't like ground beef so I  make her a cheese one and put it laying the opposite way. Take the remaining sauce and ladle it over the enchiladas. Use the reserved cheese to top the enchiladas. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and avocado.

Unfried Black Beans

1/2 onion diced
1 can of black beans drained
1/2 c chicken stock
2 tsp of taco seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

This recipe is very easy!  Sautee' the onion in 2 TBS olive oil until translucent. Add the drained beans and chicken stock. Mix in the taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and use a old fashioned potato masher or a pastry cutter to squash some of the black beans. Leave some of them whole. If the mixture is too thick you may add more chicken stock. Check for salt and pepper. The beans will thicken up upon standing.