Lately, I’ve been making tons of crepes, which has me to thinking outside the box with regard to ways I could serve them. I thought that the thin, supple disk would be a great substitute for tortillas in enchiladas. The crepes can be made a day or two in advance. I used a homemade sauce for this recipe, which can (and should) be made in advance as well, but a canned sauce also works in a pinch.
The quinoa and black beans give a meaty texture and are both complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine amino acids needed in a healthy diet. One important step in preparing the quinoa is a thorough washing. This removes the coating of saponins, which if left unremoved, make the quinoa taste bitter.
Black Bean & Quinoa Crepe Enchiladas
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 12 – 7” cooked crepes
- 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce, preferably homemade (recipe here)
- 1 ½ cups Monchego, cheddar or any combination of the two cheeses
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for serving, optional
- ½ cup sour cream, for serving
For the filling:
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1½ cup schicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Instructions
Start by preparing the quinoa for the filling by thoroughly rinsing the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Rinsing the quinoa will remove the outer coating that will otherwise make your quinoa bitter. Once rinsed, place the quinoa in a medium saucepan, on medium-high heat, along with 1 cup of the broth and ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Once the pot comes to a boil, cover it, and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa his fully cooked. Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff it with a fork, pour it into a small mixing bowl, and set it aside.
Return the pot to the stove, raise the heat to medium, and add the oil, onions, garlic, and the remaining teaspoon of salt and pepper. Sauté the onion mixture for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are slightly translucent. Then, add the cumin, oregano, and paprika. Stir to combine, and continue cooking for one minute longer. Next, add the black beans, and return the cooked quinoa to the pan. Stir the ingredients until combined, and add the last of remaining stock if the mixture is too dry. Next, assemble the enchiladas.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. To assemble the enchiladas, place ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Then, spread two tablespoons of the quinoa mixture onto the center of a crepe; roll it and place it seam side down in the baking pan. Continue until all of your crepes and filling are gone. Then, pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the crepes, and top with cheese. Once the oven has preheated, bake the enchiladas on the center rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, top with cilantro, and serve with sour cream.
