Sprouted Wheat “Enchiladas”

This meal was one of those “fly by the seat of my pants” moments.  I have many of those.  

It highlights one of those go-to ingredients that allow you to have a quick and easy family dinner:  tortillas or wraps.  With a few leftovers and a few simple ingredients, you are on your way to dinner in about 45 minutes.  This recipe is inspired by the old enchilada casserole recipes that I remember having years ago (and yes, I realize that enchiladas are only made with corn tortillas — I’m taking some crazed mother latitude here).  

I usually have sprouted wheat wraps on hand and in the freezer.  If you haven’t heard much about sprouted grains, here’s the lowdown… they tend to have better vitamin and nutrient content because the grains are whole and sprouted.  In addition, they are digested more like a vegetable than a starch and have a lower glycemic index.  The sprouted wraps tend to be tougher than a typical white flour wrap or burrito, but in this recipe they are baked in sauce and some cheese so they become very soft.

 

As with most leftover inspired meals, use what you have on hand and think of this more as a technique, rather than a recipe.  

Sprouted Wheat “Enchiladas”

Serves 4 adults, or 4-6 with kids

4-6 oz. of leftover protein (we used pork, but chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc. would be great —  or skip it and up the amount of black beans)
1/2 cup of leftover sauteed greens (we used collards, but try spinach, kale, etc.)
1 medium onion, chopped 
3/4 cup of cooked or canned black beans
3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese, plus additional for the top
1/2 t smoked paprika (or chipotle powder if you want to make it spicy)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
Zest of one lime
16 oz. jar of good quality salsa
1 cup of sour cream (or try yogurt if you like)
4 – 8 inch sprouted wheat tortillas (or white, or whole wheat, your choice … if you are using corn tortillas, you will need a lot more than 4, b/c they are usually much smaller)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Lightly oil an 8 inch casserole pan.  

2.   Shred or chop pork/meat and place in medium bowl.  Mix with chopped leftover greens, chopped onion, black beans, grated cheese, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and lime zest. (Other mix in ideas:  corn, cilantro, peppers, etc.)

3.  Mix together salsa and sour cream.  

4.  Spread a 1/2 cup of salsa/sour cream mixture onto bottom of casserole dish.

5.  Lay out one tortilla and spread 1/4 of the pork mixture in the middle.  Roll up and place in casserole.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  

6.  When all tortillas are filled and in dish, cover with remaining salsa/sour cream mixture and sprinkle with additional grated cheddar cheese if you like.

7.  Bake at 375 F for about 35 minutes until bubbly and browned.  Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.  Use a long spatula to serve one whole wrap, or cut into portions for the kids.