McDougall Bean and Corn Enchiladas

My husband and I have been passing a cold/flu back and forth since a few days after Christmas. We did the same thing last year at exactly the same time. In both years, I got it worse than him, even though he's the one bringing the germs home from work and passing them to me. This time around we had 2 different strains. This time he had a few days of coughing and sneezing, whereas I've had over a week of tsunami snot, one day with a fever, no sleep at night for 5 days because as soon as I tilt my head I leak from every opening in my head (Yes, even my ears were draining and eyes gunked up this time around).

One of the hazards of having this thing is that you can't eat. You can't stop breathing long enough to chew and swallow, so you nibble, then give up after a while because face it, the food has no taste, either, when your whole head is clogged up.

I've made very simple meals, and one day my husband cooked - the day I was feverish, and another my son did. He makes a great pot of spaghetti with jarred sauce, like any other 2-something male.

Today I woke up knowing I'm on the healing path again. I've only used one tissue all day, and some air is actually making through both nostrils. My ears no longer leak. My eyes aren't puffy. I was able to taste my morning smoothie! 

So to surprise my husband today I'm making another Mary McDougall oldie but goodie, Bean and Corn Enchiladas, using the recipe she demonstrates in the McDougall Made Easy DVD and was previously included in newsletters and at least one of the McDougall books.

The recipe:

Bean & Corn Enchiladas
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Enchilada Sauce:
2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
4 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Place all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk until well
combined. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and
add more chili powder if desired. Set aside.

10 whole wheat flour tortillas
4 cups mashed pinto beans
1 cup chopped green onions
1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 2.25 ounce can sliced ripe olives, drained
1-2 tablespoons chopped green chilies (optional)
grated soy cheese (optional)

To assemble casserole:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the beans in a large bowl. Add the onions, corn, olives and green chilies (if you
wish). Mix gently until well combined.
Place 1½ cups of the sauce in the bottom of a large non-stick oblong baking dish. Take 1
tortilla at a time and spread a line of the bean mixture down the center of the tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, placing them snugly next to each other. Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolled up tortillas, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle a small amount of grated soy cheese over the top, if desired. Cover with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges over the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and tofu sour cream, if desired.

My changes:

My bag of tortillas contained 8 so that's what I make. My baking dish couldn't hold any more, anyway.

I didn't feel like standing over a stove to make the enchilada sauce, so I used plain old low salt, low sodium marinara sauce to which I added a few tablespoons of chili powder. I've done this in the past and my husband says he likes it more than "real" enchilada sauce. The recipe tastes better with the larger amount of sauce, anyway.

The recipe calls for 4 cups of beans. That's more than 2 cans, a smidgen less than 3. The heck with it, I used 2 cans and it was just fine. Other times I've gone with 2 cans of refried beans, Eden brand low sodium.

The corn - I used 2 cups, not 1 1/2 cups, only because that's what was left in the bag. We like corn.

Mary doesn't specify what kind of olives. I've done this with both black and green and my husband prefers the green with the pimentos. Since I want something with a strong taste today, I went with the green again. I can use the sodium.

I didn't use the green chilies. I don't want to open a 4-ounce can only to use a tablespoon or so, and plan nothing else this week I can use them with, so may skip them.

And I used Daiya cheddar shreds on top of this. Many years ago, Dr. McDougall had no problem with the use of soy cheeses or even soy-based meat substitutes, like Gimmelean and Boca products, and I continue to use them, although not as often as I once did. Something like this needs the cheese.

The finished product, the next morning:

Tasty Leftovers

I didn't get a chance to snap a photo fresh out of the oven, since hubby was ready to eat as soon as he got in. This is one enchilada, cut in half to fit the container.

It tasted great! We both agreed it could have used a bit more chili powder, or maybe a dash of cumin or some other spice, because it still tasted a bit blander than usual, thanks to our dulled tastebuds. A few squirts or sriracha sauce helped. Made exactly the same way next time it'll be plenty spicy for us.