Running Red Lights For Squash!



The enchilada filling - up close!



As we walked out to our cars after work today, my best friend Laura and I chatted about what to make for dinner. I got ridiculously excited when I remembered the butternut squash I had in the fridge.

She laughed at me and we joked that I was going to speed and run all the red lights just to get home and start cooking.

We may have been joking, but I was really excited about that squash - sad, I know... As soon as I got home, I started looking up recipes and found the perfect thing - enchiladas (one of my all-time favorite meals!

I had tortillas and a big can of enchilada sauce in the cupboard, so I went to work chopping and sauting and steaming and baking and making a big ole mess. I am having so much darn fun with this I can't believe it - cooking has become my new hobby!

I was inspired by this recipe: http://www.savorynest.com/2011/02/black-bean-brown-rice-roasted-butternut.html, but as I usually do, I tweaked it to fit what I had on hand.

Beans, Greens and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 roasted butternut squash
1/2 bunch green onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch red chard? (or some kind of reddish green from my CSA box) Chopped
1 bunch beet tops chopped
I can black beans

4 Whole wheat tortillas
1 large can green chile enchilada sauce
1/2 cups shredded cheddar daiya cheese

First I put the squash in the oven to bake (If I was to do it over, I think I would peel it first, cube it and then roast it). But this time, I just cut in half and put in a baking dish face down with a little water.

I let that cook for about 45 minutes while I made a delicious salad for tonight's dinner and prepared the other ingredients.

I filled up the rice cooker - way more than I needed so I could use it for other things this week.

Can't wait to taste 'em!

Then I diced and sauteed the garlic, greens stems (I'm using everything these days!) and green onions. After a few minutes, I threw in the greens and beet tops and let them wilt down. Then came the beans, the squash and the rice and voila - the enchilada filling was ready.

I heated my tortillas to soften, poured some sauce into the bottom of a huge baking dish and started assembly. Since I only had four tortillas, I stuffed them full and pressed them down so they could be covered in the sauce that I poured over top. I sprinkled the cheese on top and baked at 375 for about 30 minutes.

They look pretty good, but you'll have to wait to hear how they taste...

It's not even Halloween... :)

Oh, I also roasted the butternut seeds - just like you would with pumpkin seeds. Like, I said, I'm using everything!

And, having the time of my life! :)