Black Bean and Squash Enchiladas

I first made these enchiladas a couple years ago, after my friend Heidi gave me the idea. I remade them this week, both because they are delicious, and because I wanted to take new pictures. I mean, the original photos were lovely (shot with a point a shoot, using flash, no white balance, no editing), but I thought you might like to see what they really look like. And here they are, in all their rich, savory, flavorful, and nutritious glory. Will you give them a try?

Black Bean and Squash Enchiladas
1 acorn or other hard winter squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 leek, halved and finely sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, diced (or 1 cup canned, diced tomatoes)
1 medium zucchini, quartered length wise and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup corn kernels
2 cups cooked brown rice
about 1 tsp chili powder
about 1 tsp cumin
1 packet of taco seasoning, divided
12 large tortillas
1-28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup salsa
8 ounces of shredded, vegan cheese (optional)
additional diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, shredded kale or other greens, and vegan sour cream for garnish

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds, then cut into wedges. Roast the squash in a 400 degree oven, until the flesh is tender, but not mushy. Cut the squash from the skin, and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. While the squash is roasting, saute the onion and leek in the olive oil, over medium heat. Cook until the veggies are translucent, then add the garlic. Continue to saute until all three ingredients are soft and smell fragrant, then remove from the heat.

To assemble the enchiladas, toss the squash, onion/leek/garlic mixture, beans, tomato, zucchini, corn, rice, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 of the taco seasoning in a large bowl. Spread about 3/4 of a cup of the filling mixture, to cover the center 1/3 of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla, leaving the ends open. Place the filled tortillas in a large, greased casserole dish. The enchiladas will should be close together. In a medium sized bowl, stir the crushed tomato, salsa, and remaining taco seasoning. Spread the sauce over the enchiladas.

Bake the enchiladas in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes, until they are heated through. If you are using the cheese, remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle cheese over the enchiladas, and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot with garnishes.

The recipe made more than I could fit in a single pan. I assembled a second, smaller pan, and put them in the freezer, unbaked. I have done this with enchiladas in the past. If you put them right from the freezer into the over and bake at 350 for about 90 minutes, they'll be perfect.