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two rolled corn-tortilla enchiladas on an ordinary plate under green tomatillo sauce and melted white Monterey Jack, with one cut end revealing black beans and chopped dark-green spinach, with no chicken, red sauce, sour cream, rice or garnish
Andre Lewis

Black Bean and Spinach Skillet Enchiladas

Char the tomatillos in the skillet before blending the sauce so their softened flesh and browned patches both reach the finished enchiladas. Warm corn tortillas are easier to roll without cracking, especially around a filling with whole beans. Mash only some of the beans to help the spinach stay inside. The rolls finish seam-side down under a lid, with sauce spooned over their exposed edges. Keep the heat low enough that the bottom sauce simmers gently while the cheese melts across the top.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
  

  • 8 corn tortillas about 6 inches each
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil divided
  • 1 lb fresh tomatillos husked, washed and halved
  • 1 small white onion peeled and quartered
  • 3 garlic cloves skins left on
  • 1 jalapeno pepper halved and seeded
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1 can 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 package 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese grated and divided
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Method
 

  1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Brush tortillas lightly with 1 tablespoon oil and warm each for about 20 seconds per side until flexible, then stack under a clean towel.
  2. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add tomatillos cut-side down, onion quarters, unpeeled garlic and jalapeno to the dry skillet. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed, until vegetables are softened and browned in patches, removing garlic earlier if its skin darkens.
  3. Let charred vegetables cool for 5 minutes, then peel the garlic. Blend garlic, tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a vented countertop blender until mostly smooth, following its warm-liquid instructions. Keep the sauce in the blender jar while preparing the filling.
  4. Lower the skillet heat to medium and add remaining oil, black beans, squeezed spinach, cumin and remaining salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, mashing about half the beans, then transfer to a bowl and stir in half the cheese.
  5. Pour half the tomatillo sauce into the skillet and lower the heat. Divide filling among tortillas, roll and arrange all 8 seam-side down in one snug layer, then spoon remaining sauce over the rolls.
  6. Cover and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes until the centers reach 165°F. Scatter remaining cheese over the top, cover for 2 minutes until melted and remove from the heat.
  7. Drizzle lime juice around the rolls and rest for 5 minutes. Serve 2 enchiladas with sauce per portion.