Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas by Shef D (AWESOME!)

*  Do you want this recipe emailed to you, so it is printer friendly?  Yes?  Email Shef D and request a copy of the recipe (shefd@rocketmail.com).  He'll email it to you!

Well folks.  I did it~finally!  I worked on my butternut squash enchilada recipe AND, as an added bonus, decided to incorporate beans.  This was an interesting experiment, I'm pleased with the results!  It took me about 2.5 hours to prepare, so it's a recipe you may want to try on a day off AND on a day you want to bond with friends through cooking!  The recipe makes about 18-20 enchiladas!

I tend to make everything from scratch these days, so for this recipe I made my enchilada sauce from 1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes.  Those that know me will tell you that I'm not a cookbook type of guy, but when Shef D wants to cook, and doesn't feel like thinking, 1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes is the resource for a great meal, nearly every time!  If you don't want to make your enchilada sauce from scratch, buy some already made for this recipe.

So, let's get started!

Ingredients:

• Your Favorite Enchilada Sauce
• 2 Butternut Squash
• 1 15 oz Can Black Beans (Rinsed)
• 1 Medium Sweet Onion
• 1 Cup of EXTRA Strength Chicken Broth (Use 2 Bouillon Cubes for 1 cup of water)
• 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 4-5 Tomatoes (I used about 3/4 of a quart home canned tomatoes)
• 6 Cups of Cheddar or Mexican Cheddar Cheese (Substitute vegetable product cheese!  I was out of stock!)
• 2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Jalapenos (or to taste.  Mine were frozen which zaps some of the zing!)
• 3 Tablespoons of Ground Cumin
• Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste (I probably ground a heeping 1/4 teaspoon)
• 18-20 Whole Wheat Tortillas 
• 1/4-1/2 Cup of Corn Starch
• Butter Flavor Vegetable Spray
• 2 9x13 Pans

Prepare the Butternut Squash

1. Halve the squash and remove the seeds while rinsing under cold water.  Take the tip of a sharp knife or an ice pick and poke 5-10 holes in the skin of the squash.  
2. Flesh side down, lay the squash on a cookie sheet.  Pour 3/4 cup of chicken broth onto the cookie sheet.  
3. Bake the squash for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Set on the counter and let the squash cool for about 15 minutes.  It really depends on the temperature of the house.  Watch for the chicken broth to start disappearing.  As the squash cools, it will absorb the chicken broth.  This adds flavor!
4. Now, scoop the squash flesh from the shells and put in a large mixing bowl.

The Enchilada Mix

While the squash is baking in the oven, make your enchilada mixture.

1. Finally chop the onion.
2. Finally chop the tomatoes.
3. Heat the remaining 1/4 chicken broth in a dutch oven or deep sauce pan and add the onion, 2-3 minutes later, add the garlic and Jalapenos, 2-3 minutes later, add the black beans, and 2-3 minutes later, add the tomato.  Stir often.  Saute until the veggies soften....just start to soften...don't let them get mushy!  Set aside. 

Mixing it all together, BABY!

1. Take a spoon and mix the squash.  There may be some hard chunks....chop them into small pieces with the spoon.  Add the cumin and sugar.  Continue to MASH and STIR.  You want the squash to get the consistency of mashed potatoes.
2. Add the onion/tomato/garlic/black bean mixture to the squash and stir.  Pour off into the sink any liquid.  Slow stir the mixture (don't mash now!  You want the beans to stay whole.  No reason.  This is just a guide to help you judge the necessary amount of stirring.)  Let sit for 5-10 minutes.  (yes, take a break)  Pour off any liquid.
3. If the mixture is still wet, "dust" it with corn starch and stir.  Still wet?  Keep dusting until the corn starch is gone or the mix has the texture of mashed potatoes.  Don't worry; go to the next step.  We can always come back to this step if they are too wet.
4. Add two cups of shredded cheese to the mix.  (Tonight, I only had mozzarella that was shredded.  It was great!!!  Cheddar or Mexican cheddar would be equally as great!  Next time, I'm going 100% fat free cheese!!)  Mix it up!  Add the freshly ground pepper and mix it up!

Putting Together the Enchiladas

1. Spray  the 9 x 13 pans with the butter flavored vegetable non-stick spray. 
2. Take a tortilla and put a healthy-sized scoop of the mix in the the center of the tortilla and roll it into a tube and put in one of the pans.  Repeat until there is one layer of enchiladas.
3. Take a spoon and run a hefty drizzle of the enchilada sauce on each enchilada.  Take 2 cups of cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the enchiladas.
4. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and serve with FAT FREE sour cream!

I have literally thought and talked about doing this Shef D original recipe for OVER one month.  They are great!  Even the squash haters in the house said they had doubts, but really loved Shef D's butternut squash and black bean enchiladas!!

ENJOY!!

"Smoxoxches!" ~ Shef D