Healthy & Creamy Spinach Enchiladas

You know what’s missing from lots of delicious Mexican dishes?  My fav: leafy greens. 

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I’ve fixed that problem for you with these delicious, veggie-powered, healthy spinach enchiladas.

HEALTHY & CREAMY SPINACH ENCHILADAS

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For enchilada sauce:

• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup water
• Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For enchiladas:

• 1 package frozen chopped organic spinach (thawed)
• 1 can black beans (rinsed)
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 1 package burrito size tortillas

To make the sauce:

• Whisk in flour until well combined, about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring sauce to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Slowly stir in water, about ¼ cup at a time.

healthy spinach enchilada

Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or frozen for use later.

homemade enchilada sauce

To make enchiladas:

• Add ricotta and stir
• Spoon ¼ of the spinach mixture into a tortilla, wrap tightly, and place in a baking pan
• After all burrito shells are filled, top each enchilada with approximately ½ cup enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted

The spinach mix would also make a great burrito bowl on top of rice. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo, amigos!