Easy dinner recipes: Meatless Monday enchilada ideas

Love enchiladas? With flavors so rich and hearty, you might never guess these are vegetarian.

Hibiscus enchiladas with chipotle sauce: Jamaica flowers (of the hibiscus family) are typically found in vivid red teas, but these tart, dried buds are an unusually delicious filling for enchiladas. They’re combined with peppers, onion and zucchini, then rolled in warm tortillas and topped with a spoonful of creamy chipotle sauce.

Classic red enchiladas: For a classic red enchilada, look no further than this recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation for 150 years. It may look simple, and it comes together easily, but the flavors are deliciously complex. And if you don’t tell your guests, they may not guess dinner is completely vegetarian.

Tofu enchiladas: Crumbled firm tofu acts just like ground meat in this tempting recipe. Flavor the tofu with Mexican oregano, cilantro, black beans and diced red onion and tuck into tortillas drenched with rich enchilada sauce. Top the enchiladas with cheese and bake until the sauce is hot and bubbly. Hungry yet? You can find the recipe below.

TOFU ENCHILADAS

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Serves 8

1 (12-ounce) carton extra-firm tofu
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can enchilada sauce
8 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup light 4-cheese Mexican cheese
Shredded lettuce, low-fat sour cream, for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Drain any liquid from the tofu carton, then crumble the tofu. Place it on several layers of paper towels to drain. Pat the tofu with towels to remove excess moisture and let it drain about 15 minutes. Set aside 1/4 cup of the tofu.

3. Combine the remaining tofu, oregano, 2 tablespoons of cilantro and the salt in a bowl.

4. Heat the enchilada sauce in skillet until hot. Dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the sauce to lightly coat both sides. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of tofu down the center of the tortilla, then top the tofu with about 2 tablespoons of beans. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of red onion.

5. Roll up the tortilla and place it seam-side down in a 9-inch square baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

6. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas. Sprinkle them with the reserved crumbled tofu, then the cheese. Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is hot and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle the enchiladas with the remaining cilantro. Serve each on top of some lettuce and dolloped with a little sour cream.

Each enchilada: 237 calories; 587 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 7.51 grams fiber.

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