Since reducing the meat content of my diet I have been eating a lot of beans, because they're a great
source of vegetarian (and vegan) protein. They're also filling, rich in fibre, cheap, low fat (not that there's anything wrong with the right kinds of fat), count towards your 5 a day, and provide iron (great for all of us ladies).
In proteins there are about 20 different amino acids (going back to my Food Tech A-Level here guys), and as adults we need 8 of these amino acids to be provided from foods; these are known as "essential" amino acids. How many of these amino acids a protein contains determines its biological value. Animal proteins usually have a higher biological value, containing more of the essential amino acids. Plant sources of protein often have one or more of the essential amino acids missing, and are classed as being of low biological value. This means two or more plant protein sources should be eaten together, ensuring that those amino acids absent in one can be provided by the other. For example, you might eat baked beans on toast, and combine the legume source of protein (the beans), with the cereal source of protein (the bread). Wow that takes me back to A2...I worked from my own notes here, but you can check out all of this information here, where I originally found it: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients/protein.html?limitstart=0
Anyway, my point is that this meal will provide you with some complementary proteins, in the wholemeal wraps and the beans. Other than this it is pretty damn tasty. Enchiladas are one of my favourite meals, and so I hope you all enjoy this Mexican recipe...
Ingredients
- 8 wholemeal wraps (not too big, medium size)
- 1x 400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1x 400g can tinned tomatoes (the chopped ones)
- 1x small can of sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g mature cheddar, grated
- 3tsp smoked paprika
- 2tsp chilli flakes
- 1 dash of turmeric
- 1tsp cumin
- 1tsp Italian herbs (trust me, you need to add it)
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano, remove the leaves and keep these (if you don't have fresh then use 1/2tsp dried)
- OPTIONAL: 2 chopped spring onions
- Fry light spray
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190*c, and get yourself an ovenproof dish out.
- Into a pan spray the fry light, and add the onion and garlic into the pan. Cook lightly until just going soft, and then add in the spices and the can of tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Take three tablespoons of the sauce and spread onto the base of the oven proof dish- this will stop the enchiladas from sticking. Put two more tablespoons of the sauce to one side.
- Return the remaining sauce to the heat, and then add the beans, pepper, and corn. Stir to coat all of the beans and vegetables, and then allow to simmer on a very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lay out the eight wraps, and divide the bean mixture between them, before rolling them up tightly (this is the messy bit), and then placing into the oven proof dish side by side. Top with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with cheese (you can also sprinkle the enchiladas with a little more smoked paprika, and some chilli flakes, if desired).
- Place into the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- If you like, top with some chopped spring onions, and serve with a homemade salad (recipe for mine below)....
Super Simple Side Salad
Simply combine 2 chopped tomatoes, 1/3 chopped cucumber, 1 chopped Satsuma, handful each of chopped basil and mint, plus 1/2 diced avocado.
Labels: beans, cheese, chickpeas, enchiladas, family meal, Food, healthy, Mexican, quick meal, spicy, vegetarian, vegetarian meal, wraps
