Lindsey's Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas. Flan for dessert.

Today I was craving mexican so I was trying to think of something a little more fun to make than I usually do. But what it came down to was my own recipe for Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas. A while back I came up with this recipe because I was sick of having just plain old cheese enchiladas, they are sorta boring and there's not much to them. So I wanted to create one with more substance to it. Not saying it's healthy but much much better than just cheese. I also got a little creative and decided I wanted to make homemade corn tortillas rather than the store bought ones. So I went and bought myself a tortilla Press, which turned out to be really fun and I probably wont be buying the store corn tortillas again. Here are the recipes:

Corn Tortillas

2 C Masa Flour

1 1/4 C water

1/4 tsp salt

Put Masa flour, salt and water in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until soft dough forms. You may need to add more water so add it 1 T at a time. Do not make dough to wet or it will stick to the press. Form into 18 balls about the size of a golf ball. Put some plastic wrap on both sides of the press (I used the bag from a cereal box, it worked really well and didn't stick). Place 1 ball at a time and press down and flatten it with the press. You can use a rolling pin but i'd suggest getting a press if you are going to be making them after this. Heat skillet on medium heat and cook each tortilla for 45 seconds on each side.

Lindsey's Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

1 T oil (I use olive oil)

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic presses or minced

1/2 T cumin

1/2 T chili powder

1 4oz can diced green chilies

1/2 C salsa (I use the Hot Picante brand)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 C sour cream (nothings as good as the Daisy brand)

1 C colby jack or cheddar cheese

Corn tortillas

1 20oz can enchilada sauce or you can make your own

Saute onion and garlic in the oil until softened. Add cumin and chili powder stir for about 30 seconds. Add green chilies and salsa and mix well, then add black beans and tomatoes. Stir in sour cream then remove from heat and add 1/2 c of the cheese and stir just till melted. Pour enough of the enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan about 1/3 of the can. Warm each tortilla up in a saucepan, microwave or you can lightly fry them so they don't break while you roll them up. Fill each tortilla with 2-3 Tb of bean mixture and roll up and place in the prepared pan. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and place in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy =]

And for dessert I made Flan with cream cheese in it. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com but once again I made a change. The recipe didn't call for cream cheese but it also only calls for 3 eggs. I didn't think that it would be the texture I would want. So I added the cream cheese. Plus it adds a very good flavor. You also have to make sure you don't mix it too much or the texture won't be smooth. Thats what I did here, but last time I just blended until it was smooth and the texture was PERFECT!! Like Cheesecake but also flan. Here is the recipe:

Cream Cheese Flan

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• (Add 4oz cream cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.
5. To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.