Lowfat Pumpkin Enchiladas

Jade_Butterfly · October 2011

Low-Fat Vegetarian Pumpkin Cream Enchiladas with Mexican Rice

I saw this recipe for chicken enchiladas with a pumpkin cream sauce on Foodgawker the other day and my mind immediately started swimming with ideas of a veggie version. I love pumpkin and since pumpkin recipes seem to be overtaking the blogosphere lately, I figured I'd join the bandwagon. I created a filling of roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions, mashed cannellini beans, green chilies, garlic, sour cream and cheese. Yum, yum, yum!

These enchiladas turned out wonderfully! I tried to make them healthy by using small amounts of oil and using low-fat dairy products, and they were every bit as creamy and decadent as I'd hoped. (Surprisingly so for only 665 calories for 2 enchiladas and a portion of rice!) If you're not into fat-free products though, you could of course sub regular ingredients for an even richer and creamier dish. I'd go ahead and add more cheese if you're going that route! Whatever you do though, don't leave out the rice. For starters, it's the best Mexican rice I've ever tasted. I use brown rice to make it healthier, and it still tastes just as delicious. Secondly, it compliments this dish so well. The flavors are amazing together!

Low-Fat Vegetarian Pumpkin Cream Enchiladas
-Inspired by Cheeky Kitchen

Enchilada Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
3 T. olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
1 can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. (170g) fat-free Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
5 oz. (150g) reduced-fat (30% fat) grated cheese (white or Mexi-blend)
4 oz. (113g) can diced green chilies (or roast them fresh)
1 spring onion, green part only, snipped
½ - 1 tsp garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp salt
Dash pepper
9+ corn tortillas (depending on size)
Fresh cilantro, for garnishing

Pumpkin Cream Sauce Ingredients:
½ cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
½ cup light cooking cream (or heavy cream)
½ cup vegetable broth
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cumin
Dash salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place the cauliflower florets in a large baking dish and drizzle with 2 T. olive oil (or more if you’re not dieting). Roast 45 min to an hour, stopping half way to turn them over. Both sides should become brown and caramelized. When finished, chop into small pieces and reduce the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over med heat. Sauté the sliced onions until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

This is also a good time to begin boiling the rice (recipe follows) and the pumpkin (if making your own).

I cut a pie pumpkin into slices and boiled until tender, then let cool and peeled the skin off. Then I mashed the flesh and had extra pumpkin puree for something else later :-)

In a large mixing bowl, mash the beans and mix in the caramelized onions, roasted chopped cauliflower, Greek yogurt, cheese (reserve ¼ cup for topping), green chilies, spring onion and seasonings. Adjust to taste.

Whisk the sauce ingredients together and ladle a bit into the bottom of a large 9x13 baking dish to keep the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom.

Generously stuff each tortilla with the filling and place them seam-side down in the baking dish. When all the tortillas are filled, pour the rest of the pumpkin cream sauce on top and spread out to the edges. Sprinkle on the reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown (about 15 more minutes). Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Each enchilada (based on 9 total) = about 275 calories

Mexican Rice
-Adapted from Homesick Texan

Ingredients:
1 cup brown (whole grain) rice
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Knorr Chipotle bouillon cube (optional)
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup tomato paste
1 T. lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 T. cumin
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Add rice, broth, chipotle bouillon, and butter to a medium sauce pan. Bring it to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to the very lowest setting, stir once and cover with a lid. Let it cook for about 20 minutes undisturbed. When the time is up, remove it from the heat and let it sit undisturbed another 10 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-low heat (I use the same one I previously made the caramelized onions in). Sauté the onion a couple of minutes and then add the garlic for one more minute. Add the tomato paste, lime juice and cumin to the pan and let it cook about a minute. Turn off the heat. Fluff the rice with a fork and add it to the pan along with the cilantro. Stir to mix well and add salt to taste.

1/8th of this recipe = about 115 calories

Pumpkin Cream Enchiladas

EDIT: PS: You can see the remaining step by step pics on the blog. . . . they just looked so good.
(http://lizzygoesdutch.blogspot.com/2010/10/low-fat-vegetarian-pumpkin-cream.html)

*HAPPY COOKING*