A while back JJ watched the movie “Forks Over Knives” and came home declaring our household shall consume less meat. Having put up with my dietary shenanigans for the past few years, I indulged him. Well, for that reason and because I think we (as a home and a culture) consume too much meat.
Our game plan was to continue eating our favorite meals but prepare less meat and add vegetables whenever possible. So even if grilled chicken soak was on the menu, we made less chicken and added a salad option. From both a health and a budget perspective, we won.
We don’t hold to a “Meatless Monday” tradition, but I do try to build it into the menu plan on a regular basis. This week I tossed in Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas (note: I used a different sauce recipe not knowing this recipe had one. Enchilada sauce is super easy to make; I cut down on the chili powder so it’s not too spicy for the kids. Oh, and I abstained from the cheese. Feel free to add double in my honor.) I also had some rice leftover from the evening prior, so I tossed that in as well.
Of course, the enchiladas were delicious. But the real win? I had more filling than room in the pan for enchiladas, so I just tossed it in the fridge. The mix is essentially rice, black beans, corn, cilantro, wilted spinach and a few shakes of cumin.
So, for today’s lunch? A pre-chopped salad we keep on hand with a large scoop of heated leftover enchilada filling. I topped it with salsa, ranch (because I’m a true Ohioan) and crushed tortilla chips. De-lish. I had 2 bowls.
The moral of this story?
Make too much rice. Keep a perpetual bowl of salad in your fridge. Then toss a lot of things together with ranch and call it dinner.