Cheap and cheerful enchiladas

My good friends Nara and Juan Pablo introduced me to the delights of Mexican cooking. The key, according to JP, is a combination of oregano, chili and cumin to give the essential flavour of a sunnier climate. Fun and fiesta in the kitchen...




Ingredients

• 1 red onion, finely chopped
  
• 4 plump garlic cloves
• Generous handful of chestnut mushrooms, diced
• 2 large bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• Tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed
• Tin chopped tomatoes
• Pinch each salt and sugar
  
• Pinch dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8 flour tortilla wraps
• 1 cup grated cheddar, heaped

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C / 350F
• In a frying pan, gently saute the finely chopped red onion in a tablespoon of warmed vegetable oil, with 2 of the garlic cloves, crushed.
• Whilst they are softening, empty the tin of tomatoes into a small saucepan, add the remaining 2 garlic cloves, crushed, the dried thyme, salt and sugar, and the olive oil. Stir together, put on the lid, and leave to simmer over a gentle heat for 20 minutes until rich and reduced.
• Meanwhile, add the mushrooms and peppers to the pan and stir together. Sprinkle in the oregano, chili and cumin, and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
• Stir in the mixed beans and warm through for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Get the 8 flour tortillas out of the packet. On a board, lay out one tortilla. Spoon 1/8 of the bean mixture down the right side of the wrap. Sprinkle over a little cheese and roll up, finishing with the seam side down.
• Repeat the procedure with the remaining tortillas, and place all the rolls snugly into a rectangular baking dish.
• Pour the tomato sauce over the wraps, spreading it about a bit with a spatula, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese (you should have about 1/2 a cup left).
• Bake the enchiladas in the hot oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden and a nice crust has formed.

Serve with salad to feed 4 people.

I'm off on holiday for 5 days now, so see you when I get back - I promise a sweet recipe to celebrate my return to the land of internet connection...