I’m writing this post while sitting comfortably on the couch, but scared to move because I am so sore all over. Yesterday I started doing Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred video and I think she must hate me, because when I was finished with it, I laid on the floor for about 30 minutes feeling sick to my stomach and today I can’t move.
The really sad part is that I used to do this video regularly and it was a piece of cake (no exercise/cake pun intended). I did it on a regular basis for over a year and I could tell that my arms had gotten stronger and my abs were rock hard (ok, not quite rock hard, but definitely harder than they are now!). However, this time, I had to skip holding the weights during a few of the strength exercises and I took way more breaks than Jillian would have allowed. If I was on the Biggest Loser ranch, she would have yelled at me so much!
As awful as I’m feeling today, I’m also feeling very motivated. Motivated to get back into the shape I used to be in, where, sometimes, I would go for a run after I did the video. Hopefully it doesn’t take too long! The main reason I need to get back into exercising, besides the fact that it is bathing suit weather, is that I love to eat. Like, really love to eat. I’m pretty much always hungry, and even when I’m not, I’m always up for a snack, or in this case, a whole pan of enchiladas.
I hope I’m not the only one who makes a large amount of a meal in hopes that they will have some for leftovers and lunches for the next few days and then eats pretty much all of it in one sitting? Please tell me I’m not! Not only are enchiladas pretty much the best food ever, but I used my homemade roasted red pepper enchilada sauce to make these, and it made them extra special. So special, that when my husband asked if he could take the very small amount of leftovers we did have for lunch the next day, it took all of me to let him.
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Quinoa, Black Bean & Green Chili Enchiladas with Roasted Red Pepper Enchilada Sauce {gf}
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas, I used 15 of them
- 1 cup dried quinoa
- 2 cups roasted red pepper enchilada sauce, or sauce of your choice
- 1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8.5 ounces canned corn, or frozen or fresh
- 1/2 cup roasted green chilies, diced
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese, divided, I used Monterrey jack
- 2 tablespoons salsa, your favorite kind
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup of dried quinoa and place it in a medium sized sauce pan with two cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through.
- In a large bowl, combine the warm quinoa, black beans, green chilies, corn, salsa, spices, and salt to taste. Stir in 1/2 – 1 cup of cheese, until melted.
- Warm the corn tortillas, in a pan or in the oven, until they are are easy to fold without breaking.
- Place 1 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Put about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of quinoa mixture into each tortilla and roll tortilla around the mixture. Place fold side down in the pan with the enchilada sauce.
- Once all enchiladas have been filled and added to the pan, cover them with the other 1 cup of enchilada sauce and spread out over the enchiladas. Top with about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and place in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Notes
If making vegan, use dairy free cheese, or omit cheese all together, they will still taste great!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Mexican, Entree, Gluten Free
Cheeto loves his new grass!
Lol, I’ve never tried a Jillian Michaels DVD, but she looks like she’d be pretty intense! My husband and I used to do P90X at home, but we got a bit lazy with it (and the hubs likes to lift weights). The Ab Ripper X is killer though!
These enchiladas look so delicious! I wish I had them here right now (even though it’s 8am). š I will definitely have to try these, as well as that sauce!!
We should have an enchilada party! The picture you posted yesterday looked so good too! We can trade enchilada recipes or just eat a bunch of them! We bought the P90X before our honeymoon to get in shape for the beach and I think we only did it a few times and haven’t touched it in 2 years. I used to be really good at keeping my exercise schedule (running and doing videos) but I’ve been so lazy lately and this hot weather isn’t helping! I really need to get motivated and get back into it though because I always feel so much better after I work out.
Also, I was thinking that you guys love Mexican food and we love Mexican food, so maybe it would be easy to meet up and go out for dinner sometime? We are always up for trying a new place!
I love everything about this dish! Super duper yummy. Pinned to make. š
Thanks Tina! I hope you love it š
This looks amazing!! YUM! I have tried some of the Jillian Michael’s stuff…. soooo hard! Props to you girl! I know you feel awful now, but good for you for doing it anyways!!
Thanks so much Cailee!! It is hard! I’ve taken a few days off, so hopefully I don’t have to go through the sore muscles again when I start back up, guess I better get back to it soon!
Awwww, you are so generous letting your husband take the last few bites of this to work. What utter selflessness! š
I DEFINITELY have been known to scoff food that I was hoping to save for later. Then I feel disappointed that there was none left the next day – especially if it was a dessert. So don’t worry, no, you’re definitely not the only one!
The enchiladas look amazing, especially with that beautiful sauce of yours. I’m not sure I’ve ever had ANY kind of enchiladas before – or certainly not for a long time – got to put this right!
My jaw just hit the floor when I read that you had never had an enchilada before! That might be an exaggeration, but still! You must try them, I’m sure you will love them and want to eat them all the time! I guess you could call it selflessness, but I usually don’t give myself that much credit, haha! I’m just happy when he is willing to eat healthy things that I want him to eat as much of them as possible. I’m always disappointed if there is no dessert left the next day too. Sometimes I feel like some food tastes better once it has sat overnight and that makes leftovers so good. Maybe I need to start making 4 batches of everything to assure I will have some to eat the next day, but knowing me, I will still probably eat them all š
I love a good enchilada and these look right up my alley! Perfect weeknight dinner. My family will love it! And Jillian is definitely tough but her workouts are soo worth it in the end! (besides those first few days of extreme pain! LOL)
You are right, Sarah, Jillian is totally worth it, but first you just need to get through the pain, haha!! I took a day off, but I think I’m ready to get back to it now, hopefully in a month I’ll be bench pressing this pan of enchiladas š This would be a great dinner for a big family, and who can say no to cheesy enchiladas?!
I need to make a huge batch of these beauties. They sound super yummy.
Thanks Kathy! That is a very good idea! I hope you enjoy them š
Sometimes when I put the number of servings in on a recipe, I laugh right at my own computer screen. There’s a big difference in how much I “should” eat and how much too delicious it is to stop myself. This would definitely be one of those “can’t stop, won’t stop” type of meals, and I’m not even upset about it.
Hi Kelly! I do the same thing! “6 servings for the normal person, 2 servings for me!” It is so hard to stop myself sometimes and even worse when I have leftovers and I just know they are in the refrigerator waiting for me. I’m the kind of person who is too full to finish my meal when I’m out, but gobble down all the leftovers as soon as I get home š
Yum! These looks so good!! I need to get back in shape too. I have been so lazy since I got back from vacation. Like you said, there’s just too much good food to eat!!
Oh, and I always make huge batches for leftovers. Saves so much time and money that way.
Thanks Sarah! I was just admiring your taco salad, I’m so glad that we both have a passion for Mexican food! It’s funny because I really started exercising and getting into shape before my wedding and then kinda let it go, and then we went on our honeymoon a year after the wedding and I got in pretty good shape for that, but it has been a while and I think I need to plan another Maui vacation to motivate me again! I also need to plan another Maui trip because looking at your pictures makes me really want to go back š
I’ve gotta try that Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred video. Sounds like it’s definitely going to pay off! Working out is SO worth it if it means you get to eat yummy food like this. These enchiladas sound perfect!
Working out is definitely worth it if I get to eat yummy food! Although, I seem to eat just as much yummy food when I’m not working out, ha! Now, I guess I can just eat more and maybe have an extra helping of dessert too?!
These look fantastic! I love the addition of quinoa, it makes it so much more nutritional without even trying! I am going to try to sneak these past my meat loving husband. I bet he won’t even notice they are vegetarian! š
Thanks Annie! That is so funny you said that about your husband, because as much as my husband did like these enchiladas, he did make a comment about how he wished there was some meat in them, haha! I bet they would also be really good if you added some shredded chicken to them!
These enchiladas looks delicious, we have no decent Mexican restaurants here where I live so you have to make your own food if you want anything tasty!
I find that I’m putting black beans and quinoa in everything these days to fill me up without a lot of calories because yes, bathing suit season is here! An enchilada is typically something I wouldn’t make because I’m not confident int his area, but I’m going to try!!! I hope mine look at good as yours =)
I laughed when you mentioned giving the leftovers for your husbands lunch, my husband is the same way, he wants the leftovers if they’re good. If not, I guess I get them because he doesn’t say anything, hehe.
Hi Laura! That is too bad that you guys don’t have many good Mexican places, we have so many here in Tucson, but we always seem to eat at the same one. It is much cheaper to make it at home though, and I love Mexican food so much that I seem to always be making it in some form or another. Quinoa and black beans are such a good match and I’ve been putting them in everything too! Enchiladas are pretty easy to master, just make sure that the tortillas are warmed a bit so they don’t break while rolling them. Putting the cheese in while the quinoa is warm really helps too, because it creates a mixture that sticks together and is easier to roll. Good luck, I know you will make some great enchiladas!
It is funny because my husband doesn’t always like what I cook for the blog, so I’ve gotten pretty used to eating all the leftovers myself, so when I do cook something that he really likes, part of me is happy, but the other part is sad that I don’t get to eat all the leftovers š
They look amazing š I will have to give them a try. I am in a similar boat, but with running. I used to run regularly 12 months ago and now seem to be struggling to get back into it. I used to also do the 30 day shred. I fear that if I take that up again, I will be in a whole lot of pain.
Hi Ness! Thank you so much! I used to do a lot of running also, and I was so good at keeping up with it, but once I don’t do it that regularly it is so hard to get motivated. I try to tell myself that the pain is worth it, haha! I did the video again yesterday and it seemed a little bit easier and I think that doing it again really helped with the sore muscles. I’m hoping it doesn’t take too long to get back to the level that I was it! I hope you enjoy the enchiladas š
I’ve heard that video can be killer! I also need to get back into shape. My little baby is now turning into a toddler which means my arms need to able to easily lift 25+lbs. These enchiladas look so good! I’ll be trying this recipe and that video soon!
Hi Monet! I can be a killer, especially if it is your first time doing it in months! I did the video again today and I didn’t feel so awful this time and I think doing it again really helped with the sore muscles. I’m sure that taking care of a toddler is an exercise in itself! I hope you love these enchiladas š
Izzy! Ah, Jillian Michaels. Something about her is both amazing, but also very scary. Like her nostrils flare when she gets angry or something! I would love to get back into shape too. I never work out anymore, other than yoga and walking, but not like a full-on JM-style workout. I should… but I don’t lol. Jillian Michaels does have those amazing abs that could grate cheese, so I’m positive her videos are AWESOME. She is the most toned woman of all time! I’m actually afraid to say much about her because what if she reads this and then yells at me! ahhh! Is that being paranoid??
These enchiladas look amazing! I loveeee the quinoa and bean and corn filling. So much flavah and textcha. hah, when I’m cooking, I’m always thinking, wow, I will so much leftover, I think I’m making too much! And then I have a scoop or two left lol. This looks so fresh and summery and healthy and beautiful! I wouldn’t mind a pan of enchiladas to pick away at while I work this afternoon. A bite here and there while I type. Sounds like enchilada heaven!
These also look Jillian Michaels approved (“drop and give me twenty… enchiladas!”).
Haha, I totally agree! I got really obsessed with watching the Biggest Loser a few years ago and now my main motivation for trying to stay fit is so I will never, ever have to go to a place like that. I would be one of those contestants that would fall off the treadmill while running and then throw up, all while Jillian was standing over me with her nostrils flaring! I used to be really into working out, but it all kind of went downhill when all my stomach issues started, and then I finally got back into it once I had them kind of under control, and then I hurt my knee and I just haven’t been as into it since then. But now that I’m going to be working at a health and wellness center, I figured I better try to get back in shape! I would pee my pants if Jillian read this! It would be amazing and very frightening at the same time, haha!
I always think I am making way too much too! And then I end up with two spoonfuls of leftovers, and then I figure I should just eat it all since that won’t be nearly enough for another meal. Maybe the moral is that I should just start eating smaller portions?! I’m picturing enchilada heaven right now, and it looks like a glorious place! I might just have to make another pan of enchiladas to pick at while I work (and by work, I mean watch cooking show re-runs, that counts, right?). I would happily do 20 pushups for these enchiladas, if I could actually do a push-up, that is š
Enchiladas are my Mexican weakness — I LOVE THEM!! Like love love love. And I love this flavor combination!
Hey Nicole! Mexican really is the best, and while it is hard for me to pick a favorite, enchiladas are definitely way up there! There is something so delicious about the corn tortillas, yummy fillings, cheese, and the amazing sauce they are cooked in! Now I was wishing I hadn’t eaten the whole pan and had some to eat right now š
Ugh, I just hate when that happens to me. I was doing Insanity for a good while and got really strong. I stopped for a while and now it just kills me to get through the warm up! Haha! The super frustrating part is it takes so long to gain and you can lose it so quickly.
Now let’s talk about these enchiladas…they look awesome. I love that you filled with them with two of my favorites…quinoa and black beans. Somehow I missed your sauce, so I’ll have to go back and check that out. Pinning!
Me too, Cindy! So frustrating that it seems like going a few days (although in my case, a few months) without doing your exercise routine can erase months of doing it. It just isn’t fair at all!! I’ve never tried the insanity one, but I’ve heard that it really works. Maybe once I get some of my strength back I will look into it!
Quinoa and black beans are definitely a great match up, they are two of my favorites also! I hope you like the sauce, it was so easy to make and so much better than the canned stuff š Thanks for pinning!
Ah jeez, I feel like I could use a workout video or 12. Summer’s pretty much here, it’s time to get back into bikini shape! I LOVE these enchiladas! They’re so full of nutrition and flavor. I must make your enchilada sauce (and enchiladas) soon!
I know, right? Funny how finally making myself exercise can make me feel so out of shape, haha! Summer is full on here, so now I just need to find myself a pool to plunge into because it is really freaking hot!! Hot, like I just want to sit inside in the A/C and each enchiladas all day, kind of hot.
I’m so glad you like these! I usually just throw random things that I happen to have in the refrigerator or cupboard into my enchiladas, but I think I’ll be sticking with this combo for a while š I hope you love them!
That looks delicious! I love enchiladas, but it sounds like they would be awesome with quinoa for some extra nutrition. š
Thank you! They are definitely awesome with quinoa, and the extra nutrition just happens to be a huge bonus š
Mexican Cuisine is definitely one of the easiest to make gluten-free! š Looks GREAT!!
Hi GiGi! Thank you! I totally agree, and I’m so happy that it is true because I absolutely love Mexican food! I don’t think I could live without it š
Love these enchiladas, Isadora. Such great flavors!
Thanks Matt! You really can’t go wrong with enchiladas! I have a lot of fun stuffing them with all kinds of delicious flavors š