Ideal for EatingEating ethically while eating great!

We've got a full house right now: husband, son, two daughters, step-daughter and me. While only my 4-year-old son still eats meat, the rest of us still have diets that vary in some from one person to another. My husband still eats seafood (though almost no shrimp now). My step-daughter eats dairy, eggs and shrimp -- and almost no vegetables. My younger daughter eats dairy and eggs, but only when used as ingredients in baked goods or ice cream. My older daughter also eats dairy and eggs in baked goods, but she is happiest when eating plain pasta in butter with a side of broccoli. Making everyone happy at dinnertime isn't always easy!

I got lucky a few days ago when I made my enchilada casserole. Honestly, I assumed that the girls wouldn't eat more than a few bites. I thought my step-daughter wouldn't like the black beans. I know my younger daughter doesn't love the enchilada gravy. And I thought that all three of them would find the dish too spicy. Surprise, surprise, surprise: they all finished their plates, and my older daughter even went back for seconds!

I did two things a bit different this time: (1) I used grilled local corn in the black bean mixture, and (2) I put a little Demerara sugar in the enchilada gravy. The corn we had grilled a few days earlier. We had some cobs leftover, and my husband cut the kernels off the cobs before storing them in the fridge. My younger daughter wanted me to use them in some corn chowder. Alas, my husband was adamant about not having soup for a meal (Fine. We don't have to have soup as a meal in summertime, but, as long as I am the meal-planner and executive chef of the house, you *will* be having soup as a meal again in the future!) So I decided to add the kernels in equal measure to the southwest black bean mixture. The kernels were deliciously smokey and added such a nice flavor to the black bean mixture that I was able to leave out the chipotle powder. I was thoroughly enjoying eating the mixture on its own, without tortillas or enchilada gravy!

The Demerara sugar cut the acidity of the enchilada gravy and gave the gravy a smoother, more balanced flavor. The pineapple and juice in the gravy always adds a nice bit of sweetness to counter the spiciness of the chili powder and the jalapeños. But I hadn't been adding any kind of base -- other than salt -- to lessen the acidity of the dish. *I've* never minded. But both of my daughters have commented in the past on not loving the enchilada gravy. With my spice-averse step-daughter in town now, I decided the gravy would need some sugar if I had any hope at all of the girls eating the dish.

Suffice it to say, I will be using a bit of sugar in the gravy from now on. I used probably 2 teaspoons of Demerara sugar for the whole batch of gravy. Not too much. But it was definitely enough to give the gravy more subtlety.

Enjoy!