Red, White and Green Enchiladas
RED ENCHILADA SAUCE
Makes enough for 12 enchiladas. Ideal with beef.
6 dry pasilla chilies
12 California chilies
6 New Mexico chilies
6 Guajillo chilies
1/2 tsp oregano
4 garlicups cloves
1 tsp salt
Soak chilies in 2 cups warm water 30 minutes, and then boil 20 minutes or until chilies soften and begin to break apart. Cool mixture. Place the cooled mixture in a blender with a 1/2 teaspoon of oregano (Mexican preferred), the four garlicups cloves and 1 teaspoon salt and process until smooth. Pour blender contents back into the pan and cook 20 minutes or until it thickens slightly. You should have about 1 cup sauce.
CHEESE ENCHILADAS WITH RED SAUCE
Serves 8. Total time: 11/2 hours.
Sauce:
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cups minced white onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cups mild to medium red New Mexico chili powder
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cups water
1/2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican; 1/2 tsp salt
Enchiladas:
1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed and mashed
2 TBS low-fat plain yogurt
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cups minced white onion
Sauce: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add half cup onion; cook, stirring, until it softens, about one minute. Stir in garlicups and continue cooking until the onion is translucent and soft, about two more minutes. Stir in chili powder. Add broth, water, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced about one-third, about 20 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.
Enchiladas: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 7-by-11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine beans and yogurt in a small bowl. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce in the baking dish. Arrange four tortillas in the dish, overlapping them to cover the bottom. Top with half the bean mixture and spread it thin. Scatter 2⁄3 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons onion on top of the beans. Top with 1⁄3 of the remaining sauce, four tortillas, the remaining bean mixture, 2⁄3 cup cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons onion. Spread half the remaining sauce on top and cover with the remaining four tortillas. Top with remaining sauce and the remaining 1⁄3 cup cheese. Bake enchiladas until hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
— From “EatingWell Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals” by Jessie Price
WHITE ENCHILADA SAUCE
Makes enough for 12 enchiladas. Ideal with chicken.
1 cups sour cream
1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cups jack cheese, shredded
4 oz butter
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp parsley, chopped
12 oz heavy cream
Place ingredients in a medium saucepan and warm until bubbles form and all the ingredients blend.
GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE
Makes enough for 12 enchiladas. Try it with chicken, shrimp, fish or any white meat.
20 fresh tomatillos
10 fresh jalapenos
3 garlicups cloves
Salt
Roughly chop and then boil the tomatillos until they soften, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the jalapenos by holding them with tongs over an open flame until the skin blisters. Cool and remove as much skin as possible.
Place the tomatillos, jalapenos, garlicups and 1teaspoon salt in a small pan and cook for 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the mixture turns yellow.
— Recipes from Florencio Aguilar of Florencio’s Mexican Restaurant in Merced, Calif.
GREEN ENCHILADAS
Serves 6.
2 tsp corn oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken meat
1 onion, medium dice
1 garlicups clove, minced
1 cups farmer’s cheese
1⁄3 cups heavy cream
2 cups quartered tomatillos
1 cups sliced scallions
2 roasted jalapenos, seeded, diced
2⁄3 cups chopped cilantro
2 TBS chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp each, ground cumin and coriander
12 corn tortillas
6 oz Monterey jack, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a small skillet. Add onion and garlicups and saute until onion is a light golden brown, six to eight minutes. Remove onion from the heat.
Puree the farmer’s cheese in a food processor until smooth. With the machine running, add the heavy cream in a stream. Remove the cheese mixture from the processor to a bowl. Fold in the chicken and sauteed onion.
Place the tomatillos, scallions, cilantro, jalapenos, mint, cumin and coriander in a food processor or blender and puree to make a sauce. Place in a shallow bowl.
Soften tortillas one at a time by toasting in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat for about 15 seconds on each side. Dip the tortilla into the sauce to lightly coat. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of the tortilla and roll up. Place the filled and rolled enchilada in a buttered baking dish. Repeat. Spoon remaining sauce over the enchiladas, sprinkle with cheese, cover and bake until the filling is hot, about 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake long enough for the topping to melt.
— Adapted from “The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook”