Enchiladas Verdes Vegetarians

Enchiladas always make me happy! Fun to eat, delicious and with a multitude of possibilities. These are enchiladas verdes with a veggie filling. Of course you can swap the filling for chicken, cheese or any other that you like. In this recipe I use a tangy tomatillo sauce to dresses up a slightly fried corn tortilla filled with colorful veggies and I follow a traditional method for making them for immediate serving. If you rather prepare them now and serve them later—even a day later—then follow the oven method explained in the Shroom and Board Enchiladas Post.

Ingredients for 4:

For the Sauce:

8 to 10 tomatillos, medium size, peeled

1/2 small white onion, cut into two thick slices

1 jalapeño

3 or 4 spinach leaves

1 clove garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp kosher salt

For the Filling:

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tbs grapeseed or vegetable oil

6 oz sweet potato, julienne (cut into thin 1/4-inch sticks)

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 tsp juices or puree of chipotle in adobo (optional)

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups shredded gouda or other strong cheese (optional)

1/2 cup grapeseed oil or other vegetable oil

12 to 14 corn tortillas

For the toppings- Choose any or all of these

Chopped raw onion

Grated cheese

pumpkinseeds

chipotle in adobo

Mexican crema

How to:

To make the sauce:

1) Grill or roast tomatillos and onion until they are soft, pale green and have charred spots

2) Blanch spinach leaves in hot boiling water for 1 minute.

3) Blend roasted veggies, spinach, and remaining sauce ingredients until smooth.

4) Strain the puree, but reserve the pulp. Transfer the strained sauce to a saucepan to keep warm on low heat.

To make the filling:

1) Heat up a pan and add the onion. Let it brown a bit without stirring—about 30 seconds. Add a pinch of salt and drizzle with the oil.

2) Add sweet potato and sauté for a couple of minutes on medium heat until it begins to get tender but still has resistance (al dente). Add kale, remaining salt, chipotle, oregano, coriander, and pepper. Stir gently to combine, lower the heat and cook until kale begins to soften. Turn the heat off.

To Assemble the enchiladas

1) Have the sauce and filling warm or hot set aside. Plates on the ready.

2) SLIGHT FRYING: In a small frying pan heat up the 1/2 cup oil. Gently glide one tortilla into the oil and almost instantly, flip it to coat on both sides. This way, the tortilla will heat up and become sturdier so we can coat it with sauce later.

3) ADD SAUCE and FILLING: Gently place the tortilla in the sauce and flip it to coat well on both sides. Take out and put in a baking tray or chopping board. Put about 1 to 2 tbs of filling and fold. Build two more enchiladas like so. With the help of a spatula, transfer the trio into an individual plate. Drizzle with a little bit more of the sauce on top and dress them up with your favorite toppings before serving. Do the same for each plate.

NOTE: For this traditional method of making enchiladas you might want to recruit an extra pair of hands but if it’s just you, don’t worry, it can be done. Just have everything at the right temperature and set out an organized assembly line. Have the garnishes on the table so everyone dresses their own enchiladas.

Or, as I mentioned in the beginning, check out my make-ahead oven method on the post: Shroom and Board Enchiladas