I have said in a previous post that I grew up in Mexico and am an avid fan of Mexican food. I always try to find veggie renditions of my favourite meals to make at home and thought of making some enchiladas. Now, real traditional enchiladas do not taste like the ones I made; however, these are super über tasty and full of flavour. My favourite part of the dish was the homemade enchilada sauce. It had the real tanginess you look for in salsas.
I think I am someone who can handle lots of heat. I mean I know a lot of people say they like spicy food, but no… I love spicy food. I will eat spicy food until the point where I need to run to the kitchen and chug down some milk in order to be able to talk normally again. Now when I am writing this, its sounds like this might not be healthy and I may need an intervention? My husband also enjoy spicy, but he is not the “jalapenos on his sandwich first thing in the mornings” kind of a guy.
I really love Mexican salsas and miss finding them here in Germany. There are so many different types of chilis that create these tasty little treats. Such as chipotle, habanero, jalapeno, serrano, pasilla, and the list goes on and on. Each one of these chilis has a distinct flavour and use in Mexican cuisine. I am still on the look out to find a market here in Germany where I can find these chilis, and once I do I will definitely be making a salsa trying event. I think my husband will need to mentally prepare for this as his participation is key. For someone who prior to being with me ate McDonalds and survived on eggs with mayo on white bread, tends to be my toughest critic. I literally will watch him eat my food and analyse his expressions. It’s a love hate relationship, but I would not want it any other way.
My husband was not a huge fan of the enchiladas, but I on the other hand was. I think they were full of bold flavours and mixed with the feta and shredded cheese mellowed down some of the spice. I will be making these again and the best part of this recipe is you can change the veggies based on what is your fridge.
Veggie Enchiladas
Enchilada Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp paprika powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp bell pepper paste (or tomato paste)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Pepper
In a medium bowl add all your dry ingredients. Have your stock, tomato paste and flour ready. In a medium pot heat the olive oil, once heated add the spices and flour. Mix for about 1 minute. Slowly add the vegetable stock until you have removed all lumps. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add apple cider vinegar and pepper, continue to simmer for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
Enchiladas
4-5 tortillas (depending on size of baking dish)
1 zucchini, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 red belled pepper, chopped
1 large bunch fresh spinach
1/2 leek, chopped
1 can (400g) kidney beans, drained
1 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used gouda)
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1 tbsp cumin
Salt pepper
Olive oil
Handful cilantro, chopped
1 cup enchilada sauce
Sour cream for garnish
In a large pan add olive oil. Once heated add red onion and garlic and simmer until browned. Add zucchini, leek, red pepper, ground cumin, salt and pepper and simmer for about 8 minutes. Add spinach and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until veggies are fully cooked. In a large bowl add the cooked veggies and add the kidney beans. Add 1/3 cup of your shredded cheese and mix. Taste and all salt and pepper as needed.
Preheat oven to 200C
Take a baking dish and cover the bottom evenly with the enchilada sauce. Grab a tortilla and put about 2-3 tbsp of your veggie filling on the right side of the taco. Slowly warp the tortilla. Carefully place inside the baking dish. Continue to do this until you have filled your baking dish. Once filled, add the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the wrapped tortillas. Cover with the remaining shredded cheese and feta.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sour cream.
