Vegetarian Enchiladas With Homemade Enchilada Sauce
A baked dish of vegetarian enchiladas is comfort food that will improve your mood - guaranteed. This exceptional recipe combines the richness of red enchilada sauce with a delicious assortment of vegetarian ingredients. Unlike many recipes, this sauce cleverly sidesteps tomatoes, offering a twist which is more in keeping with traditional flavours.
Drain and rinse the beans then drain again. Place them in a bowl along with the garlic, lime zest and juice and salt. Give a good stir, then leave to marinade whilst you get on with the rest of the filling.
400 g tinned black beans, 2 cloves garlic, ½ lime, ¼ tsp sea salt
Fry the onion in the oil over a moderate heat for two minutes until translucent.
1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 small onion
Turn down the heat a little and add the peppers. Fry for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 large sweet pepper
Add the sweetcorn and chilli and fry for a further two minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir-fry for another minute. Turn off the heat.
2 tbsp frozen sweetcorn, 1 small red chilli, 10 slices pickled jalapeño pepper, ½ tsp ground cumin
Enchilada Sauce (optional)
Place the pepper under a hot grill for five minutes, turning it as soon as one side blisters and starts to blacken. Keep turning until all of the skin is blistered. Place immediately into a covered container or plastic bag. Leave for five minutes or more to steam. This will help to loosen the skin.
1 red bell pepper
Meanwhile, fry the onion slices in the oil over a medium heat for five minutes until soft and just starting to caramelise.
1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 small onion
Peel the skin off the pepper and discard. Remove the stem and seeds.
Place it in a blender or suitable container for use with a stick blender. Add the fried onions, garlic, salt and dried spices. Also add the chocolate at this point, if using.
2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp chipotle chilli flakes, 1 tsp ancho chilli powder, ½ tsp sea salt, 5 g dark chocolate
Blend until you have a thick paste, then add the water. Blend again until you have a smooth sauce that's the consistency of double cream - sort of. Set aside until needed.
100 ml water
Enchilada Construction
Turn your oven on to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
Lightly grease a 20 cm (8inch) square (or similar) ovenproof dish. Pour a third of the sauce into the base and spread it to just cover the bottom.
Place a tablespoon of beans in the middle of each tortilla followed by a tablespoon of the pepper mixture.Fold one end over the filling, tuck the sides in and roll up as tightly as you can, but without the filling falling out. Place in the dish, seem side down, on top of the sauce. Repeat until they're all filled, making sure you pack them in tightly.
10 small tortillas
Pour the remaining sauce over the tortilla rolls, ensuring you leave the sides uncovered, so they can crisp up.
Scatter the cheese over the top and bake in the middle to top part of the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden and the uncovered parts of the tortilla are crisp.
115 g cheddar cheese
Allow to sit for five minutes, then scatter some chopped coriander over the top and serve.
10 g coriander leaves (cilantro)
Notes
Note 1 - use 16-17 cm (6 ½ inch) in diameter soft tortilla wraps or use 8 x 20cm (8 inch) ones instead. If using the larger size, you'll need a rectangular dish of roughly 18x23 cm (7x9 inch).Whole wheat is ideal. Corn is traditional and also gluten-free, but they will need warming up in an oiled frying pan to soften them before rolling.Note 2 - Can make the enchilada sauce up to two days before needed. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.Serve with salad leaves and pico de gallo, if liked.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.