Enchiladas Rojas

This meal was inspired by a recipe from Fields of Greens cookbook by Annie Somerville. I like this cookbook for meatless options...nice variety of soup, pizza, and sandwich options. It's one of the books I use for a reference when I have some type of vegetable from the CSA box I'm trying to use. I refer to this book other times as well...like for this recipe which is a favorite at our house.

Many of the recipes in this book are not quick, so I don't usually use it for weeknight ideas; however, it works well to prepare a couple things on a day off...at least partially and pull the meal together quickly when needed. I made this on a day off...making the vegetables and sauce and refrigerating the separate parts for a couple days. It does work well for me to make a couple items on a day off since the cutting board and utensils will only need to be washed one time, and we get a couple meals out of the deal.

There was a bit of discussion earlier this year about Meatless Mondays, a movement to decrease meat consumption for personal and planet health. At our house, we like a variety of things and tend to be an "all things in moderation" family. Anyway, back to the recipe!

The sauce:

1 T olive oil

about 2 c onion, diced

salt

2 t cumin

2 t oregano

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

28 oz can pureed tomatoes

2 T ancho chile paste

1 t chipotle puree

Heat oil. Add onion, salt, cumin, and oregano. Saute until onion begins to release its juices. Add garlic and saute 5 more minutes or so. Add tomatoes, chile purees and cook, uncovered, on low for 15 minutes or so.

*I did not use the ancho chile paste since I didn't have ancho chiles. The original recipe says to toast the cumin seed whole...then grind and to toast the oregano. I didn't do that either and it tastes just fine to me.

The filling:

2 T vegetable oil, divided

about 2 c diced onion

1 t cumin (see * above)

1 red bell pepper, diced

about 4 c diced zucchini

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 lb mushrooms, thickly sliced (recipe says 3/4 lb)

1 t or so chipotle puree

1 t marjoram (original recipe calls for fresh marjoram)

1 T fresh sage (I didn't use any sage)

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet. Add the onions and 1/2 the cumin and saute for 5-10 minutes (until onions are soft). Add bell pepper, zucchini, half the garlic, and remaining cumin and cook 10 minutes or so, until the zucchini is soft but not overcooked. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat remaining oil and sear the mushrooms over high heat...being careful to not set off a smoke detector:) Add remaining garlic and stir. Add a tiny bit of water to deglaze the pan and add to the bowl of vegetables along with the chipotle puree.

The original recipe calls for dipping the corn tortillas in oil before wrapping the filling in them. I just warmed them in the oven until soft and placed some filling in each one setting it in the pan coated with some of the sauce seam side down. Cover with remaining sauce. Bake, covered at 350 degrees 30 minutes or so. Remove foil and top with a bit of cheddar cheese.

The original recipe has some cheese being wrapped in each tortilla....I typically don't do that, but it could be done!

The author, Annie Somerville, describes this as an appetizing warming dish for a winter night. It is that.

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