groove food

super verde enchiladas verdes

comfort food does not usually fall in the same sentence with fresh. but doesn't the ultimate comfort food have you pushing away from the table feeling better than when you sat down, nourished and energized, not sleepy and bloated? this theory does not permit throwing a salad down on the table and calling it comfort food. there's got to be a homeyness present in order to qualify. big, brothy bowls of soup bobbing with garden vegetables. or enchiladas filled in any number of ways, but always using fresh corn tortillas that just barely hold their shape after baking, melding into whatever goodness they carry.

enchiladas require a bit of elbow grease. that's why i like to make them on the weekend and serve them to many. call me romantic, but the work they require is an ingredient as important as the tortilla. time spent makes things taste better, and these enchiladas are no exception. that said, they are dead easy to assemble. no tricky stuff.

the key here are the tomatillos. blended with onion, jalapeno, serrano, and cilantro, they make a sauce highly redolent of citrus with subtle heat underneath. i stood over the blender for a full minute inhaling. i even poured a shot of it and tipped it back. i don't regret it.

the assertive freshness of the salsa verde meeting humble, familiar corn tortillas is what make these enchiladas so memorable--and the filling. which, i might warn you, has a color theme and is why i call these super verde enchiladas verdes. aside from the caramelized onions and a bit of jack cheese, everything else that fills and tops these enchiladas is some shade of green. these things just happen to taste so well together. case in point: zucchini, spinach, poblanos, and goat cheese laced with pounded parsley and olive oil (bonus points for using neon green olio nuovo).

insert sound of plates being scraped. buen provecho!

super verde enchiladas verdes

(serves 6 - 8)

for the pounded parsley sauce (optional, but tasty)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 cups parsley leaves

1/4 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

for the tomatillo sauce

2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed

1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut in quarters

1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded

2 - 3 serrano peppers, seeded

1 cup cilantro leaves, packed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1.5 cups homemade or store-bought vegetable broth

for the enchilada filling

2 onions, medium diced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan

2 poblano peppers, small diced

3 medium-sized zucchini, small diced

4 cups spinach (or a blend of arugula and spinach), roughly chopped

1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups (from about 8 ounces) grated jack cheese

6 ounces fresh goat cheese, or softened cream cheese for a milder flavor

12 - 14 corn tortillas

to serve

2 avocados, sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

make the pounded parsley sauce: toast the coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. put the seeds in the bowl of a mortar and pestle and crush into a rough powder. add the parsley leaves a handful at a time, pounding into a rough paste. slowly whisk in the olive oil. season with salt & pepper and set aside. (alternatively, you can make the sauce by placing the parsley leaves and ground coriander in a food processor. pulse a few times to break up the leaves, then drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running until you have a rough sauce. set aside)

make the tomatillo sauce: determine how spicy you'd like your tomatillo sauce. this depends on a number of variables: how large are your chili peppers and how spicy are the actual specimens. taste and determine. place the husked tomatillos, onions, serranos, jalapeno, and cilantro in the pitcher of a blender. you may not be able to fit everything, in which case, only add half the tomatillos. season with salt and pepper. blend on low at first, gradually increasing the speed to high, until a smooth sauce is formed. you may have to stir and scrape down the sides of the blender to assist this process. if you had to divide the tomatillos, add the rest now and blend until smooth. taste and adjust seasonings, perhaps adding more jalapeno and/or serrano if you prefer.

place the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add the tomatillo sauce--stand back, it may spatter a bit. cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. turn off the heat. add the broth and stir to incorporate. set the tomatillo sauce aside.

make the filling: add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. add the onions and stir to coat in the oil. season with salt and pepper. cook the onions, stirring often, until lightly caramelized. this should take about 20-30 minutes. if the pan gets dry and the onions are scorching, add a splash of water and stir, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. you may also need to adjust the heat. add a splash more of olive oil to the pan, then the poblanos. cook 5-6 minutes more, until the poblanos have softened. scrape the onions and poblanos into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.

once the onions and poblanos have cooled, stir in the zucchini, spinach, cilantro, cumin, and jack cheese. in a smaller bowl mash the goat cheese (or cream cheese) with a fork. if using, add half of the parsley sauce and use the fork to combine. set the rest of the parsely sauce aside. if you are not using the parsley oil, crumble the goat cheese (or break the cream cheese into small pieces).

assemble the enchiladas: preheat the oven to 375. oil a 9 x 13 baking dish, or similarly sized casserole. alternately, you can make individual servings oiling square or oval shaped ramekins large enough to hold 1, but preferably 2, enchiladas. warm the tortillas. you can do this by wrapping them in a slightly damp towel and microwaving for 30 - 40 seconds. Or, my method, which is a little more time consuming but creates a perfectly pliable corn tortilla. heat a cast iron or regular skillet over medium heat. once warm, run a tortilla under water. shake off the excess water and then place the tortilla in the skillet. heat the tortilla for 20-30 seconds per side, just until the tortilla is warmed through. fill the tortilla while another one heats, almost like you have a little enchilada assembly line.

to fill: add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the filling to one side of each tortilla, then add about a tablespoon of the goat cheese (or cream cheese) mixture to the top. tightly roll, placing the seam side down in the baking dish. repeat this process until all of the filling has been used. you may need one more smaller baking dish to contain any overflow. reserve about a cup of the tomatillo sauce and set it aside. pour the remaining tomatillo sauce all over the enchiladas.

cover the baking dish with foil and place in the preheated oven. bake for 40-50 minutes, removing the foil at about 35 minutes to lightly brown the top. the sauce should be bubbly. wait about 5 minutes before serving, topping each with a little additional tomatillo sauce, sliced avocado, cilantro leaves and a small spoonful of the parsley sauce.

notes

* this recipe can easily be made vegan. omit the jack and goat cheese. in its place, you can add crumbled, firm tofu (made by draining and pressing a block of tofu then crumbling). add the tofu to the onions with the poblanos. another alternative is adding spicy cashew cream (recipe here) when you would add the goat cheese.

* if you want to save a little time, omit the parsley oil. it is lovely, but not entirely necessary.

* i like using ezekiel brand organic sprouted corn tortillas, but almost any will do. most corn tortillas are naturally gluten free, but be sure to check the ingredients as some producers add wheat flour. as for store-bought broth, imagine's organic no chicken broth is a winner in my book.

* don't worry if your enchilada assembling skills are less than finessed. even at their messiest, these are quite delicious.

two genius recipes

one of my favorite aspects of blogging is the opportunity it affords to share incredible recipes with those on a quest for what to cook next. i often overwhelm the unfortunate whole foods clerk who nonchalantly asks what i intend to do with the beets i am purchasing. this usually involves detailing each ingredient, what will happen to it and the complete web address or cookbook where he or she can find the recipe. i guess i just assume everyone is always after a good recipe. especially you, dear reader. isn't that why you are here? you want to know how to transform raw kale into a thing of addiction.

every week i hunger for the new post on food52's genius recipes, a column that uncovers exceptional recipes with unlikely twists. kristen miglore brought me northern spy's kale salad--an insanely tasty take on the current kale salad motif. heady, crunchy kale meets velvety, caramelized cubes of butternut squash, toasted almonds (or, in my case, pecans), and a flurry of aged cheddar & pecorino, all wrapped in lemony dressing. i've made it no less than fifteen times since it was published, each time doubling the batch because it keeps all week and seems to get better each day. i was only knocked off my nutritious kale kick by a recipe for lemon cream ice cream that is likely a staple in the diet of botticelli's cherubs. the recipe comes from jeni britton bauer of jeni's splendid ice creams. there are a couple mystery ingredients that magically transform the ice cream into the smoothest concoction that has come out of my fifteen-year-old ice cream maker. a tart lemon syrup rivulets airy cold cream when you first start the ice cream spin cycle. this marriage of opposites is an unexpected delight. i served the ice cream with homemade blueberry sauce and crumbled amaretti cookies mixed with toasted, chopped pine nuts. i may have a genius move or two up my own sleeve.

notes

* find the recipe for northern spy's kale salad here.

* find the recipe for jeni's splendid lemon cream ice cream here. for homemade blueberry sauce simmer 1.5 cups blueberries and 3/4 cup sugar at medium heat for about 7 minutes, until slightly thickened.

* when i made the ice cream, i had some small clumps form when making the base. a quick whir in the blender solved the problem. this is also how i have saved a few batches of ice cream with slightly overcooked egg custards.

walnut & quinoa tacos

there are a handful of things in the world that are indisputably awesome no matter in what form they come. i can think of a few. ice cream. paychecks. ukuleles. hugs. tacos. definitely tacos. they have so much going for them. they offer a myriad of flavors. the combinations and permutations are endless. tacos are a canvas where your culinary imagination can madly ramble. and let's not forget one of their most likeable qualities: you eat them with your hands.

sometimes the best method for making tacos is spilling the contents of your fridge and pantry and playing with what you have. but if you'd like a little more structure that offers huge returns in terms of fresh, clean flavor i implore you to make walnut and quinoa tacos. it sounds like an unlikely combination, and the method for making these tacos was certainly new to me, but isn't it the one with the funny nose that we always fall for? serge gainsbourg tacos. the other wonderful thing is they are vegan, although you wouldn't guess it. making the accompanying spicy cashew cream is a must. a must! they satisfy every guest and the filling comes together in no time, leaving you the rest of the day to slave over salsas and other colorful things to add to the spread.

i like these tacos served with little bowls of toppings--radishes, carrots, lime wedges, cilantro, microgreens. i also thinly slice a couple bell peppers and red onions then char them in the wok to serve on top. as for salsas, i am of the mind that guacamole is nearly always a must when tacos are uttered, but i also like a simple mango salsa and a grilled tomato salsa for good measure and color. which brings me to posting a picture of the chioggia and golden beet salad with tangerines, cilantro and mint that joined the tacos on the table. when it comes to this meal, you should feel a bit like eating the rainbow. sans leprechaun.

walnut & quinoa tacos

(fills 12 - 14 tacos)

1 cup quinoa (i use a tri-color blend), rinsed

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, soaked in water for 4-6 hours

2 limes, juiced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons chili powder

salt & pepper

warm corn tortillas

spicy cashew cream (recipe follows)

preheat the oven to 350. place the quinoa in an oven-safe pot that has a fitted lid (a small to medium sized dutch oven is a good option for this). add the cinnamon stick, turmeric, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes to the pot. cover the quinoa with 1 3/4 cups water and season with salt and pepper. bring to a boil over medium-high heat. once boiling, cover the quinoa with the lid and place in the oven. bake for 20-25 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. fluff with a fork.

while the quinoa is in the oven, drain the walnuts from the water they were soaking in and place them in the bowl of a food processor. add the lime juice, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and salt & pepper to taste. begin pulsing the food processor until the walnuts are broken down into very small pebbles, the texture of taco "meat."

fold the walnut mixture into the cooked quinoa and season with more salt and pepper if needed. serve the taco filling on warm corn tortillas, with the accompanying spicy cashew cream.

spicy cashew cream

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

2 lemons, juiced

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, but very delicious)

drain the cashews from the water and place them in the pitcher of a blender (or food processor if you don't have a blender). add the chipotle chili powder, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and season with salt. add 1/2 cup of water to the blender. blend on low speed, gradually increasing the speed as the cashews break down. you may need to add more water as you go, and stop the blender to stir and scrape down the sides. you want the cream to be the consistency of sour cream, so adjust the water as necessary. blend until the consistency is smooth & velvety. serve at room temperature.

notes

* this recipe was adapted from leslie meyers

* make sure to start the night before, as the cashews need to soak overnight

* the quinoa and walnut filling is also delicious over a salad, or scooped with a spoon straight from the fridge.