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.