Cinco de Mayo: Vegetarian enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Not that anyone ever needs an excuse to eat Mexican food (it’s a mega favorite among the people in this house, Beany included), but today’s an especially great day for it, don’t you think? We’ve been traveling a bit lately and are happy to have landed back in North Carolina, so instead of heading out to eat, we’re whipping up some festive eats at home.

Enchiladas are always a crowd-pleaser, and these are especially great because they can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake (or frozen if you make them days in advance). I love that they’re vegetarian, but to tell you the truth, they’re so packed with flavor, I bet even the most carnivorous eaters won’t miss the meat.

And like lots of the best Mexican fare, the recipe has plenty of wiggle room. Add more of this and a little of that to suit your tastes. It all gets wrapped up in a delicious corn tortilla and topped with cheese, so it really is hard to go wrong. ¡Buen provecho!

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Vegetarian Enchiladas
Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
• 2 rounded teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 rounded teaspoons chili powder
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 14 ½ ounces low-sodium vegetable broth
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 ½ cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3-4 ounces (about half a bag) fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1 ½ cups frozen corn
• 1 bunch of scallions, white and green parts separated
• 14-16 corn tortillas

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add 1 rounded teaspoon cumin, 1 rounded teaspoon chili powder, flour and tomato paste, and cook while whisking for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and ¾ cup water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To make the filling, combine 1 cup of Monterey Jack, 1 cup of cheddar, the beans, spinach, corn, scallion whites, ¼ cup scallion greens and the remaining cumin and chili powder in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and lightly oil two 8-inch square baking dishes. Set aside. Stack the tortillas in aluminum foil, wrap them up and heat them in the oven or 5 to 10 minutes.

Top each warmed tortilla with 1/3 heaping cup of filling. Roll the tortillas tightly, and arrange them, seam side down, in the oiled baking dishes. [Note: If you’re baking the enchiladas later the same day, make them up to this point, cover the enchiladas in foil and the sauce with a lid, and place them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to move on to the next step. You can also make them up to this point, cover the baking dishes with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and the sauce with a tight-fitting lid and freeze them both for up to 2 months. To bake frozen enchiladas, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, remove the foil and plastic wrap, pour the sauce over the enchiladas, top with the sauce and sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover with the foil again, and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and bubbly.]

Top the enchiladas with the sauce, and sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup of each kind of cheese, divided evenly between the baking dishes. Bake, uncovered, until the enchiladas are hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, and then serve garnished with the remaining scallion greens.

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XO,
Katrina