Meatless Monday: Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce
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I decided to make vegetable enchiladas to use up some vegetables we had at home, and thought I’d turn to Fiesta at Rick’s to see if Mr. Bayless had any salsas that sounded good for topping my enchiladas (as if he wouldn’t? Please.). I came to a page with creamy jalapeño salsa and was set to just make up the filling on my own and use that on top, but then just a few pages away I stumbled onto his roasted vegetable enchiladas. Perfect! These enchiladas were a great way to use up some CSA vegetables and random leftovers. I used turnips, kohlrabi, and mushrooms in the filling, as well as a random cob of corn we had grilled. I also had chihuahua cheese leftover from queso fundido burgers we made on the 4th. So, really, all I needed to buy were the tomatillos.
I only used one jalapeño in the salsa. Normally, I would use two without batting an eye, but something is UP with jalapeños lately, and I’ve found them to be super spicy for some reason. Plus, my son was going to eat this and I didn’t want the spice to be overkill. Well, of course, this time I got a dud of a jalapeño and it wasn’t quite spicy enough for me. It was still a delicious sauce, though. Zachary seemed to really like it, so after he cleared his plate, I offered him more, but apparently this was highly offensive to him and he decided to throw his seconds on the floor. Sigh. Toddlers, amirightoramiright?
I prepped everything ahead of time and assembled it, which worked out fine, except the tomatillo sauce did separate a bit and wasn’t quite as creamy. Mine wasn’t as creamy to begin with, though, because I used sour cream (and a light version too, the horror!) in place of the crema or heavy cream. I didn’t want to buy heavy cream just for one recipe because I then have to find a use for the remaining cream and this is the cycle I’ve been on for the last year and why I’vecontinued to gain weight. The sour cream worked just fine, though (although, I’d probably add just a bit more next time).
All in all these were great enchiladas. I loved the salsa and the filling was very unique – I can’t say I’ve had turnip & kohlrabi enchiladas before. (That would be difficult since I never have had kohlrabi before this meal in anything, ever). These are very versatile enchiladas, and I definitely suggest making them! We, not surprisingly, had them with the famous black beans.
And, of course, I’m looking forward to making that creamy jalapeño salsa, too. Very, very soon.
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce
Adapted from Fiesta at Rick’s by Rick Bayless
1 lb. (6-8) tomatillos, husked and rinsed, halved
1 medium onion, in 1/4″ slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2-3 serranos or 1-2 jalapeños
1.5 Tbsp. canola oil, plus extra for roasting the vegetables and heating tortillas
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup Mexican crema, crème fraîche, or heavy cream
8 cups cubed vegetables (1/2″) such as carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, mushrooms, butternut squash
12 corn tortillas
2/3 cup shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as chihuahua or asadero), Monterey Jack or mild cheddar
any garnishes you’d like
Start by making the sauce: Roast the tomatillos, onion, garlic and chiles on a rimmed baking sheet 4 inches below a hot broiler until the tomatillos are soft and blotchy black on one side, 4 or 5 minutes. Turn everything over and roast the other side. Remove.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees (or preheat to 400, depending on what type of oven/broiler you have).
Scrape the tomatillo mixture into a blender or food processor and process to a smooth puree. Heat 1.5 Tbsp. of oil in a medium-large (3 to 5 quart) pot over medium high. When the oil is hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle, add the puree all at once. Stir nearly constantly for several minutes until darker and thicker. Add the broth and the crema, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. If the sauce has thickened beyond the consistency of a light cream soup, stir in a little more broth (or water). Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.
Roast the vegetables: Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with a little oil and salt pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crunchy-tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Heat the tortillas. Lightly brush or spray both sides of each tortilla with oil. Slide into a plastic bag and microwave on high (100%) for 1 minute to warm and soften, or stack in twos or threes (spraying between each one) and heat in the oven until pliable, a couple minutes.
Finish the enchiladas. Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Working quickly so the tortillas stay hot and pliable, roll a portion of the roasted vegetables into each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish. Douse evenly with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are heated through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 10 minutes. Garnish as you wish. These are best served piping hot from the oven.
i KNEW there was a reason I should have bought Fiesta at Rick’s! I’m sure there’s a whole cookbook worth of reasons but these veggie enchiladas sound insanely delicious. Roasted veggies just can’t be beat and I love that these can be adapted to whatever you have lying around!
Elly, you always do Tex & Mex with panache…I could eat these now (for breakfast).
This would satisfy my cravings Elly!
Mmm I love roasted tomatillo sauce on enchiladas! Your picture looks fantastic, too! I always struggle to make my Mexican food look as good as it tastes :).
I don’t think I’ve ever had enchiladas like this and really want to try it!
trying to learn more about how to cook mexican food – thanks for sharing this great recipe (and yes, i could have had this for breakfast too!).
Something is seriously UP with the jalapenos lately. They are killer spicy. I got a big bag of them and have only been able to use a few. Anyway, love this meatless Monday recipe. I have never made enchiladas myself… perhaps it’s time…
OH YUM
Completely agree and couldn’t have said it better – something is totally ‘UP’ with jalapenos lately! Glad it’s not just me! I made a similar recipe myself adapted from Rick’s ‘Mexican Everyday’ cookbook last month. btw – love your blog and always look forward to your posts.
Wow! This looks INCREDIBLE! What a dream dish!
Yummy! I haven’t had enchiladas in waaay too long and I love that these are filled with roasted veggies. They sound awesome!
I’ve been using Greek nonfat yogurt in place of cream or sour cream in a lot of recipes lately. Wonder if it would work in this sauce too?
I think it would work, Sandy. I use it in a lot of things as well!
Holy crap! I think you’re trying to kill me! I still have 2 weeks before I’ll be in my own kitchen and able to make these, I think these are headed to the top of my list of things to make when I get home!! Thank you 🙂
Next time I have a crap load of random CSA veggies to use up, you know what I’ll be making!!
I need to buy that cookbook! We eat mexican at least once a week. I will be trying this recipe soon!
With those jalapenos in, I think my hubby will be very happy to try this recipe 🙂
We made these tonight and they were divine! Do you chop the jalapenos or roast them whole? I just sliced off the tops, roasted them whole and threw them in the blender, seeds and all. I used two and the heat was just right for us. Thank you, Elly, this is a definite keeper!
Hi Donna. Glad you liked the enchiladas! When I made them, I roasted the jalapenos whole and then just sliced off the tops after roasting (I used the seeds, too). The cookbook doesn’t really specify exactly how to do it, but that seemed to be the easiest!
These enchiladas have piqued my tastebuds 🙂 I’m putting this recipe in the queue. Question, though — where can I buy tomatillos? Are they a common supermarket item?
They’re common in my store but probably not all. I’ve also seen them canned in the international aisle of a lot of stores.