Delicious vegetarian enchiladas. The filling is quite simple to make. I use my recipe for chipotle taco sauce in this, as it does very well doubling as an enchilada sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• FILLING
• 8 ounces diced zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon epazote (optional)
• 16 ounces canned black beans (rinsed and drained)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chipotle sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup water
• ENCHILADAS
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 10 soft, fresh corn tortillas
• 3 cups chipotle sauce (recipe follows)
• cooking oil

METHOD:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F.

Step 2

Place zucchini, onion, garlic in a couple tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and saute until lightly browned.

Step 3

Stir in epazote, black beans, salt, pepper, cumin, 1/2 cup chipotle sauce and half cup water and simmer until mixture thickens up; set aside.

Step 4

Place half a cup of the chipolte sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, spreading out to cover the bottom.

Step 5

Heat about a half inch of oil in a skillet and briefly fry tortillas, a few seconds on each side, until they puff and soften.

Step 6

Do them one at a time and drain well.

Step 7

Place 1/4 cup of the filling on the tortilla and roll up.

Step 8

Place enchilada seam side down in a casserole dish.

Step 9

Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Step 10

Cover enchiladas with cheese and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Step 11

Garnish with chopped jalapeno or cilantro and sliced scallions, if desired.

Smoky Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces tomatillos
1 pound tomatoes (fresh ripe tomatoes)
1 onion
4 to 5 cloves garlic
2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
4 chipotle peppers (canned)
1/4 cup adobo sauce (from chipotles)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup water

Method:

Step 1

Core tomatoes and blanch 1 minute, then plunge into ice water and slip off skins.

Step 2

Peel off tomatillo husks and rinse.

Step 3

Coarsely chop tomatoes, tomatillos and onion and add to a saucepan along with garlic, and seeded peppers. Stir in chipotles, adobo sauce, salt, cumin seed, vinegar and water.

Step 4

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until onion is soft, about 20 minutes. Allow it to cool.

Step 5

Puree mixture in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Step 6

Return sauce to pan and cook until mixture is as thick as you like, maybe another 15 minutes or so, keeping pan covered with a lid vent open or using a splatter screen.

Makes approximately one quart sauce