Smoky Swiss Chard Enchiladas (Smitten Kitchen) by Barbara
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| Meatless! |
This is a very good, very filling, very satifying recipe for enchiladas.
Started with Deb Pearlman's recipe from her new cookbook Smitten Kitchen Keepers but I really didn't like her sauce (and having to pull out the food processor to make it.) But I did like the fact that she used swiss chard, black beans and corn.
My head of swiss chard was so large that I had enough filling to make two full pans of enchiladas.
I added mesquite salt to the beans and chipotle hot sauce which makes them smoky. We bought our mesquite salt in Arizona near the Mexican border, but there are grocery store options, like McCormick's Mesquite Seasoning.
---Barbara
Smoky Swiss Chard Enchiladas
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen Keepers)
Makes 12 large enchiladas in 2 9x13" casseroles
1 extra large bunch of Swiss Chard
1 extra large or 2 medium sweet onion
salt and pepper
olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced then chopped
1 15.5 ounce can of sweet corn niblets, well-drained
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 15.5 ounce can of low-sodium high quality black beans, rinsed and drained
1 t. mesquite salt or seasoning
1 cup (4 ounces) Queso Fresco (or Cotija) Mexican cheese, bite-size pieces
2 cups Simply Heinz ketchup
1.5 cups chipotle hot sauce (Finger Lakes)
12 8-inch flour tortillas
2 cups grated cheese, preferably Monterey Jack or Mexican mix
Garnishes:
freshly chopped cilantro
ripe avocado, sliced
dollops of sour cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Make the sauce by combining the ketchup with the chipotle hot sauce until smooth. There are other brands but this is an excellent one --- Chef Lerman's --- which is made locally.
Chop the onion and slice and chop the garlic.
Wash the swiss chard, cut off the end of the stalks, and the tips of the leaves. Strip the leaves from the stems. Then, cut the stalks cross-wise into bite-size pieces, as you would with celery. Then, cut the leaves into strips, then chop them into bite-size pieces.
In a very large skillet with a cover or a large stock pot with cover, saute the onions with a pinch of salt until translucent, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pile in the swiss chard, sprinkle with salt, and press it down with the cover to get it all to fit in the pan. Cook on low heat until it wilts, stirring whenever you can. Don't let the garlic burn. Add a few tablespoons of water or vinegar and cover it again. It will take about 8 to 10 minutes to cook down, until no longer bright green.
In a very large bowl or pot--- I had to pull out the extra large mixing bowl I use for making Christmas cookies --- add the drained corn with a pinch of salt, then the rinsed and well-drained black beans with 1 t. mesquite salt, then the bite-size cheese. Add the cooked swiss chard mixture and toss it all together.
In the bottom of the casseroles, add a 1/2 cup of the sauce and spread it out evenly.
Warm the tortillas so they are bendable.
Place a tortilla on a flat surface, add a tablespoon of sauce, then spread it around with back of the spoon to coat the whole tortilla.
Add as much filling as you can, roll the tortilla tightly, then place it seam down in the sauce in the pan.
Repeat until you have two pans full, six in each pan.
Divide the sauce evenly between the two pans, covering as much of the enchiladas as you can, but leave the edges exposed.
Sprinkle the enchiladas with the grated cheese. Sprinkle any remaining bits of filling over the top.
Use a firm spatula, like a fish spatula, to divide the enchiladas and lift them out.
Serve with ripe avocado slices, lots of freshly chopped cilantro and dollops of sour cream -- which will offset the heat of the chipotle hot sauce.
B