Enchiladas Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4.
A note about the tortillas. Sturdy yellow corn tortillas hold up
better in these enchiladas than more delicate white corn
tortillas. The corn tortillas must be softened before they are
rolled and baked in the casserole. Frying them gently in a
little oil greatly enhances the flavor of the tortillas. Do not
use flour tortillas for this recipe.

If you don't have green chiles, you can
substitute the chiles with a cup of your
favorite prepared salsa (cooked, do not
use salsa made with fresh, uncooked tomatoes)

INGREDIENTS
Peanut oil, canola oil, or other high smoke point oil
12 corn tortillas
2 teaspoons olive oil (or peanut or canola)
1/2 onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
14-ounce can (about 1 3/4 cup) crushed tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
3/4 cup of chopped cooked green chiles (about a 4-ounce can),
or 1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapeños (more or less to taste,
depending on the heat of the chiles and how spicy you want your enchiladas)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb (4 cups) of jack cheese, mild cheddar , or a mix, grated
A handful of cilantro
1 cup of sour cream
Half a head of iceberg lettuce

METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 In a large frying pan at medium-high heat add a tablespoon of
oil. When the oil is shimmering and hot (not quite smoking), add
a corn tortilla to the pan. Cook it for 2-3 seconds, use a metal
spatula to turn it over, and cook it for 2 to 3 seconds more.
Lift up the tortilla with a spatula, add another tortilla
underneath. Cook the second tortilla for 2-3 seconds, lift both
tortillas, and add another tortilla underneath. Repeat the
process with all the tortillas, adding more oil as needed. This
way you can brown and soften the tortillas without using a lot
of fat. It's important to pre-cook the tortillas because not
only does cooking them help soften them for rolling, cooking
them in a little fat helps develop the flavor of the tortillas.
As the tortillas brown a little, remove them to a plate.

2 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the
chopped onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, until translucent. Add
the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the crushed tomatoes.
Add the green chiles. Add 1/2 cup of water. Add the oregano.
Bring to a simmer and taste. If the sauce tastes too vinegary,
add half a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce. Remove from heat.

3 Put a little olive oil on the bottom of a 3-quart casserole
pan. Take a tortilla, cover 2/3 of it lightly with the shredded
cheese, then roll up the tortilla and place it in the casserole
pan. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled.

4 Add sauce to the top of the tortillas in the the casserole
pan. Make sure the rolled up tortillas are covered with the
sauce. If not, add a little water to thin the sauce to spread it
more evenly over the tortillas. Cover the whole thing with the
rest of the grated cheese. Put the casserole in the oven for
10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve with sliced
iceberg lettuce that has been dressed only with vinegar and
salt. Garnish enchiladas with cilantro and sour cream. See
Perfect Guacamole for a great guacamole avocado side dish.