Layered Veggie Enchiladas

The other day I found a recipe on the Whole Foods website that looked like it had potential, but as I read through the ingredients list I noticed it lacked several things I deemed necessary... onion, garlic, cumin, jalapeno, and most notably... salt. I also noticed most of the comments said it was kind of bland, that people felt the need to drown it in salsa, and that the tortillas were very soggy. I also didn't really like the idea of topping a "Mexican" dish with mozzarella.

Needless to say, I overhauled the recipe... and it turned out great! I suggest you fry the corn tortillas to crisp them up before assembly, but if you don't mind them getting soggy then by all means, use them as-is. Another option is to brush them with a little oil and bake them until they crisp up, if you don't like the frying notion.

So here it is... my heavily adjusted and readjusted version of Whole Foods' "Layered Vegetable Enchiladas"

Layered Vegetable Enchiladas

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 lb chorizo
1 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
2 cups frozen corn, thawed, excess liquid strained off
1 cup frozen bell pepper strips, thawed, excess liquid strained off
3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 or 2 limes), divided, plus lime wedges for garnish
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoon salt-free chili powder, divided
1 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, divided
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
salt and pepper to taste
8 corn tortillas and oil to fry them in (oil is optional)
shredded Monterey Jack or Chihuahua cheese (Chihuahua is a mexican melting cheese, quite tasty)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large pot, brown the chorizo. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, and place in a bowl to combine with the beans. Add 1 Tbsp oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeno to the same pot you cooked the chorizo in (leave any chorizo oil in the pot for additional flavoring), and cook until onion is translucent. Add corn, bell peppers, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, tomatoes, spinach, salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-high heat until liquid is almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mash beans with the browned chorizo, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon cumin, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly fry each tortilla on each side in a small skillet with about 1/2 inch of oil, just until crisp. Drain on paper towels (alternatively you can brush them with oil and bake until crisp, or just use them straight out of the bag if you don't mind them a little soggy). Arrange four tortillas on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread bean mixture evenly on tortillas. Top each with about 1/2 cup (1/8 of the total amount) of the vegetable mixture and some cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, vegetables and cheese and bake until hot throughout and cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to plates, garnish with remaining cilantro and lime wedges and serve.

*Note: If you're making these for 1 or 2 people and want leftovers, divide the toppings accordingly, fry only the number of tortillas you need, and refrigerate the rest of the toppings in separate containers for another day. Fry the tortillas freshly each time you want to use the leftovers though, leftover fried tortillas get tough and chewy.