My Epic Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe

One of my favorite things in the whole world are THESE ENCHILADAS! I have perfected this recipe over the past 2 years. This is truly an EPIC MEAL. Are you ready for this?;)

You will need the following:

2 cans available at Whole Foods Market- the MEDIUM is the BEST flavor.

OR

*My Enchilada Sauce Recipe at the bottom of this page.;)

Or any kind of beans-- these just happen to be my favorite for THIS recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Large yellow onion finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic diced

1 Serrano pepper diced * optional for added heat

1 Red Bell Pepper diced

1 Poblano Pepper diced

4 Zucchinis or Yellow Squash Diced

1 basket of button mushrooms sliced or 1 portobello mushroom

1 large can of black olives sliced

2 cups of spinach- cleaned

2 cups of corn fresh or frozen

1 can of S&W Piquito Beans

2 cups of grated pepper jack cheese

1 bunch of cilantro- chopped

1 T. Red Chili Flakes

1 T. of New Mexican Chili Powder

1 T. cumin

1/2 t. Cinnamon* Optional

1 T. sea salt

1 t. cracked black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large sautee pan over medium heat cook: onions, garlic and pepper.

3. Add mushrooms, zucchinis and corn. (Let cook for 6 minutes)

4. Add olives, beans and spinach and seasonings including cilantro (save 1/4 for topping)

5. Remove from heat.

6. In casserole dish build your enchilada's :

* place tortilla in your hand- add a a nice sized pinch of jack cheese in the middle of the tortilla in a line. Add 1/8-1/4 cup of vegetable mixture and place in pan with the tortilla edges DOWN and touching each other.

Continue this step until you have used all of your tortillas.

* Pour enchilada sauce: either my recipe( see bottom) or 2 cans of Hatch Enchilada Sauce in covering all enchiladas evenly.

Spread any remaining vegetable filling evenly over the enchiladas.

Cover with remaining jack cheese and cilantro and place in oven for 20 minutes until warm.

ENJOY! This is fantastic with Toasted pumpkin seeds as a garnish!:)

My Enchilada Sauce Recipe:

3 dried ancho chilies

3 dried guajillo chillies

* Rehydrate in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water covering chilies over low heat for 15- 20 minutes*

Blend in a food processor and strain through mesh strainer to remove seeds and skins.

In a saucepan add:

1 T. Olive Oil

3 cloves of garlic minced

* Let cook over medium heat for 2 minutes until slightly golden*

Add:

1 can of tomato paste

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 t. cumin

1 1/2 t. sea salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. New Mexican Chili Powder

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. sugar

* add reserved pepper liquid and let simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.

Enjoy!!!

Soup Showcase: Borsht a la Lynne

Here is our first submission for our community Soup Showcase! Thanks Lynne for sharing, this looks incredible!

As the story goes---when my Ancestors came from the Ukraine to Canada (first settling in Saskatchewan)---they spent their first winter in a mud hut on their land and the neighbouring farmers brought Borscht to them. It’s a good hearty soup, simple yet so satisfying. For ‘winter’ borscht, add navy beans, ‘spring/summer’ borscht contains the leaf tops of the beets.

The Beets:Boil with the skins on until tender, drain and wait until they cool a bit---cut into julienne slices (not sure why but this is the way my Baba did it!)

The Other Stuff:Carrots, cabbage, beans (yellow/green), potato

Start with oil (of your choice) in a large pan. Add some butter and heat to medium/high. Sauteé carrots and cabbage (lots of cabbage as it will ‘disappear’ until they are tender but still firm. During this process, add fresh dill. If you don’t have fresh the dill you can get in a tube (produce section) works well and dried will be “OK” if you have nothing else. Season with pepper. .

You can add some green/yellow fresh beans and some potato. Potato doesn’t freeze well—so omit if you intend to freeze the soup and add potato as you serve. Add your cooked, sliced beets and cover the mix with chicken broth. Simmer. It will become ‘borsch-i-fied’ (everything will turn a nice beet red)! After you have simmered, add some tomato juice so it has a nice ‘zing’ to it.

Allow to sit for a while and adjust the seasoning (pepper, dill, salt if you wish).

Serve in a nice white bowl with a ‘dollop’ of sour cream (avoid zero fat stuff---go for the good stuff)!

Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

1 Butternut Squash- peeled and seeds removed

2 Apples -seeds and core removed

1 cup milk or cream

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3 cups of Chicken or Vegetable stock

1 Leek sliced

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1/2 yellow onion diced

2 carrots diced

3 stalks of celery diced

1 T. Curry Powder

1/2 t. smoked paprika

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/8 t. cayenne

2 t. salt

1t. pepper to taste

In a stockpot/large soup pot over medium heat combine the following:

1 T of butter or olive oil ( let melt and coat the pan)

1 Leek-sliced

4 cloves of garlic- finely chopped

1/2 yellow onion-diced

2 carrots-diced

3 stalks of celery -diced

Sautee until vegetables are tender.

2 Options for preparing the Butternut Squash:

Option 1.-Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Cut squash into 'Lego' sized chunks and place on flat baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15- 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Option 2- Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Cut squash into 'Lego' sized chunks add into a soup pot. Add 3 cups of chicken stock( or vegetable stock) and let boil until squash is soft.

**Add Together: Squash, apples, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar and vegetables together in one pot.

Cover pot and let simmer on medium low for 20-30 minutes.

Puree.

Add 1 cup of milk or cream if desired.

Season with : 1 T curry powder, 1/4 t. nutmeg, 1/8 t. cayenne,1/2 t. smoked paprika, 2 t. salt + 1 t. pepper to taste.

Garnish with: sour cream, creme fraiche, chopped chives, toasted pumpkin seeds,crispy sage, or my FAVORITE: Fresh CRAB MEAT!

Enjoy!!