Enchiladas de Calabaza
Savor the natural and authentic Mexican flavors in my version of a vegetarian enchilada; no Tex-Mex here. Calabaza (squash) naturally pairs with the flavor of red chile sauce. No surprise here, as chile and squash have been cultivated in Mexico for over 10,000 years.
Raw carrots add crunch and I top these enchiladas with cotija cheese and/or chopped greens, and diced tomatoes. My red chile sauce recipe calls for only a hint of cumin and oregano . Other than that, I do not include any additional spices in this recipe, except salt and pepper for the calabaza. Plate this dish with slices of avocado.
Ingredients
2 cups red chile sauce
1 lb calabaza cubed ¼ inch (Mexican squash or any other summer squash)
¾ cup diced carrots cubed ¼ inch
¼ cup cilantro chopped
¼ cup diced scallions
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup cotija cheese crumbled in ½ inch pieces
4 cups chopped lettuce
1 cup diced tomato
Makes 1 dozen enchiladas
Preparation
Prepare 2 quarts of salted water and bring the water to a boil. Add the diced squash in the boiling water and turn off the flame and blanch for 2 minutes. Collect the calabaza in a sieve then immerse in ice water, drain and pat dry.
In a bowl combine squash, carrot, cilantro, scallions and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper and gently fold to mix these ingredients.
Making the Enchilada
Review the illustrations below and follow these instructions. Place 4 tablespoons of chile sauce on a dinner plate. Using a comal or pancake skillet, heat a tortilla on each side sufficiently to make the tortilla pliable so it’s easy to roll. Place a tortilla over the sauced plate and rotate in a circular motion it to coat the bottom side of the tortilla uniformly with sauce. Add another tablespoon or two of sauce on the open face of the tortilla and spread the sauce evenly. Place 2 tablespoons of filling on the tortilla about ½ inch from the edge and roll the tortilla tight. Lay the assembled enchilada seam facing down on a serving plate or tray.
Plating
Prior to serving, spread more sauce on top of each enchilada, warm them in the oven or microwave. Sprinkle cotija cheese over each enchilada and generously top with chopped greens, diced tomato and cover with slices of avocado.
Notes
I’ve also combined calabaza with potato, corn, green beans but I recommend sticking to two main vegetables to highlight the natural flavors in the vegetables.
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