Vegana Enchiladas de Calabaza

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The gastronomy of Mexico is wide ranging and there are many examples of wholesome dishes. This naturally occurs in Mexican cuisine because it’s gastronomy is based on the triad of corn, beans and squash (maize, frijol y calabaza). These were cultivated in pre-hispanic time within the agricultural system known as the milpa. Chile, tomatoes and native herbs are companions to this system.

The ingredients in my recipe are reflective of the milpa to include maize, calabaza, herbs, chile and tomato (from salsa). Check out Google for vegan enchiladas and you’ll see complicated recipes trying too hard to add flavor using ingredients not probably found in your pantry. Flavor from my recipe comes from grilling and charing the summer squash, corn and salsa.

Let’s get started.

Makes 6 enchiladas

Ingredients

Sauce

1 ½ cups golden (or green) zucchini squash roughly chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons onion diced

1 ½ teaspoons flour

1 small garlic diced

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lime juice

Filling

1 lb golden (or green) zucchini sliced ¼ inch thick for grilling

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 ear of corn on the cob

¼ cup finely diced white onion or scallions cut in thin circles

¼ cup cilantro diced

½ teaspoon fresh thyme finely diced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Enchilada

6 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pint of red salsa of your choice.

Preparation

Sauce

Steam the zucchini 10-15 minutes until tender but do not over cook, or cook in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes then drain off any water, then set aside.

Heat oil in a 1 quart sauce pot at medium heat then add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Next, incrementally add the flour to make a roux. Stir the olive oil and flour together with a long-handled wooden spoon until they are thoroughly combined. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to begin cooking the roux. You will need to keep stirring in order to prevent the roux from burning. Cook for 3-5 minutes for a light roux. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cooked zucchini and one cup of water. Using a hand held immersion blender, liquify the ingredients to create a sauce. Cook for 6-10 minutes over medium heat or long enough for the sauce to thicken. If necessary add small amounts of water then add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Filling

Grill the strips of squash over a grill or under a broiler long enough to caramelize and to obtain a slight blackened char. Doing this brings out flavor in the squash.

Cool and dice in ¼ inch cubes. Cook the corn in boiling water for six minutes, cool , then strip off the kernels of corn . In a bowl combine the squash cubes, corn, scallion, cilantro, thyme and oil. Mix and salt and pepper to taste.

Enchilada

Work the filling process one tortilla at a time so that the tortilla remains warm and pliable while rolling up the filling.

Generously brush each tortilla with extra olive oil. In a low-medium heat, warn both side of the tortilla about 15 seconds or more to make them pliable. Lay the tortilla flat on a dish and place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Roll up and set down seam side down. Spread the tops of the enchiladas with the squash sauce. Top the sauce with salsa. Serve hot.