RECIPE
This budget friendly recipe combines the vibrant flavors of Hispanic cuisine with an abundance of fresh, healthy produce. It’s an easy, home-cooked meal that transitions the seasonal goodness of end-of-summer flavors into a heartier fall dish. Protein-packed white beans create a hearty vegetarian filling, while zucchini, corn, and cherry tomatoes maintain the fleeting flavor of summer. The enchiladas are topped with a zesty cilantro serrano sauce, adding a pleasant heat to the dish.
For the Zucchini and Corn filling:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 Poblano or Anaheim chili pepper, seeds and stems removed, chopped fine
1 zucchini, chopped fine
1 cobb of corn, corn niblets cut off
6-8 cherry tomatoes chopped fine
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups cooked white beans
Big handful of baby spinach, chopped fine (optional)
8-12 corn/flour mix tortillas
½ cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese or crumbled cotija – plus another ¼ cup for the top
For the sauce:
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (use up to the last 2-3 inches of stem)
1 Serrano chili pepper, deseeded
¼ cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup hot water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Lightly grease a baking dish and spread a bit of sauce on the bottom.
For the sauce, blend all ingredients until smooth, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high.
To assemble the enchiladas, pour ½ cup of sauce onto a plate. Coat each tortilla with sauce, fill with the vegetable mixture, and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with all tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 25 minutes until hot, crispy, and the sauce is set.
For a spicier kick, add an extra serrano chili pepper to the sauce. If you have the herb culantro on hand, which offers a citrusy brightness similar to cilantro, toss that in to the blender while making the sauce.
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