Brenda's Enchiladas

This is not a recipe of Brenda's Enchiladas. 

In fact, even if I had her recipe, I doubt I would be able to re-create it. 

Brenda, and her lovely mother Ophelia, spoiled me in college. Their fresh, made-from-scratch, Mexican food was the fuel to keep me going those 4 long years at WU. It was such a treat going over to their house (or, on the rare occasion, getting a foil-wrapped plate handed to you in your room) and gorging on their creations. Enchiladas, tamales, taco's, cactus...the list goes on and on.

Now, more than a year later, I'm craving some of Brenda's Enchiladas. 

It's hard to describe how simple they were, but how absolutely savory and tantalizing they tasted. So naturally I asked Brenda how to go about making them. Well, let's just say I didn't even bother asking details since I knew the sauce alone would be a disaster if I tried to make it.

Instead, I made my own version-- the Not-Quite-Brenda-Enchilada version.

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil
1 onion
1/2 zucchini, chopped
Cooked ground turkey, unseasoned
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can enchilada sauce
5 - 7 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup freshly shredded cheddar & pepper jack cheese (or a bag of Mexican cheese mix)
1/3 cup cilantro
1 avocado

Directions:

 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil. When hot, add in the onion & zucchini. Cook for about 8 minutes, until all veggies are tender.

3. In a large bowl, add the veggie mixture, ground turkey, black beans and 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. Mix to combine.

4. Heat the tortillas for about 20 seconds in the microwave to make them more pliable. Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 in baking dish. Tilt the pan back and forth to coat the bottom entirely.

5. Place a tortilla on a work surface and scoop the filling in a line down the center of the tortilla. Add a small amount of cheese to the top of the mixture. Roll the tortilla up tightly and transfer to the prepared baking dish with the seam of the tortilla down. Do this until the pan is full.

6. Evenly pour about 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the top with the cheese mixture. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes (TIP: as to not have the melted cheese stick to the foil, create a dome with the foil instead of putting it flat across the pan). Remove foil and return to oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for about 7 minutes, then sprinkle the cilantro on top. Add avocado if desired.

Serve and enjoy! 

They definitely weren't Brenda's enchiladas, but they certainly were delicious. A simple and quick recipe to whip up, and clean up is a breeze. Give it a try why don't you! 

Brenda, my dear, this one is for you.

xx

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