More food; Summer Squash Enchiladas.

So we're cooking at home a lot these days. Despite the heat outside, the oven inside is working hard for us.

I had made these once before and I made them again last night, both times with squash from our CSA. I think that my most loved use of summer squash would be grilled but since we have no grill, we have this a try and the enchiladas may well be my new favorite.

On a side note, we did so much more grilling and eating of "whole foods" in California. It's not that we're eating/making more processed stuff here but we're using those whole things {squash} within actual dishes and recipes. Oh well, it's all DELICIOUS.

Summer Squash Enchiladas...this fills a 9x13 pan which, just like the Eggplant Parmigiana from yesterday, is enough for a very full {& happy} tummy the night of and a satisfying luncheon the next day. This is adapted from a variety of recipes I searched online.

Ingredients

2 large summer squash...zucchini, Italian, Patty Pan...or many smaller ones...cleaned and diced
1 small-medium yellow onion diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 jalapeño chopped up...you can take out the seeds prior if you don't love the spicy
Enough olive oil for frying the squash and the tortillas; I just use it as needed
12 tortillas
2 bottles {about 12 ounces each} of red {or whatever you want!} enchilada sauce {or make your own!}...I really don't like my enchiladas to be dry at all so I use two bottles/cans/etc. but you can stretch out just one
2 cups shredded cheese; I would use Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend...plus I always use a bit more
Salt and Pepper as needed...I also throw in a dash of garlic powder and cayenne pepper for flavor

Directions 

Prepare the filling

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large fry pan and then a bit more to medium high
2. Except for a small cupful {you'll use it later}, saute the onions for about 10 minutes, until they're clear soft 
3. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for another minute {garlic becomes bitter when cooked for too long which is why it's often added in after the onion in many recipes}
4. Add in the diced squash, season with cumin/salt/pepper/cayenne/whatever and cook down for about another 10 minutes
5. Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare the tortillas...people do this differently...some steam the tortillas in the microwave, fill and roll them, and cover with sauce, but this way is a bit more decadent.

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large fry pan {I use the same one} and then a bit more to medium high

2. In another fry/sauce pan big enough to hold a tortilla, heat up half a bottle {or a whole if you're going to use two bottles total} of the enchilada sauce on medium. At this point I also keep a plate next to the pan with sauce in it.

3. Using tongs, fry each tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side {they may puff up, they'll go down}, dip in the enchilada sauce, let the excess drip off, and place on the plate you have ready. Repeat this for all 12 tortillas.

Assemble the enchiladas...things get messy here! Have your greased 9x13 pan ready to be filled.

1. Have all of your fillings ready to go assembly line-style. Squash and cheese though I add in a wee bit of diced raw onion {saved earlier} and maybe some spinach for extra veggies. You can even throw in a spoonful of enchilada sauce for extra flavor. Make sure you reserve some cheese for the topping.

2. For each tortilla, I approximate how much to fill it with, I use my hands to place in the fillings, then I roll the tortilla and place it seam down in the greased 9x13 pan I have ready. Repeat for all tortillas.

Once all is ready, I pour all of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas {including the sauce I used to dip the tortillas earlier}, cover liberally with cheese, and bake for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is good and melted.

3. Toppings and "accessories" are so much fun here...toppings: black olives, salsa, cotija cheese, avocado, get creative!...accessories: I'm semi-addicted to white rice but Spanish style rice is also delicious.


Yum!! Have a fabulous weekend wherever you are!
xoxo, natty ♥