Are you ready for this recipe? A few things you should know ahead of time.
#1) They are darn good if I do say so myself. Having just one was hard to do!
#2) These are a labor of love if you are like me and you don’t enjoy cooking that much. They are very tasty but it’s not the simplest recipe in the world. #3) This recipe yields 10 -12 enchiladas.
CHILE STEEP:
8 dried Guajillo chilis and 8 dried Ancho chilis (or any combo of dried chilis you may prefer); seeded and deveined
1 cup of water
1 cup of low sodium beef stock
ENCHILADA SAUCE:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium purple onion, chopped
4-8 cloves garlic, minced
6 whole, large tomatoes, diced
1 - 2 handfuls of spinach
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
ENCHILADA MEAT:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
½ onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
20 whole wheat tortillas, medium size
Shredded cheese
STEEP CHILES
Bring water & stock to a boil. Pour over chilis and let steep for 30 - 45 minutes.
Strain chilis from the steep and preserve both the chilis and liquid for enchilada sauce.
ENCHILADA SAUCE
Place chopped tomatoes on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Broil for 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly charred. Allow to cool.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until lightly brown. Add garlic and spinach. Sauté until spinach begins to wilt.
Place onion sauté, tomatoes, HALF of the chili steep, and three chilis in a blender or food processor carafe.
Add the chili powder, cayenne, cumin, oregano, rosemary, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the carafe.
Gradually add more chili steep. Puree until smooth.
ENCHILADA MEAT
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown the ground turkey and ground beef. Stain excess liquid/oil.
Add onions, garlic, and seasoning to the meat mixture. Cook until onions are beautifully brown.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare two 9x13 glass baking dishes.
Place enchilada sauce into a round dish or skillet.
Dip both sides of the tortilla into enchilada sauce, covering all side of the tortilla.
Place tortilla in baking dish, spoon meat mixture into the tortilla and spread evenly throughout. Sprinkle with cheese. Tightly roll the tortilla up and place seam side up in the baking dish. Repeat until out of ingredients.
After all enchiladas are formed, cover enchiladas with the additional sauce.
Sprinkle enchiladas with cheese. Yummmmm.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until heated throughout.
Top with plain Greek yogurt (sour cream alternative) and homemade salsa to really kick it up a notch!