Enchiladas Verdes (Green Salsa Enchiladas)

I'm going to start this by saying that I have grown to truly love San Antonio. However, when I first moved here someone put in front of me a rolled tortilla with glorified Cheez Whiz oozing out of it and called it an enchilada...um, no. I wanted the REAL thing. I missed the real deal that I could order anywhere in Mexico. While I'm sure Cheez Whiz enchiladas have their place, I decided that place wasn't in front of me. :) So through the years, I've learned several different types. I'll write about this one first because it's the simplest one I do and still really delicious. You can make the salsa a day ahead and even buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it ahead as well. That makes dinner time assembly a lot easier. Enjoy!

Enchiladas Verdes (Green Salsa Enchiladas)
Adapted from Pati's Mexican Table

Enchilada Ingredients:

• Cooked green salsa (recipe below)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3T vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded pork shoulder or cooked/rotisserie chicken
• 1 c simmered black beans or canned, drained
• 1/2 c sour cream or Mexican crema
• 3/4 c feta cheese or queso fresco
• 1/3 c onion, chopped

Green Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, paper removed
• 2-4 serrano chiles, to taste
• 2/3 c onion, chopped
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 3 T vegetable oil

Directions:

For the salsa-

1. Cover tomatillos, garlic, and serranos with water in a large saucepan. Simmer until tomatillos turn from their bright green color to a pale yellow/green and have softened, about 8-10 min.
2. Remove tomatillos, garlic, and chiles with a slotted spoon. Add tomatillos, garlic, and one chile at a time to the food processor. Add onion and salt. Pulse 3-4 times then puree until smooth. Add more chile until it reaches the heat you want. 
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour salsa (carefully!) into the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, or until thickened. The salsa will bubble and spit, so take care!

For the enchiladas-

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Keep salsa warm in its saucepan, or reheat it gently in a saucepan if you made it ahead. 
3. On a foil lined baking sheet, spread out 6 tortillas. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with oil. Place tortillas in oven for 3 minutes (this will make them more pliable and prevent cracking). Place tortillas on a dish and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the other 6 tortillas. Place them in the towel lined dish to keep warm also. 
4. Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees.
5. One tortilla at a time, using your fingers or tongs, dip tortillas in the salsa. Place on a plate, add about 3 T of pork/chicken in a line down the center of the tortilla, then add 1-2 T of beans. Roll up and place the tortilla, seam side down, in a 13x9 in. baking dish. Repeat this process with all 12 tortillas. 
6. Pour the rest of the salsa over the enchiladas and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Drizzle with sour cream or crema and scatter cheese and onions over the top. Serve hot. 

Easy Simmered Black Beans

Let's start this by being totally transparent. I am usually limited on time when it comes to cooking, so most of the time I use canned beans and it works out just fine. But if you are ever in the mood to do things totally from scratch, these beans are really, really good and not difficult at all. They just require you to be home long enough to leave them simmering for a couple hours. Yeah, I know, that's a challenge for me too. That said, here's a glowing endorsement: My kids don't usually eat the beans on their plate that are from the can. When I put these on their plate, they ate them all. Maybe it's a fluke, but I think they tasted better. :) I've used these beans in my Chipotle bowls, enchiladas, chili, refried beans, and more. Enjoy!

Easy Simmered Black Beans
adapted from Pati's Mexican Table

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry black beans, picked through to get rid of any stones, and rinsed
• 1/2 large white onion, cut along it's equator with the root end intact (this will make it easier to remove from pot later), outer skin removed
• 2 whole garlic cloves, paper removed
• 1 jalapeno, whole with stem removed
• 2-3 tsp coarse salt, to taste
• 1-2 scallions (green onion), chopped and sprinkled as garnish

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain the beans. Pick through them to make sure there are no small stones among the beans. Put beans in a large stock pot, and cover with a generous amount of water (about 3-4 inches). 
2. Add the onion, garlic cloves, and jalapeno if using. DO NOT add the salt until later. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. 
3. Reduce heat to med low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Test them at 1 1/4 hours for softness all the way through. 
4. Add the salt a little at a time until it tastes right. Simmer for 15 min more or until the beans are soft enough that they start to come apart between your fingers. The broth will have thickened also. If the beans are still not cooked through, you can add some water if the broth has dried out. 
5. Remove the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. 
6. Sprinkle with chopped scallion and serve.

Salsa Roja

Here's a simple recipe I picked up during my time living in Mexico. Just a few ingredients, but the charring in a dry skillet adds an amazing depth of flavor. It's my go-to red salsa for fajitas, tacos, breakfast tacos, eggs, and more. Enjoy!

Salsa Roja

Ingredients:

• 6 roma tomatoes, rinsed and left whole
• 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 1-2 serrano chiles, stemmed and unchopped
• Salt

Directions:

1. Heat a dry, 12 inch, cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tomatoes, garlic cloves, and chiles in the pan and allow to char on one side. Flip tomatoes, garlic, and chiles until majority of sides are charred. 
2. Remove from pan and place whole tomatoes, garlic with husk removed, and chile into a food processor. Pulse until as smooth or chunky as you prefer. I recommend adding chiles one half at a time until desired heat is achieved. 
3. Stir in pinches of salt to taste.