Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

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Corn tortillas need to be heated so that you can roll them without cracking and splitting. The traditional method for softening involves dipping the tortillas in hot oil, however, the same result can be achieved by lightly moistening the tortillas with water, wrapping them in foil, and placing them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. You can also wrap the tortillas in a cloth towel and microwave them on high for 1 to 2 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 7-ounce can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons ground red New Mexican chile
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cups Mexican-style salsa, divided
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until they are softened. Add the beans and coarsely mash them. Add the corn, chile, cumin and ½ cup of the salsa, then cook for 5 minutes.
Spread ½ cup of the salsa onto a baking dish.
Heat the tortillas to soften them, and spoon about 1/3 cup of the filling onto each tortilla and roll up. Place the tortillas, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.
Garnish with the lettuce and cilantro and serve.

Keeping ‘Pace’ with Picante Sauces

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Although most commercial salsas and picante sauces are made from similar ingredients, their flavors differ because of spices, cooking techniques, and the proportion of ingredients. Perhaps this home-cooked version outdoes the original–you tell us. It is important to use only Mexican oregano, as Mediterranean oregano will make this taste like a pasta sauce.

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 ripe red tomatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped fine

  • 2 onions, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • Salt to taste

  • 6 jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, chopped

Instructions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, vinegar, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat to thicken the sauce.

Add the jalapeños and continue cooking for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and serve with chips.

Caribbean Sun-of-a Beach Hot Pepper Sauce

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If there were a typical eastern Caribbean hot sauce, this might be it. It has hints of Trinidad, Barbados, and even Grenada. To be perfectly authentic, you should buy or grow the red habaneros so popular in that part of the Caribbean, called Congo or bonney peppers. This will last up to eight weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, papaya, and tomato in a food processor and puree (you may have to do this in batches). Remove to a shallow bowl.

Combine the vinegar, lime juice, and water in a saucepan and heat until it reaches a slight boil, then sprinkle the thyme, basil, nutmeg, mustard, and turmeric. Pour this hot, spiced mixture over the reserved puree and mix thoroughly. It will last up to eight weeks in the refrigerator.

Caribbean Sun-of-a Beach Hot Pepper Sauce

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This will last up to eight weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

white onion, garlic, cider vinegar, lime or lemon juice, papaya

Instructions

If there were a typical eastern Caribbean hot sauce, this might be it. It has hints of Trinidad, Barbados, and even Grenada. To be perfectly authentic, you should buy or grow the red habaneros so popular in that part of the Caribbean, called Congo or bonney peppers.

  • 1/2 pound red habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed

  • 1 white onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/2 cup lime juice (or lemon juice)

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 medium papaya, boiled until tender, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

  • 1 tomato, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1 teaspoon basil

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, papaya, and tomato in a food processor and puree (you may have to do this in batches). Remove to a shallow bowl.

Combine the vinegar, lime juice, and water in a saucepan and heat until it reaches a slight boil, then sprinkle the thyme, basil, nutmeg, mustard, and turmeric. Pour this hot, spiced mixture over the reserved puree and mix thoroughly. It will last up to eight weeks in the refrigerator.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups

Heat Scale: Hot

Chuck’s Chiptole Sauce

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This chipotle sauce is a version of coauthor Chuck’s best-selling brown hot sauce, Smokey Chipotle® Hot Sauce, manufactured by Sauces & Salsas, Ltd. under the Montezuma® brand. A tasty way to reconstitute dried chipotle chiles is to place them in a bowl and cover them with cider vinegar. After several days, the chiles will be reconstituted and will be plump.

Ingredients

  • 12 dried chipotle chiles, stems removed, reconstituted as above or soaked in hot water for 1 hour

  • 1 medium white onion, sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 3 cups water

  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce

  • Salt to taste

  • 2 cups white distilled vinegar (more or less, depending on the thickness of the sauce you desire)

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients except the 2 cups of distilled vinegar in a saucepan, cover, and simmer over low heat until the sauce is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups. Puree the mixture in a food processor or a blender until a paste-like, seeded mixture is achieved.

Combine the paste and the vinegar in a bowl and stir well. Strain through a sieve to remove the seeds and discard the solids.