The Best Lazy Enchiladas

There won't be any pictures yet, but thanks to my friend Carrie, I am writing this down just so we have a place to go to reference it again in the future. I will try to take pictures and come back to update. Ms. Rivera called them lazy enchiladas because they are not individually rolled, but staked - more like a lasagne but mexican style.

Recipe provided by R Rivera, I have adapted it somewhat to use up some of the extra ingredients. Look for tortillas with the minimal amount of ingredients - corn, water, lime is what my favorite have in them.

Total time, about 2 hours. If you skip the sauce and use store bought, could be assembled and cooked within 45 minutes. Also, can be assembled and refrigerated, and placed straight in the oven, just add 15 minutes to the baking time.

Sauce Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped (reserve other half for filling)
½ red pepper, chopped (reserve other half for filling)
1 pablano pepper, chopped
½ jalapeno pepper, chopped
salt, to taste
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large cans of tomatoes (I used fire roasted diced)

To make the Enchilada Sauce:
Add the onion, chopped green and red peppers, pablano and jalapeno peppers and a bit of oil in a dutch oven (or deep sauce pan); season with salt and saute over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Add as much garlic as you want, saute another minute. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes, stir to combine. Let it simmer for a while, up to an hour.

When ready, use a hand blender to smooth the sauce. (If you need to use a blender, take care, as blending hot liquids causes expansion which can lead to explosions.)

Enchilada Filling Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 bag frozen spinach (10 oz)
handful chopped cilantro
salt, to taste
½ green pepper, sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
½ yellow onion, sliced (reserve other half for beans, below)
8 oz raw pine nuts
2 cups shelled walnuts 1
5-18 corn tortillas

To make the Enchilada Filling:
In a non-stick saute pan, saute the frozen spinach for a couple minutes, thawing it out. Add in the chopped cilantro and a good pinch of salt. Cook another minute or two, and then scrape the spinach out of the pan onto a clean kitchen towel, let cool.
Add the mushrooms to the same pan, saute for a few minutes over medium-high heat in a bit of oil. When the mushrooms are slightly browned, set them aside.
Add the onions and sliced peppers to the same pan, saute for a few minutes over medium-high heat in a bit of oil. When the peppers are soft add them to the mushrooms.
The spinach mixture should be cooled by now, grab the corners of the towel and twist over the sink - you want to get as much of the water out of the spinach as possible. Set aside.

Use a food processor to grind up pinenuts and walnuts. Do not over-grind, as you don't want nut butter, but rather small little pieces. Set aside.

Take a large baking pan (9x13) or 2 smaller ones. Put a little sauce on the bottom, then place a layer of corn tortillas down, tearing them up to make an even-ish layer. Spread half the spinach over the tortillas. Spread half the pepper/mushroom mixture over the spinach. Spread half the nut mixture over the mushrooms. Cover with a layer of sauce. Then repeat: tortillas, spinach, mushroom/peppers, nuts, sauce. Finish with a final layer of tortillas, and cover with sauce.

Bake at 350 for like 30 minutes or more. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving; garnish with some extra chopped cilantro and any remaining enchilada sauce on the side.

This is one of the most amazing plate of enchiladas I have ever eaten - I went back for seconds. No meat, no dairy, no gluten, but all good! While the enchiladas are in the oven, cook up a side of beans to make your meal complete.

Side of beans, slightly adapted from Orangette

Olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. Mexican-style hot sauce, or more to taste (this amount makes mild beans)
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
¼ tsp. salt, or to taste

Add some olive oil to a medium saucepan and turn on the heat to medium. Add the onion, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Add the ground cumin and oregano, and stir well. Add the hot sauce, and stir well again. Add the garlic, followed by the beans and their can juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the beans are soft and warmed through. Taste, and salt as needed. Serve with a side of the enchilada sauce.

Puerto Rican Tacos!

Tia came to visit, which means only one thing - Puerto Rican Tacos! Okay, so the only thing that makes them Puerto Rican is the fact that a Puerto Rican made them! Who cares! They are delicious.

Start with pork and turkey - about a pound of each, ground, along with some minced garlic and chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Once it is nice and brown, add in a can of tomato sauce and a container of salsa. (Salsa is missing from the photo.)

Next, chop up some capers and green olives. Add them to the mix.

Chop up some cilantro and add to the mix.

Let simmer for a while, the longer the better. You want the flavors to meld. 

While the meat is simmering, fry up the tortillas... corn tortillas, in corn oil, of course...

Tortilla goes, flat for a bit, then flip and fold...

And drain on a paper bag (or a plate with paper towels)

The final supplies to make tacos... beans, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, guacamole...

 Of course, we failed to take pictures of the final product. We were too busy enjoying the fruits of our labor!!


If you are feeling adventurous, lightly steam up some cauliflower. You want it soft, but still firm, not mushy.

Rinse it off and let cool, then finely chop it. Add it to a bowl with some chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes, a minced jalepeno, and two limes worth of juice. Let marinate.

Congrats, you just made cauliflower ceviche!

To serve, lightly spread some mayo on a tostada shell, pile on the ceviche, and top with hot sauce. Your mouth will thank you, I promise.

Tia's secret Italian soup

Small pasta shells, chickpeas, leeks, shallots, chard (or kale) simmered in chicken broth. Holy to all that is glorious, this soup was delicious!