Crystal City Enchiladas (Spinach Enchiladas with Salsa Verde)

Directions

Spinach (makes 2 cups)

1. In a large skillet with a lid over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Add ¼ cup water, salt, and spinach. Cover and lower the heat. After 2 to 3 minutes, check to see if the spinach has wilted. When it is wilted, remove the lid and simmer over very low heat for 4 to 6 minutes. Drain excess liquid.

Salsa Verde (makes ~4 cups, enough for 8–10 enchiladas)

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, tomato, and 2½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the ingredients are very soft. Set aside off the heat to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. In a blender jar or work bowl of a food processor, process the garlic, cilantro, and salt until smooth.
3. Add the tomatillo mixture. Process on high speed until very smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors mellow before serving. Reheat gently, if needed, on the stovetop or in a microwave oven on low power until heated through.
5. The sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Enchilada Queen Secret Chile Sauce for Flavoring Tortillas (makes ~1¾ cups, enough to flavor up to 2-dozen tortillas)

1. Rinse the chiles with cool water.
2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the chiles and 1¾ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside off the heat for 10 minutes.
3. In a blender jar or work bowl of a food processor, process the cooked chiles and their liquid until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Pour the pureed chile mixture through a fine strainer into a small bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
5. Cover the sauce and put in the refrigerator to chill, then use to flavor tortillas.
6. To store and reuse the chile sauce, strain out any pieces of tortilla before pouring into a clean, covered container. The flavoring sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw completely and stir before using.

Flavor & Soften Corn Tortillas

1. Dip each tortilla in the chile sauce. Drain off excess liquid. Stack the spiced tortillas on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight or for as little time as it takes to make the salsa verde.
2. When the salsa verde and filling are ready and the tortillas are flavored, soften the tortillas for stuffing and rolling: In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers or about 375°F.
3. Using a nonstick spatula, slide one flavored tortilla at a time into the hot oil, cook for 2 or 3 seconds, then turn it over. When the tortilla is pliable (after another 1 or 2 seconds), remove from the oil immediately so the tortilla doesn’t crisp. Tortillas should remain pliable for rolling. The total time in the oil should be no more than 5 seconds.
4. Stack the softened tortillas on a plate and continue dipping in hot oil until all the flavored tortillas are softened. Cover the softened flavored tortillas with plastic or foil to keep soft.
5. Allow the tortillas to cool for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Covered tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying out, tortillas may sit for as long as an hour. The tortillas are now ready to be fill, rolled, and baked.

Fill & Bake Enchiladas

1. To make the Fill & Bake process easy, set up an assembly line:
   1) Spiced and Softened Tortillas
   2) Warmed Filling
   3) Baking Dish
   4) Warmed Sauce
   5) Garnishes
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9 × 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the spinach filling in the center of a tortilla. Roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled, arranging them in the baking dish with ⅛ inch in between.
4. Pour ¼ cup salsa verde over each enchilada and sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the salsa is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Notes from the Chef:
– Select a baking dish large enough to hold the enchiladas in a single layer with some space in between. This makes it easier to remove baked enchiladas for serving. Usually a 9 × 11-inch baking dish works well. To make clean-up easier, lightly coat the enchilada baking dish with cooking spray.
– Enchiladas may sit for up to 30 minutes, tightly covered, before baking. Do not refrigerate.
– Enchiladas taste best if baked right after filling and saucing.