Everyone loves Mexican food. Seriously, I don't think it's humanly possible to dislike Mexican food. I make fractured tacos at my house at least once a week and I never get tired of them because I love Mexican food that much. However, one Mexican dish that I've never liked is enchiladas. It's a mouthful of carbs and gooey cheese and meat and ew. I know some people like that, but I am not a fan. I figured creating a healthier enchilada that I actually enjoy eating would be a good challenge, so I created this recipe! It's much lighter, but still has those classic Mexican flavors we all love. Instead of a tortilla, I used giant leaves of collard greens. If this sounds nasty to you, well, I don't blame you for your initial reaction. However, it's actually quite tasty! The entire time I was making this, I was so scared that I was wasting food and that it would be disgusting. But it wasn't. Even my family members, who believed it was going to be gross, loved it. I didn't use a whole-grain tortilla (like Ezekiel's) because they aren't as pliable as collard greens. Plus, it gives the dish an innovative spin. Try it out and share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram and Twitter!
Healthy Vegetarian Enchiladas
Serves 4 (2 enchiladas per serving)
Ingredients and Materials
8 extra-large leaves collard greens, washed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup rBST-free shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 avocados, diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Toothpicks
Filling:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ of a large yellow onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3/4 tsp cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp canned Hatch green chiles, diced (if they did not come diced in the can already)
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1½ cups frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 - 1½ cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp your favorite tomato salsa (I like chipotle garlic salsa)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
½ chili powder
1 tbsp canned Hatch green chiles, diced
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the filling, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne, cilantro, Hatch chiles, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 3 - 5 minutes, until translucent and beginning to caramelize. It is important to leave the onions alone once all the spices have been evenly incorporated - stirring too frequently slows the browning process. Add the thawed corn, beans, bell peppers and lime juice. Incorporate the ingredients and saute for about 5 - 7 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the corn is heated through. Remove from heat.
2. Cut the long ends of the stems off of the collard greens, but be sure to keep the stem that runs through the leaves in tact. Make sure the washed leaves are dry. To assemble each enchilada, turn the leaves so that the back side faces up (the side that isn't as shiny, and the side where the stem protrudes out). Fill the center of the leaf with about 3/4 cup of the filling (eyeball it - just make sure you use 1/8 of the filling) and tightly wrap the sides over the filling to create an enchilada. Don't worry about the ends. Secure the enchiladas shut with three toothpicks that run vertically along the enchilada. Repeat this step with all enchiladas.
3. As soon as you are finished assembling the enchiladas, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet with tall walls (my skillet's walls are about 3 inches tall). Add as many enchiladas as will fit (I suggest 3 - 4) and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the enchiladas steam for about 3 - 5 minutes, until the collard greens are steamed and bright green. If the green loses its vibrancy or the bottoms of the enchiladas are burning, you will have cooked them for too long. To remove a cooked enchilada from the skillet, grab two large spoons and put one in each hand. Place the spoons at opposite ends of the enchilada (vertically). Scoop each spoon under the base of the enchilada as far as they will go, and carefully transfer the enchiladas to a 10x13 baking dish.
4. To make the sauce, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic and Hatch chiles and saute for 30 seconds. Then, add the tomato paste and salsa. Add a few tablespoons of the vegetable broth and stir the tomato paste into it to thin it. Continue incorporating the tomato paste into the garlic, salsa and chiles, adding small amounts of broth as you go. Add as much broth as you need until the sauce is fairly thin, but not liquidy. Slightly thinner than spaghetti sauce is perfect. Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the top of the enchiladas in the baking dish. Be sure to distribute the sauce evenly over all enchiladas.
5. Sprinkle the cheese atop the enchiladas and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and top with avocado and cilantro. Serve each plate with two lime wedges so everyone can squeeze lime juice on top. Remember to remove the toothpicks before eating, and enjoy!
I hope you liked this recipe! Please remember to follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below:
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Stay healthy!
- Madeline
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