Enchiladas

I do not have regular meals that I make each week. Actually, there is not many recipes that I cook a second time, aside from roast chicken time and time again (do vegies count?). I want to be a cook that has certain foods that I know how to make by heart. Ones that I tweak and can call my own. I get so caught up in experimenting, and what looks good in all the different food magazines that I forget about this notion of mine. Lately I have tried to cook what seems easy. Meals that we can eat twice a week, and meals that will stretch our dollars that use seasonal vegetables from the local farmer's market. This week I made some killer enchiladas using this month's recipe from Bon Appetit. I think enchiladas are fabulous comfort food. Plus, you can tweak the recipe (once there is a foundation) to include fresh veggies or different proteins. Enchiladas will be what I make before my cilantro dies, or when it is most plentiful because I need a lot of it. I actually memorized the recipe. Now that I am writing it out I will make it again and again, especially when all we have to eat in hot Houston is different types of summer squashes. This recipe was so good. I cannot wait to eat it again.

Enchiladas: Serves 6
About 2.5 pounds of tomatillos rinsed and husked
4 unpeeled garlics
4 poblano peppers cored and seeded
2 cups of cilantro chopped
1 cup of chopped red onion (or 1 onion)
1 cup of chopped scallions (or about 1 bunch)
2 tablespoons of whatever herb you want (the original called for oregano, but I used sage because it was what I had in my garden)
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 cup of feta or cotija cheese crumbled
a pound of protein (I used flank steak, but you can use shrimp, shredded chicken or even a combo of squash, zucchini, and spinach)
Corn tortillas (or whole wheat if you like)

Foil a rimmed baking pan. Brush pan with oil. Broil tomatillos, poblanos (cut side down), and garlic for about 10 minutes until peppers are charred in places. Let rest for about 15 minutes while you cut the onions, chop the onions and scallions, and herb, and put your protein out to rest or marinade (if you want totally up to you). Peel the charred parts of the peppers off. Coarsely chop the peppers. Add about 1/3 a cup to food processor, along with the tomatillos and the cilantro. Pulse it and add the onions and scallions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven to 350
Wrap about 8 tortilla in damp paper towel and microwave for about a minute. Meanwhile saute the red onion and peppers for about 2 minutes, add the cumin, herb, and salt and pepper. Prep your protein. I just sauted some flank steak for about 5-6 minutes a side, let it rest for 5 minutes, then sliced it up nice and thin. Make a bowl of the salsa verde that the tortillas can easily fit into. Dip the tortillas in the salsa on each side. Also, spread about a half a cup of salsa verde on the bottom of a lasagna dish or glass baking dish. Lay the tortillas in the dish. Spread the pepper onion mixture, some protein, and about a tablespoon of cheese on each tortilla. Roll it up. Do this with all 8 tortillas. Pour two cups of salsa verde on the enchiladas. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with some onions or avocado if you like. Drink margaritas. Yum.