Cash and Carried in the City

It's Saturday and impressively we were able to cook a nice lunch with very little ingredients required from the shop. Of course I sent Matt to pick up a couple of things but coming back short of only corn tortillas is a feat in itself. So in the end the enchiladas I cooked below were fake only in that I used flour *gasp* tortillas...but they turned out fantastic!

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS

First step...Chili Gravy

Ingredients
1/4 cup lard (or vegetable oil)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp powdered garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano is preferred if it’s available)
2 T chile powder (either homemade or a dark brand such as Gebhardt’s or Whole Foods)
2 cups chicken broth (or water)

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux.
3. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients.
4. Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens.
5. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes 2 cups.

Ingredients
About 2 cups mixed cooked vegetables (I used steamed butternut squash, courgettes (zucchini), and mushrooms)
About 2 cups beans (rather less than more)
Generous handful chopped cilantro
Small can chopped green chiles
2 cups grated cheese, preferably Monterey Jack
2 cups of chili gravy (above)
Salt
Pepper
12 corn tortillas

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the vegetables and beans with the cilantro, canned chiles, half the cheese, and 1/2 cup chili gravy. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper if necessary.
2. Warm the tortillas individually in a skillet or in a stack in the microwave (or skip this step, if you don't mind disintegrating tortillas...I don't). Pour half of the remaining chili gravy in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spread it around. Then fill each tortilla with vegetable mixture, roll up, and place it in the dish in a neat row.
3. Pour the remaining chili gravy all over the top of the enchiladas. Use a spoon to spread it around so that the exposed tortilla surfaces are all at least lightly sauced. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and cover with foil. Bake for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Serve with rice.

I found the recipes at: http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com, which was referenced at http://www.seriouseats.com. Enjoy!