I want to tackle this one, mostly so I can identify ways to simplify it. Part of me also wants to wait for tomatillo season, as my MIL always plants more tomatillos than she ever uses.
Tomatillo Enchiladas
from:
Girl's Gone Child: Eat Well (for Comfort): Tomatillo Enchiladas
Tomatillo salsa
2-dozen large tomatillos (also called husk tomatoes), more if they are small
water
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 Anaheim or 2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, (depending on how hot you want this)
1 onion, chopped
4 T chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
2 corn tortillas
1. Peel off husks on tomatillos, cover with water, and boil until soft and tender.
2. Drain off half of the liquid.
3. Meanwhile, heat half of the oil in saucepan. Add chiles and onion and cook until soft but not browned.
4. Mash garlic with salt (with mortar and pestle or wooden handle of your knife).
Add cilantro and garlic to onion mixture.
5. Cook 5 more minutes.
6. When tomatillos are cooked, blend with immersion blender until smooth. Add onion mixture to the pureed tomatillos and cook another 5 minutes.
7. Heat the rest of the oil in the pan and fry tortillas briefly on each side, just until soft.
8. Put softened tortillas in blender or food processor with some of the tomatillo sauce and blend until smooth.
9. Pour into salsa and whisk in. To prevent lumps, make sure the “masa” you made from the tortillas isn’t too thick.
Spinach Filling
2 lbs fresh baby spinach leaves (or frozen spinach which has been thawed, drained, and squeezed dry)
2 smashed and chopped garlic clove
2 cups sour cream
1. Cook spinach in a pan with a few drops of water until wilted.
(Do this in batches and drain in a colander, squeezing out all excess water with your hands. )
2. Chop cooked spinach and add the sour cream and garlic.
3. Stir until smooth.
Enchiladas Verdes (tomatillo enchiladas)
Tomatillo Salsa (see above)
Spinach filling, or filling of your choice
1 ½ lb Jack cheese or queso blanco, grated (or any other semi-soft melting cheese)
2 cans chopped roasted peppers (or freshly roasted Anaheim peppers)
1 chopped onion, cooked until soft and not brown
2-3 T chopped cilantro
About 16 tortillas
Vegetable oil
If you made the sauce the night before, you'll want to warm it quickly on the stove.
1. ...Then, put a layer of sauce in the bottom of a large pan.
2. Soften tortillas one at a time, in heated vegetable oil by frying a few seconds on each side.
3. Drain on paper towels.
4. Put filling ingredients in bowls.
5. For each enchilada, place on softened tortilla, 1/16th of spinach, onions, cilantro, and peppers.
6. Sprinkle generously with cheese and roll, placing seam side down in sauce.
7. Continue until all filling is used.
8. Pour more sauce on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
(Any leftover sauce can be used as salsa).
9. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts, about 20 minutes.
10. Top with sour cream mixed with chopped garlic and cilantro and a side of black beans and polenta for an incredible meal!
--
Here's an adapted version (and what led me to the original recipe) from the Washington Post that is scaled down to feed two people:
from:
All We Can Eat - Project Downscale: Spinach enchiladas
MAKE AHEAD: You will have about 4 cups of tomatillo salsa, or 3 cups more than you need for this recipe. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for several months. To reheat the enchiladas, bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or microwave as needed. Adapted by Food editor Joe Yonan from a recipe on
www.GirlsGoneChild.net.
12 large (1 1/2 pounds) tomatillos, husked, stemmed and rinsed
About 4 cups water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 poblano or Anaheim chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
Leaves from 1/2 small bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
Five 6-inch corn tortillas, softened (see NOTE)
Kosher or sea salt
8 ounces baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt (may substitute whole or low-fat)
3 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated
Make the corn tortillas more pliable by heating them directly on a gas burner.
Cook the tomatillos until they soften and turn from bright green to khaki.
Combine them in a blender with some of the cooking water, the sauteed onion and chili pepper, and a torn-to-pieces tortilla.
After making the quick spinach filling, roll it up in each tortilla.
Bake the enchiladas just until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles.
Combine the tomatillos and water, adding more water if needed to cover, in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook until the tomatillos turn khaki-colored and soft, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the chili pepper, onion and garlic; cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer the tomatillos with 1 cup of their cooking liquid to a blender. Discard the remaining cooking liquid.
Add half of the chili-pepper and onion mixture and 3 tablespoons of the cilantro. Tear one of the softened tortillas into small pieces and add to the blender, working in batches if the blender is more than half full. Remove the center cap from the blender lid and hold a folded dish towel over the opening; this will allow steam to escape. Carefully pulse to combine, then puree to form a smooth salsa. Season with salt to taste.
Heat the remaining half of the chili-pepper and onion mixture in the skillet over medium-high heat; add the spinach and stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes, until it has wilted, then remove from the heat. Stir in the yogurt; season with salt to taste.
When you’re ready to make the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread about 1/4 cup of the salsa on the bottom of a small casserole or gratin dish.
Lay the 4 remaining softened tortillas on a work surface. Place one-quarter of the spinach mixture in the center of each one, then roll the tortillas to form enchiladas, arranging them seam side down in the dish as you work. Spoon 3/4 cup of the salsa on top, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining salsa.
Bake until the cheese on top has melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve yourself two of the enchiladas with rice and beans, sprinkling the enchiladas with the remaining cilantro before eating. Save the remaining two for another day.
NOTE: To soften corn tortillas, if you have a gas stove, heat a burner to medium-high heat. Place a tortilla directly on the burner for about 30 seconds per side, until slightly spotted; repeat as needed. (You can heat the tortillas on multiple burners simultaneously.) If you don’t have a gas stove, heat a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat; heat each tortilla for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.)