The Whole Enchilada

JC has been in-and-out of the house recently bouncing between Honduras, California, and Tucson. That means I have been home alone and it has made me realize how difficult it is to cook for just one. With that said, the past couple of weeks I spent little time in the kitchen (sad day) and much of my meals were prepared for me. I managed to make Indian takeout last for 3 meals (dinner, lunch, and another dinner), one pasta dish last a couple days, and various other forms of drive-through eateries.

JC is finally back in town for an extended period of time, so we decided to cook together last night. I was craving something rich, tomato-y, and cheesy. Originally we were going to do spaghetti night, but decided to postpone that for later in the week. Instead, I did a little online searching and a recipe for goat cheese enchiladas caught my eye. Enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes, but it is crucial you have good quality tortillas and sauce. My personal favorites are the cheese enchiladas from Rosa's on Campbell and Ft. Lowell. This is definitely the best Mexican restaurant north of 22nd St, and it is conveniently located just a few minutes from my house. They have, hands down, the best chile rellenos in town and their cheese enchiladas are to die for. My standard order (all a la cart): a cheese enchilada, a chile relleno, and a beef taco homestyle. Go there, you won't regret it. And to sweeten the deal, they have amazing salsa--beats Guadalajara by a mile! It is a cozy place, family owned, and they treat everyone like family. It's nearly always the same people working. Your food comes out on these rolling supply carts and everything is always piping hot ("hot plate!"). I love Rosa's.

I digress. Back to dinner last night. A recipe for goat cheese enchiladas caught my eye so we decided to try it out. The recipe is by Bobby Flay, who I am normally a bit skeptical of. My guilty pleasure is watching Throwdown even though I know it blatantly demonstrates how cocky Bobby is. Regardless, I still like the show and we decided to try one of his recipes. It seemed simple enough with a homemade sauce and tortillas stuffed with heaps of creamy goat cheese. The filling was perfect, the richness of the cheese and the cilantro flavor blended so well together. To be honest, the enchilada sauce was just meh. It wasn't anything too spectacular, just tasted like your run of the mill tomato sauce. Next time I'll probably try a different recipe or (gasp) I'll use something out of a can. But definitely hang on to this filling mix, it's just wonderful.

There are a few ingredients that may be difficult to find at your local grocery store. Luckily I live in Tucson, so everything I needed was readily available at my local Safeway. The ancho chiles and Mexican oregano can be found in the "Hispanic Foods" aisle where they keep all the bags of spices like menudo seasoning, pickling spice, etc... Cotija cheese is something really special. It has a flavor sort of like parmesan or feta and is nice and crumbly. It adds a great touch to the filling mixture to cut through some of the goat cheese. It can be found in the cheese section in basically any grocery store here in Tucson.

Goat Cheese Enchiladas 
from Bobby Flay

For the sauce:

• 3 ancho chiles 
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 (16-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, pureed
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:

• 1 1/4 pounds goat cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated cotija cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (add more if you love cilantro as much as me!)

For the enchilada assembly:

• 12 corn tortillas
• 8 ounces Monterey jack, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Make the sauce:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chiles, remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove stems and seeds, then place in food processor with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid and puree until smooth.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add ancho puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, pureed tomatoes, and stock and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with honey, salt, and pepper, to taste. For a chunkier sauce, leave as is. For a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the filling:

Place goat cheese, garlic, cotija, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the cilantro.

Assemble and bake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Dip tortillas in chile sauce to lightly coat both sides. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese filling on each tortilla and roll up. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-chile sauce into a medium, deep casserole dish. Arrange rolled tortillas in the casserole so they fit snugly. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the enchiladas are heated through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Garnish with green onions.

Side note: My parents have spent the past week in Berkley/San Francisco and LA. My mom bought me these ridiculous socks and I had to share. You can compare them to our real dog--he is sitting in his new favorite spot in the backyard.