Potato and Kale Enchiladas

Tonight I made a delicious and nutritious (yet labor-intensive) recipe from Veganomicon: Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce.  I've made this recipe several times before with friends in college and with my family at home, but this was my first time making it on my own.  I don't know that I've ever had non-vegan enchiladas, but I do know that these vegan ones are pretty darn good.   

 Here are all 12 enchiladas in the pan.

And here's my individual serving with extra sauce on top!

Here's the recipe with a few of my own alterations. 

Recipe:
Potato and Kale Enchiladas

• 5 tablespoons olive oil (2 tablespoons for the sauce and 3 tablespoons for the filling)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 large green chiles, roasted, seeded, and chopped coarsely (click here for information on roasting peppers)--or, use a 4 oz can of green roasted chilies
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin (1.5 teaspoons for the sauce and .5 teaspoons for the filling)
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 - 28 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt (1.5 teaspoons for the sauce and 1.5 teaspoons for the filling)
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 pound kale, washed and chopped finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 12 small, soft corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  You'll need a large casserole dish or a 13x9-inch baking pan.

First, prepare the roasted chile sauce.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until golden.  Stir in the roasted chiles, chile powder, 1.5 teaspoons cumin, marjoram, diced tomatoes, sugar, and 1.5 teaspoons salt; bring the mixture to a simmer and then remove it from the heat.  Finally, purée the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Set aside.


Next, prepare the filling.  Add the prepared potatoes to a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes).  Drain the potatoes and set aside.  Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic to another saucepan and heat over medium-low heat stirring frequently until the garlic is slightly brown.  Add the kale, sprinkle a pinch of salt over top, raise the heat to medium, and stir the mixture until the kale is coated with the oil and garlic.  Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it is wilted.  Remove the lid and add the potatoes, vegetable broth, lime juice, and salt.  Cook another few minutes until the liquid is absorbed and set aside.  


Finally, assemble the enchiladas in an assembly line.  Have ready a shallow dish filled with about 3/4 cup chile sauce, a casserole dish or baking pan, the corn tortillas, and the potato and kale filling.  Spread about 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish/baking pan.  Take a corn tortilla, dunk it into the shallow dish filled with sauce, and cover both sides of the tortilla with sauce.  Then, add the potato filling to the tortilla, roll up the tortilla, and place it in the baking dish.  Repeat these steps with the rest of the tortillas, making sure the tortillas are pretty tightly packed in the baking dish.  Once the dish is filled, pour about a cup of sauce over the top (there should be some sauce left over) and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes to get the tortillas a bit crispy.  Remove the pan from the oven and celebrate!  You can now enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Top each serving with extra sauce and enjoy. 

Comments:
As I insinuated above, this recipe takes a very long time to make.  From boiling the potatoes and roasting the chiles to making the filling and sauce to baking the enchiladas, it's a lengthy process.  This is probably a better weekend meal for that reason.

Nonetheless, these enchiladas are superb.  The roasted tomatoes and chiles add a great smoky flavor to the dish, while baking the enchiladas results in a combination of crispy and smooth textures.  Simon thought the enchiladas were good, but he wished there were more sauce inside the them (rather than on top).  Rachel said that her first thought upon tasting the enchiladas was, "I wish I could have more."  How's that for an endorsement?