Potato Kale Enchiladas With Roasted Chili Sauce

I think these are the best enchiladas ever. Really. I like them even more than the sweet potato enchiladas. I got this recipe from "Veganomicon" , my favorite cookbook. You can also check out Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz on their website, theppk.com. Lots of amazing recipes. This is one of those recipes that I made much quicker the second time around. So, don't be discouraged if it takes a little while. It's totally worth it and makes lots of left overs. Also, this is good for using kale that may be a little on the wilty side. Enjoy!

For the Enchilada Sauce:

2 tbl olive oil or grape seed oil

4 large, green chilies, I used Anaheim, roasted, seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped(see note at the bottom)

1 onion, diced

2-3 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano (the original recipe calls for marjoram or mexican oregano, but I had neither)

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1- 1 1/2 tsp salt

For the Potato and Kale Filling:

1- 1 1/2 pound potatoes, diced (yellow or Yukon are preferred, I used plain ol' russet)

1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed and chopped finely (I chop the stems off where the leaves start)

3 tbl olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 veggie stock or water

3 tbl lime juice

1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) , chopped (plus more for garnish)

salt, to taste

12-14 large corn tortillas

cilantro, as garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven 375. Or, be planning on pre-heating it, when the time comes. Have shallow casserole dish ready, 11 x 13 ish.

Prepare the enchilada sauce first. I started the water for the potatoes at this point too. In a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan, or cast iron frying pan, heat the oil and add the onions. Sautee for 4-7 minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer and then remove from heat. When cooled enough to handle, blend in a blender, food processor or use and immersion blender (I can't wait to get one of those!)

Prepare the filling: Boil potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender, drain and set aside. Cook the olive oil and minced garlic over medium-low heat in a large frying pan. Be careful not to burn the garlic. When garlic is just starting to brown add the kale and sprinkle with salt. Stir so that the kale is coated with the oil. Raise the heat to medium, and partially cover to steam the kale for 4-6 minutes.

Remove lid and mix in potatoes, lime juice, veg broth, salt, cumin and pepitas. Mash some of the potatoes with the back of your spoon. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the stock is absorbed. Add more lime juice and salt to taste. It's good when it's tangy, so don't skimp on the lime.

Create your enchilada assembly line. I put the sauce in a shallow bowl. Ladle a little sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. Heat the corn tortillas over an open flame on your stove, turning often, just until warm. Lay the tortilla in the sauce and flip over, so both sides are covered. Place the tortilla on a plate or in your casserole dish, add the filling and roll. Arrange with the seams down. Cover the enchiladas with a little less than half of the sauce.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, covered. If you don't have a lid, use a baking sheet. Remove the lid and bake for 5-15 more minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Top with warmed sauce, pepitas, and chopped cilantro.

You can make this spicier by adding some cayenne pepper to the sauce.

Roasting Chilies:

This is my favorite part of the whole recipe! Do this first.

Lay the chili's over an open gas flame, turning with tongs or your fingers, as necessary. When the entire chili is black, put in a brown paper bag or a casserole dish with a lid. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then peel using your fingers, don't rinse with water, that will take away some flavor. Slice open and de-seed as best as possible. A few seeds and charred black skin pieces are fine.