Mexican food? On Guilty Kitchen? No way!

I know what you’re thinking. “Seriously, this woman has a problem, an obsession that needs to be dealt with immediately!”

Well, calm down, will ya? I am not the only one in this house who loves a good Mexican feast! In fact, this wasn’t my idea at all, it was Mr. Guilty’s. He swore he would make me dinner, and that he would make enchiladas. After all the ingredients were bought, however, it came to light that Mr. Guilty didn’t really know what an enchilada was. He did however have a very strong opinion about keeping the ends of the tortillas open, of all the things to have a strong opinion about!

Well, I will keep my night off from cooking tucked away for another evening. Mr. Guilty does make a mean beef stroganoff, so I’ll be calling on him soon for a nice piece of comfort food when the weather turns sour once more. Though, I doubt it will here. Living on the Southern part of Vancouver Island is a bit of a hidden paradise in Canada. While the rest of the country hunkers down for a few more months of hardcore winter, the cherry blossom buds and crocuses have already started here. In fact, my allergies (to alder and birch pollen) have already begun to rear their ugly head. Much earlier than I’ve ever experienced, but welcome none the less!

So, if you live in a part of the world where there is snow squalls (what IS that?), ice storms or other severe winter weather, I beg you to make this dish. It will warm you from the inside out, and maybe even keep you warm the whole night though…hee hee.

Bon Appetit!

Turkey Enchiladas

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 14oz can cherry tomatoes in skin (or diced tomatoes, even better would be fire roasted)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 lb. ground turkey
1 19oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced
4 large whole wheat flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese, grated (however much you want!)
Salsa, sour cream and guacamole (as condiments at the table, click the links for recipes)

1. Heat oil in sauté pan. Sauté onion and garlic on medium heat until they begin to turn translucent.
2. Add turkey, brown for a few minutes and add seasonings, continue to cook until completely cooked through.
3. Add tomatoes (crushing as you go if you used whole cherry tomatoes), let sauce simmer and reduce until barely any liquid remains. Should be the consistency of a good chili. Set aside.
4. Mash black beans in a large bowl, add cumin and salt & pepper.
5. Heat in large sauté pan for 5 minutes or so, adding 1/2 a cup of water as you cook. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and set aside.
6. Meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce.

Enchilada Sauce

1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 small chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
1 213 ml can tomato sauce

1. Heat oil in small sauce pan on medium heat, add onion and garlic. Stir until onions are translucent.
2. Add in chipotle chile and other seasonings, stir to combine.
3. Add in tomato sauce, stir and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve over enchiladas.

To assemble your enchiladas:

1. Lay a large tortilla on a flat surface, spoon a large spoonful of the black bean mixture onto the tortilla.
2. flatten and spread the black bean mixture in the middle of the tortilla.
3. Cover in the meat sauce. Remember you will need to be able to roll these up!
4. Roll one side towards the other and place into a glass baking dish. Continue to do this for the next enchiladas, until you fill up the baking dish.
5. Pour enchilada sauce over your enchiladas, top with a liberal sprinkling of cheese and pop into a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese just starts to bubble.
6. Remove and serve with your choice of condiments.