Lentil Enchiladas with Ancho Chile Sauce
Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.
Suggested Use:
Anchos are great in salsa, soups, enchilada and any sauce needing mild heat and chile flavor. Chopped, pureed or ground, they can be added directly to your recipes.
Ingredients:
For lentil filling:
2 cups pink lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 packet Goya Sazon with Coriander and annatto seasoning
1/2 tsp coarse salt
For ancho chile sauce:
6 dried ancho chiles
1 medium onion, chopped, divided
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coarse salt
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
For enchilada assembly:
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions:
Place lentils, onions, garlic, and oregano in a medium sized saucepan with 3 1/4 cup water. Bring just to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a constant simmer. Skim any foam that rises to top. Stirring occasionally, partially cover with a lid, and cook for about 20 minutes or until lentils have broken down, but not to a complete mush. There shouldn’t be much water left — you’re looking for the lentils to resemble the consistency of refried beans. Remove from heat. Stir in Goya and salt. Set aside.
Prepare ancho chiles by carefully slitting them open and removing the stems and seeds. Flatten chiles as much as you can.
Heat a dry 10-inch cast iron skillet to medium-high. Once heated, carefully press each chile down in the skillet, pressing to keep the chiles down against the bottom. Cook for 5 seconds, then flip over and cook for another 5 seconds. Repeat with remaining chiles. Place in a bowl and cover with 4 cups boiling water. Cover bowl and let stand for 15 minutes, to soften chiles.
Reserve 1 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Place chiles in a blender with half of the chopped onion, all the garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, soaking liquid, and 3/4 cup water. Cover blender and puree until smooth. Working with half the sauce, strain chile sauce through a fine mesh sieve placed over a large bowl. Press and stir the liquid with the back of a large spoon, pressing to remove as much liquid as you can and push the chile sauce through the sieve. You will end up with a really thick, paste-like substance of chile residue. Ladle sauce into a large liquid measuring cup. Repeat with remaining sauce. You should end up with 2 to 2 1/4 cup sauce, and it should be somewhat thick.
Pour sauce into a medium saucepan and whisk in vinegar, cocoa powder, and sugar. Bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce heat and let cook for five minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. wrap tortillas in foil and warm in oven for 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a 13×9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Ladle 1/4 cup sauce on the bottom of the dish. Assemble tortillas by spooning about 3 tablespoons (use a 1/4 cup measuring cup, but don’t fill it completely) lentils along the bottom thirds of a tortilla and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tightly and place in casserole dish. Repeat until all tortillas are rolled. Pour sauce on top, spreading to cover the tops of the tortillas. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Dollop enchiladas with yogurt and sprinkle with remaining onion and 1/4 cup cilantro. Bake an additional 5 minutes, then remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with rice and additional cilantro.
Serves 6.
From runningfoodie.blogspot.com