Vegetable & Goat Cheese Enchiladas

I'm a native Californian and homemade Mexican food like this is my idea of comfort food. I get a little jittery when it's been more than a week or two without some sort of mexican meal, a fish taco, or at the very least a good margarita.

Tonight's dinner is a zesty & festive way to start the week. Everyone loves enchiladas and the options for fillings are infinite. I sometimes find them a tad too cheesy and heavy however, so here I opt for a lighter cheese and lots of fresh veggies inside.

I'm using fresh goat cheese and a mix of asparagus, zucchini, and chard. It's Monday and I don't have time to make my own chile sauce or my own tortillas (this is dinner tonight after all, not dinner next week!). I just use a good quality canned version from my local market. With this filling I prefer a mild red chile sauce that's savory but doesn't overwhelm the freshness of the veggies inside.

You can bake this simple casserole off ahead of time and reheat in the oven whenever you're ready for dinner. It also freezes well and after it's baked can go straight from the freezer to the oven for reheating.

Spring Vegetable Enchiladas:

Yields 12

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 medium zucchini, diced in 1" pieces

1 bunch asparagus, stalks peeled and trimmed, cut into 1" pieces

1 bunch swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, roughly chopped

5 oz fresh goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel's chevre or similar)

2 TB freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2, 15 oz cans mild red chile sauce (I like Hain mild enchilada sauce)

12 corn tortillas

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mild chile powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 9x13" baking dish, pour about 1 cup of chile sauce, enough to cover the bottom of the dish completely.

2) Heat 1 TB olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic the spices (cumin through black pepper) and stir constantly until spices are fragrant and toasted, about 1 minute. Add the zucchini & asparagus and saute until just tender and bright green, about 3-5 minutes longer. Add the chard and toss until wilted. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

3) Crumble the goat cheese into bite size pieces and set aside. In a microwave, soften the corn tortillas by heating them inside their sealed bag for 20-30 seconds.

4) Place about 2 TB of filling and 1 TB of cheese inside each corn tortilla and roll it tightly to enclose everything inside. Line the parcels up tightly together in the baking pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, making sure to cover the top of each. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese and the 2 TB parmesan cheese over top. Butter (or oil) a piece of foil and fit it tightly over top. Place the whole casserole in the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbly, the cheese is melted, and the enchiladas are heated through, about 35-40 minutes.

5) Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before plating. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro, and a side salad. Enjoy!!