Sunday, March 16, 2014

Enchiladas: A New Twist on an Old Standby

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I love a good enchilada.  They're generally really simple to make at home and I love experimenting with different fillings, but I hadn't tried shrimp as a filling before.  Be aware, these are not your typical enchiladas with a red or green sauce, they're actually topped with a light cream sauce that gets its heat from diced jalapenos.

The filling is packed with shrimp and veggies, overall giving the enchiladas a bright and slightly spicy flavor.  I am not a huge fan of corn tortillas in my enchiladas so I used flour ones, but you could easily swap in corn if you like those better, just warm them before assembly and you'll be good to go.

This recipe has a few steps to it, but the actual prep is very simple and the payoff is worth it.  Have you ever roasted shrimp in the oven before? I am a total convert of this method, who knew you could cook shrimp in an oven!  Just be careful not to over-cook them, 6 minutes in the oven worked perfectly for me, but adjust the time based on the amount of shrimp and how big yours are.

I found the original version of this recipe on Damn Delicious and adapted it to better suit my family's tastes.  I love that about recipes and recipe blogs, everyone shares their favorites and then new dishes grow as you customize them!

Roasted Shrimp & Veggie Enchiladas

Ingredients for the Enchiladas
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt & Pepper
1 clove garlic (minced)
½ small onion (diced)
1 cup shredded coleslaw mix (just the cabbage)
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 cups baby spinach
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (diced)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
10 (9-inch) flour tortilla
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
Ingredients for the Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup light sour cream
jalapeno (seeded and minced)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ tsp. coriander
Salt & Pepper


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, toss shrimp, 1 tbsp. olive oil and a generous sprinkle each of salt and pepper.  Pop into the oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet with high sides. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, carrot, spinach, chipotle pepper, cumin and coriander. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach just begins to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp and gently toss to combine.

To make the sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Add jalapeño, coriander, garlic powder and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon about a 1/2 cup of the shrimp mixture in the center; sprinkle with cheese. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down onto prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and shrimp mixture. Pour ¾ of the jalapeño cream sauce evenly over the top. 

Place into oven and bake, covered, until lightly golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Serve immediately with remaining jalapeño cream sauce on the side if desired.

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