I never thought this would be something I’d be making from scratch, but I had some beef I wanted to use up in the freezer, as well as a bunch of tortillas, so I thought enchiladas would be a great. I used Nicole, from Prevention RD’s, recipe, and before I knew it, I was actually making an enchilada sauce from scratch (I have trouble reading entire recipes through before starting – don’t do this!). Pretty neat. Not only that, but I made the tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes. The enchilada sauce is a little time-consuming (partially because I had to first make the tomato sauce), but totally worth it! I like things hot, so I used 4 jalapenos. Adjust to your own taste.
Enchilada Sauce
Source: Adapted from Prevention RD
Servings: Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 medium onion
3-4 jalapenos, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
3 tsp sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and peppers until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, water and chopped tomato. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.* Cover and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer vegetables to a medium bowl and set aside or discard.** Salt and pepper enchilada sauce to taste. Use immediately, store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to 6 months.
*If using chicken for your enchiladas, add uncooked breasts to the sauce here. Simmer for 12-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, then remove from sauce and shred. Continue to step 2.
**Add vegetables back to meat mixture before filling tortillas.
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