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.