Red Cheese Enchiladas (Enchiladas Rojas)
Ingredients
4 guajillo peppers, seeds removed.
4 ancho peppers, seeds removed.
2 garlic cloves chopped
¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
12 corn tortillas
1 ½ cup of Queso fresco crumble
½ cup of white onion finely chopped
⅓ cup of vegetable oil
Optional Garnishes:
2 cups of pre-cooked diced potatoes and 2 cups of pre-cook diced carrots.
Finely shredded lettuce or cabbage and radishes
Directions
Let's start first with the enchilada sauce. Place the peppers in a saucepan with water and turn the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes or when they look soft.
Remove saucepan from stove and let them cool for another 10-15 minutes. The pepper skins should look soft.
After the resting period, drain the peppers and place in the blender along with the garlic cloves. Add ½ cup of clean water and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Strain the sauce into a large bowl using a fine strainer. Season with the oregano, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
Add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Too much oil will get a soggy tortilla. Quickly warn each tortilla for about 15 seconds on each side just to soften it up.
Dip each tortilla into the enchilada sauce to lightly coat each side.
Crumble the queso fresco into a bowl and add the diced onion and mix.
To assemble the red enchiladas, first, place the filling (queso fresco) in the center of the tortilla and fold it.
Place the enchiladas in the Frying Comal-pan or skillet and briefly fry about 1 minute on each side. Add more vegetable oil to the skillet as needed. Place finished enchiladas in a dish while you cook the rest of them.
Sprinkle the enchiladas with the cheese and onion. Top with shredded lettuce and radishes and enjoy!
If you decide to add the potatoes and carrots as a garnish/side dish: Peel potatoes and carrots, cut into cubes and boil until almost tender but still firm. Then drain and cool.
Use the same frying pan where you fried the red enchiladas to lightly fry the potatoes, adding a little more oil. The potatoes and carrots will be coated with some of the sauce sticking to the frying pan. Plate it and enjoy!