Vegetarian Chard Enchiladas
Filled with vegetables and just the right amount of salty cheese, these are a lighter, healthier alternative to the gooey greasy enchiladas of Tex-mex restaurants. Makes about 6 servings.
Servings: 6 servings.
Calories: 276kcal
Ingredients
- 1 bunch chard , about 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons olive , avocado, or grapeseed oil
- 1 medium onion , cut in ¼-inch dice
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 jalapeño chile , seeds removed, minced (see note)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh minced oregano
- 1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt , as needed
- 12 to 14 corn tortillas
- Oil mist , from purchased cooking spray, or from a refillable pump oil sprayer
- 1 bunch green onions , cut in ¼-inch dice
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 8 ounces Cotija or feta cheese , crumbled (see note)
- 2 cups enchilada sauce , purchased or homemade
Instructions
- Wash the chard well. Trim the leaves away from the ribs. Cut the ribs in ¼-inch pieces and set aside, and then chop the leaves in 1-inch strips.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion, chard ribs, garlic and chile for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the chard ribs are soft. Add the chard leaves, the cilantro and the oregano and continue to cook and stir until the chard leaves have wilted and shrunk in volume. Sprinkle with the vinegar and season to taste with salt.
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with oil and spread about ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce around the oiled dish. Set aside.
- Place tortillas on a baking sheet, 4 to 6 to a pan, depending on the size of your pan. Lightly mist both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray. Heat in the oven 3 to 5 minutes, until the tortillas are soft and pliable, no more.
- With your fingers, spread a heaping tablespoon of the chard filling down the middle of each tortilla. Follow with a sprinkling of the green onions and olives, and finally with about a tablespoon of the cheese. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place them seam side down in the dish. Mist, heat and fill the rest of the tortillas. (see note)
- Ladle the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, making a point to cover the ends first and spreading lightly over the middle. You want to be sparing vs. generous with the sauce, even if there are thumbnail patches of tortillas showing. Sprinkle with cheese, olives and green onions, for optional eye appeal.
- Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Notes
- Fresh jalapeño chiles, especially with the seeds removed, are quite mild. If you want more “picante” heat, mince the jalapeño with seeds.
- Cotija cheese, which is akin to Greek feta, is the classic enchilada cheese. If you like your cheese melt-y, try cheddar or Monterey jack instead. Or since these enchiladas are fairly mild in their heat quotient, make them more incendiary with pepper jack cheese.
- Instead of filling and rolling the warm tortillas one at a time, make a small assembly line. Spread fillings down the middle of all the warm tortillas on the baking sheet. When they all have a row of filling, roll them and transfer to the baking dish.
- You can cover the pan of filled but not sauced enchiladas and refrigerate overnight.
Nutrition
Serving: 2g | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 1470mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1325IU | Vitamin C: 8.8mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 1.6mg