Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce

In the midst of all the holiday treat goodness bombarding the interwebs these days, it is important to remember that we still require sustenance. One cannot survive solely on cookies and fudge, no matter how much I may wish that was the case. Thankfully I have quite a few new main dish recipes to share with you all. This one moved right to the front of the list because it is that spectacular. I’m clearly of the mind that you can never have too many good enchilada recipes in your repertoire, and this is a very welcome addition to ours.

The combination of the veggies in the filling includes cabbage, spinach and carrots which may sound a little odd, but I’m telling you, it just works here. The assembled enchiladas are topped with a luscious roasted poblano cream sauce that I could eat with a spoon. (By the way, left over tortilla makes an excellent spoon.) With a filling this good and a sauce this oh.so.good, spending a little extra effort to make homemade tortillas is completely worth your while. I have been making mine with half white, half whole wheat flour for the last few months and we prefer them that way as compared to the all-white version.

Oh, and for all those who wondered, this was the wonderful meal that my girlfriends and I cooked together during our recent get together. This recipe has the stamp of approval from four other bloggers whose palates I trust implicitly. What more can you ask for?

Yield 10-12 enchiladas

Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 poblano peppers
2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
1½ cups chicken or veggie broth
½ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the filling:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. oregano
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
3 cups baby spinach
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and finely minced
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

To assemble:
10-12 8-inch flour (or corn) tortillas
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions

01
To roast the peppers, preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the peppers in a medium baking dish. Bake, turning every 6-8 minutes or so, until the skin is blistered over most of the surface about 20-25 minutes total. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with a plate and let sit 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and discard. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs. Coarsely chop the peppers and set aside.
02
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the chopped poblanos. Sprinkle in the flour and stir, cooking briefly just until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the broth and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and cilantro.
03
Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F. Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion , garlic, oregano and cayenne. Cook until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cabbage, carrots and spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is fully wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the chipotle peppers and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Coarsely chop the shrimp and stir them into the filling. (The shrimp do not need to be fully cooked at this point, they will cook in the oven.) Remove from the heat.
04
To assemble, lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling mixture in a line down the center of a tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tightly and place in the prepared pan, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Once the pan has been filled, pour the poblano sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Bake until bubbling and slightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cilantro. Serve immediately.

Source

adapted from Damn Delicious