That sounds wonderful!

For years my *signature dish* ( I guess you'd call it that- people always asked
for the recipe and requested it at potlucks) was Vegetarian Eggplant Royale
(also did a vegan version for a while with tofu cheese).

Now everyone asks for my Enchaladas- cheese or beef. The key to this dish is
my homemade Enchalada sauce:

2 qts pork, beef or chicken stock (I use boulion cubes in a pinch)
4-5 rounded TB's of mild red powdered chile- the Mexican store I buy this at
sells it by the pound and simply calls it *California mild*.
Measurements are approximate
1/2 onion (whole)
1/2 bell pepper (whole) or other fresh pepper ( sometimes I use fresh jalapeno
if it's for my son who loves spicy-hot)
2 lg cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp oregano powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp coriander seed, powdered
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of cayenne


Bring all this to a boil and then simmer for about 30mins. It should reduce to
about 1 and 1/2 to 3/4 quarts liquid. Thicken with a little cornstarch slurry-
but don't make it too thick as it will thicken more as you bake the
enchaladas. Check salt- season to taste. Remove and toss the garlic, bell
pepper and onion. It's ready to serve! This freezes pretty well, too.

To make enchaladas, Pour some sauce in the bottom of a 9x 13 glass baking
dish. Take *fresh* ( I buy them fresh and they are still wartm and pliable) or
*softened* corn tortillas (place a stack wrapped in a damp cloth in your
microwave for about 1-2 mins to make them pliable) and fill with your favorite
mix- my favorite is cheese and black olive but my kids like burger and
chorizo. Roll 'em up and lay 'em in the sauce. When done, pour enchalada
sauce over all to cover, sprinkle with a mix of parmesan and white/yellow
cheese and bake at 350* for about 30 mins or until cheese is bubbly on top.
Serve with shredded lettuce topped with fresh salsa and maybe a couple whole
black olives on the side and Mexican rice.

Pretty simple but a definite crowd pleaser. Once upon a time I used the whole
dried chiles, soaked 'em, cleaned 'em and then pureed them for the sauce- I
admit that makes a tastier sauce but this works great for everyday. I also use
this sauce over my homemade tamales. If you scanned the sauce looking for
tomato, you won't find any *chuckles*. Also, when I make beef or chicken
enchalada, I add about a cup of the enchalada sauce to the cooked
shredded/ground meat before stuffing.


* cheers*

Barb Anne