Recipe for cooking new mexico-style stacked enchiladas

Quick Meals- Salads and Vegetarian Dishes :: Vegetarian Entrees

New Mexico-Style Stacked Enchiladas

1 med. clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C. ground dried red chile
1 C. water
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
Canola oil (for cooking tortillas)
12 corn tortillas
1 C. grated med. Cheddar or
    longhorn cheese, packed
1 (4 1/2 oz.) can black olives, diced
1 sm. yellow onion, finely diced

Saut garlic in extra virgin olive oil in a lrg. skillet over low heat until light gold, about 4 min. Stir in the red chile, and then quickly add the water and salt so that the chile does not burn. Raise the heat to med.-low and simmer the red chile sauce, stirring occasionally, until it has the consistency of a gravy, about 5 min.

Heat 1/2 in. canola oil in another lrg. skillet over med. heat until a piece of tortilla sizzles upon contact. Slip a corn tortilla into the oil and cook it for about 10 seconds so that it becomes pliable but not brown and crisp. Remove the tortilla with tongs to paper towels to drain. Repeat this process until all the tortillas are cooked.

Dip a tortilla in the red chile sauce and place it on a lrg., greased, shallow baking dish. (As the sauce cools, it tends to thicken. If it becomes too thick to drip off the tortilla, thin it with a few Tbsp. water). Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of the cheese, 1 1/2 tsp. olives and 1 tsp. diced onion on the tortilla. Dip another tortilla in the sauce and place it atop the first tortilla. Sprinkle the same amount of cheese, olives and onion on the second tortilla and top it with one more dipped tortilla. Repeat the process until you have made 4 stacks of 3 tortillas each.

Spoon remaining red chile sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake the enchiladas in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until the cheese inside melts, about 10 min.

Serve at once with refried beans and Spanish rice or posole (hominy stew).