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It’s enchilada time! In this recipe, you’ll make a version of enchiladas rojas (enchiladas in red sauce) stuffed with a special ingredient: nopales. Nopales are the fleshy pads of the prickly pear cactus. And though they may look somewhat intimidating, beneath their little spines they have a juicy, crispy texture and mild, lush flavor. When prepping the cactus, you’ll want to remove the spines while keeping the skin as intact as possible to take full advantage of their delightful texture.
See PlansIn a medium pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1 cup of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low; simmer 12 to 14 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.
While the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 450°F. Drain and rinse the beans. Peel and mince the garlic. Using a peeler, remove the green rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter the lime. Peel and small dice the onion. Using a large knife, carefully shave the thorns off the nopales. Trim off and discard the tough, outer edges of the nopales; rinse under cool water. Small dice the nopales. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; mince the stems and keep the leaves whole. Tear the cheese into small pieces.
While the rice continues to cook, in a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, onion, lime zest, cilantro stems and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Transfer half the cooked aromatics to a plate, leaving the remaining aromatics in the pot.
Add the crushed tomatoes and ½ cup of water to the pot of remaining cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
While the sauce simmers, to the pot of cooked rice, add the beans, nopales, reserved cooked aromatics, half the cilantro leaves and the juice of all 4 lime wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Evenly spread about ½ cup of the tomato sauce and ½ cup of the rice and bean filling onto the bottom of a baking dish. Divide the remaining filling between the centers of the tortillas; tightly roll up each tortilla around the filling. Place in the baking dish, seam sides down. Top the enchiladas with the remaining tomato sauce and Oaxaca cheese. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven. Let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
Tips from Home Chefs