Enchiladas

I received a pound of these in my community supported agriculture box this week. I was in a rush to put the vegetables away, so I did not read the newsletter and vegetable list that came with the box. I assumed this was ginger, but when I went to use it like ginger I noticed that the texture was wrong. I tasted it, and it had a sweet, earthy flavor. I had to look it up on the internet to figure out what it was since I’d never had it before. Turns out, this is a sunchoke or a Jerusalem artichoke. It can be used like a potato when cooked or eaten raw, like jicama. I decided to put it into enchiladas similar to what my mom made for Christmas dinner this year.

Before you really get started, wash the butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place it with the insides facing up onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes (or until soft).

Enchilada Sauce

2 cups vegetable stock
3 oz. (1/2 6 oz. can) tomato paste
2 1/2 tbsp. taco seasoning
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

Whisk all of the ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes to reduce.

Filling

1 medium butternut squash (seeded, cooked, removed from skin)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
2 cups sunchokes (grated)
1 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 tbsp. miso paste
1/2 tsp. cumin

10 corn tortillas

5 green onions, diced

1 lemon squeezed.

To make the filling, sauté onion in a dry pan for 3 minutes, add grated sunchoke, and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash, black beans, and seasoning. Cook for another few minutes until heated through.

Using a 9X13 baking pan, ladle 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of the pan. I prefer substantial corn tortillas that have a chewy texture. The ones I buy actually have a little wheat gluten in them, and they look like the picture on the right. If you use less substantial corn tortillas, you may need to heat them either on the stove or in the microwave before filling them to prevent them from splitting.

Spoon the filling into the tortillas and place them in the pan with the seam side down in the sauce. Repeat until the pan is full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onion and squeeze one lemon over the top.