Zucchini and Red Pepper Enchiladas

By Jillh929

Smoky grilled vegetables—not a cloying amount of meat or cheese—rule here. Instead of embellishing the enchiladas with a complex (and time-consuming) Mexican pipián (pumpkin-seed sauce), cook a few customary pipián ingredients and then purée them with cilantro for an easy enchilada that's herbaceous and fresh.

Ingredients

• For enchiladas:
• 1 large white onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 2 red bell peppers, quartered
• 3/4 pound medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 12 (6-to 7-inch) soft corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 6 ounces crumbled queso fresco or ricotta salata
• For pumpkin-seed salsa:
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh serrano chile, including seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/3 cups raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups water
• For tomato salsa:
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh serrano chile, including seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Garnish: cilantro leaves

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Start enchiladas:
Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat; see Grilling Procedure .

Preheat oven to 350°F .

Secure each onion round with a wooden pick for grilling. Oil grill rack, then grill vegetables, covered, turning occasionally, until tender (6 to 8 minutes for bell peppers and zucchini; 10 to 12 minutes for onion), transferring to a bowl.

Wrap tortillas in stacks of 6 in foil and heat in oven, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make pumpkin-seed salsa:
Cook chile, garlic, cumin, and pumpkin seeds in oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until seeds pop, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer 3 tablespoons seeds with a slotted spoon to a bowl and reserve. Purée remaining seeds and oil with cilantro, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.

Make tomato salsa:
Stir together tomatoes, onion, chile, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Assemble and fry enchiladas:
Cut vegetables into strips. Spread 2 teaspoons pumpkin-seed salsa on each warm tortilla and top with some of grilled vegetables, then roll up. Heat oil (1/2 cup) in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry enchiladas, seam side down first, in 2 batches, turning once, until lightly browned and heated through, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer enchiladas to plates, then drizzle with remaining pumpkin-seed salsa and sprinkle with reserved seeds and cheese. Serve with tomato salsa.