Chard Attack

It's about time to renew our CSA membership -I am toying with the idea of going to the meat-only share because I use most of the vegetables but not all and I hate being wasteful.  In the pro column, I use far more veggies now and have tried recipes I wouldn't otherwise...

But this week is off to a good start: I made these cheese and green chile enchiladas for lunch and added a bunch of chard (sauteed chopped stems and leaves separately, then added to filling mixture) and lo, the whole week's worth of chard was enveloped in cheese and creamy goodness, adding a bit of nutrition.  Mmm, so many International Units of vitamins.  The March 2012 Rachael Ray is mostly tex-mex, which I love.  Next up: poblano pasta with shrimp!

Source

Cheese and Green Chile Enchiladas

3/4 pound monterey jack, shredded (3 1/2 cups)

2 4 ounce cans diced green chiles, drained (use the hot variety for more kick)

1 cup sour cream or mexican crema

1 small yellow onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

A small handful cilantro leaves, chopped, plus whole leaves for topping

1 teaspoon ground cumin (about 1/3 palmful)

vegetable oil or EVOO, for warming tortillas***

12 corn tortillas

Thinly sliced jalapeno chile peppers and red onions, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees . In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, canned chiles, sour cream (or crema), yellow onion, garlic, chopped cilantro and cumin.
2. ***Heat 1/4 inch oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Using tongs, add 1 tortilla at a time, turning in the oil to soften for a few seconds. Drain on paper towels.***
3. Dollop a few tbsp. of the cheese mixture onto each tortilla and roll up like a cigar (you will use about half to two-thirds of your filling). Arrange the enchiladas in a single layer in a casserole dish. Cover with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Top with the jalapenos, red onions and whole cilantro leaves.

***Instead of this step, which seems oily and messy and adds an extra bit of unhealthfulness to an already fat-bomb recipe, I softened the tortillas per the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (page 220): Layer tortillas between paper towels (the little halfsies work well) and microwave for 60 seconds.  Mira, pliable tortillas.