Recipe Background
Evil Enchiladas aren't really evil, unless they've been planning some big caper without us realizing. No, they're just manically delicious and very much in the Halloween spirit with their tangy, spicy, and distinctly fragrant pumpkin seed salsa and their vibrant, juicy pepper and onion filling! Melty cheese and a bright tomato salsa bring the whole dish together so you can feel like you're wickedly indulgent just for having them. Evil Enchiladas are, ironically, just that good!
Evil Enchiladas aren't really evil, unless they've been planning some big caper without us realizing. No, they're just manically delicious and very much in the Halloween spirit with their tangy, spicy, and distinctly fragrant pumpkin seed salsa and their vibrant, juicy pepper and onion filling! Melty cheese and a bright tomato salsa bring the whole dish together so you can feel like you're wickedly indulgent just for having them. Evil Enchiladas are, ironically, just that good!
Ingredients
- 8 soft corn tortillas
- 1 large white onion
- 1 red bell pepper quartered
- 1 yellow bell pepper quartered
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup corn kernels thawed if using frozen
- 3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese coarsely grated
- 2 cups cilantro roughly chopped and packed
- 1 jalapeño finely chopped and seeded if desired
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds divided
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 beefsteak tomato roughly chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the tortillas between 2 large pieces of foil, wrapping them up completely.
- Warm the foil-wrapped tortillas in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan over medium heat on the stove-top.
- Slice 3/4 of the white onion into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
- Finely chop the remaining 1/4 of the onion.
- Add the sliced onion, the peppers, 1/2 tablespoon of the oil, and salt and pepper to taste into the hot grill pan.
- Grill the peppers and onion until lightly charred and tender, about 5-6 minutes per side.
- Transfer the onions and pepper mixture to a cutting board and thinly slice it.
- Transfer the onions and pepper mixture to a large bowl.
- Add the corn and the Monterey Jack cheese to the bowl and toss to combine.
- In a food processor or a blender, pulse the cilantro, the jalapeño, the brown sugar, the turmeric, all but 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, and the salt together until smooth. The mixture should have a pesto-like consistency; if it seems too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and pulse until it reaches the right consistency.
- In a medium bowl, combine the tomato, the reserved chopped onion, the remaining lime juice, the salt, and the pepper.
- Spread each warmed tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin seed salsa.
- Top the pumpkin seed salsa layer on the enchiladas with about 1/2 cup onion mixture each.
- Roll up the enchiladas and place them seam side down to keep them closed.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- In two batches, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil to the hot skillet.
- Cook 1/2 of the enchiladas in the hot oil, seam side down first, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
- Repeat this process with the remaining oil and enchiladas.
- Serve with the tomato salsa, remaining pumpkin seed salsa, and the remaining pumpkin seeds.
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