- 1 large dried ancho chile
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 8 roma tomatoes
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Water, Chicken Stock, or Vegetable Stock, for thinning the sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a damp cloth, gills scraped (see technique, p. 55), and cut in ¼-inch strips
- ½ teaspoon each dried Mexican oregano and ground coriander
- Salt
- 2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise in ¼-inch pieces, then crosswise into ¼-inch dice
- 4 scallions (green and white), chopped
- Black pepper
- ½ bunch cilantro, cleaned and chopped (about ¼ cup)
- Vegetable oil, for greasing dish
- Ancho-Tomato Sauce
- 8-12 corn tortillas
- Vegetable Filling
- 2½ cups shredded white melting cheese (such as queso fresco, mild white cheddar, Monterey Jack, whole milk mozzarella, or asadero)
- ½ cup chopped onion, for garnish
- Chopped cilantro, as desired, for garnish
- Sliced jalapenos, fresh or pickled, as you prefer, for garnish
- Lay a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of a cast-iron skillet (for easier cleanup, as juices have a tendency to weep and scorch the pan) and set it over medium heat. Place the ancho chile on the foil and cook about 2 minutes, turning once, until the chile smells toasty.
- Remove the chile and set aside, then add the onion and garlic and cook 10-15 minutes, turning the vegetables once or twice as they brown. Or place the vegetables on a baking sheet under a broiler and cook 6-7 minutes, turning them once halfway through the cooking process.
- Discard the stem and seeds from the cooled chile and tear it into pieces.
- Place the chile in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and add the vinegar. Let it soak for about 10 minutes.
- Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a food processor or blender along with the onions.
- Char the tomatoes in the same pan on the foil or under the broiler, turning several times so they are evenly blistered, about 10 minutes.
- Chop the tomatoes (skin and all) and add to the food processor.
- Save the chile soaking liquid and add the pieces of chile. Pulse to blend the sauce thoroughly. If necessary, add a little of the chile liquid to thin the sauce (it should have the consistency of thick tomato juice).
- Season to taste with salt. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and carefully pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. The sauce will darken and thicken a little.
- Add some water or, preferably, Chicken or Vegetable Stock to adjust the consistency.
- Simmer gently for about 5 more minutes and adjust the seasoning to taste. Hold the sauce at room temperature while you make the vegetable filling. (Alternatively, the sauce can be made a day in advance.)
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot but not smoking, add the onion and poblano and toss to coat evenly with oil.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, then scrape the vegetables into a large bowl and return the skillet to the heat. Heat another tablespoon of the oil; add the mushrooms and cook, tossing or stirring, until they are wilted and starting to get brown and crispy, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the oregano and coriander. Season with a little salt and add to the bowl of vegetables. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil, toss in the zucchini pieces, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt, stir in the scallions, and scrape the zucchini into the bowl with the other vegetables. Grind a little black pepper over the vegetables and stir in the cilantro.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Use a pastry brush to grease a 13 × 9-inch baking pan or shallow oblong baking dish with vegetable oil.
- Ladle about ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of the greased pan and spread evenly.
- Place about half the remaining sauce in a 10-inch skillet and warm gently. Submerge one tortilla in the sauce and let it warm until it is soft and pliable (about 5-10 seconds), then lift it out, draining the excess sauce back into the skillet. Place the tortilla on a work surface, spoon on about 3 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture, sprinkle with a little cheese, and roll it up into a snug cylinder.
- Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking pan. Fill more tortillas in the same manner. They should fit snugly in the pan, in one layer.
- Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until they are hot all the way through and the cheese is bubbly. Garnish with onion, cilantro, and jalapeños and serve.