some random experimentation that night. i brought the food, and watched him try to be mr. bartender. the real test was having someone extremely carnivorous try a vegan dish.

i’ve been trying to make more things and cook more things, and all i’m missing is a really good chef’s knife.

it’s messy, but it’s about damn time. homemade food and homemade cocktails, it’s really too cold not to.

butternut squash and green chile enchiladas (gluten-free and vegan)

filling

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp chili powder (i was liberal with this)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt
• water or broth as needed to thin
• 1 ½ cups/ 15 oz. can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup/ 4oz. can mild, fire roasted green chiles
• ½ cup jalapeño peppers diced, fresh or pickled
• 8 corn tortillas
• 12 oz. salsa verde
• cilantro and lime, for topping

cilantro cream topping (optional)

• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (4 hours minimum)
• 1 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup cilantro (leaves only, loosely packed)
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp raw honey (or agave)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• pinch cayenne, if desired
• ½ small clove garlic, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and cube the squash. Line a baking tray with parchment. On the baking tray, toss the squash with the oil, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until nice and soft. Turn the oven down to 350′.

Put squash in mixing bowl. Make sure it’s a large bowl! I added a bit of veggie stock and water to make it slightly thinner, but I kind of liked it chunky.

Mix the black beans, jalapeños, and green chiles together. Char the tortillas over the stove (good time to use chopsticks or tongs to turn them over, don’t burn yourself). Gather an assembly line with the tortillas, beans, and squash mash. In a baking dish (I used a Pyrex one), spread 1/3 cup of the salsa verde sauce to cover the bottom. Into the tortillas, spread about a heaping 1/4 cup of the squash mash and a few spoonfuls of the beans on top. Roll the tortilla and put it in your dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining tortillas for as many will fit in your dish. Spread remaining sauce on top.

Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350′ for 20 minutes to warm through. Take off the foil and broil another 5 minutes to char the tops.

While they bake, make your topping! Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Season to taste.

When the enchiladas are done, pour more salsa verde on the top if desired and drizzle with the cilantro cream. I topped mine with fresh sprigs of cilantro and squeezed some lime on it.

(recipe adapted from the amazing sprouted kitchen)