Easy Writer Enchiladas

Winter must be over. Now. I realize it's still February (the END of the worst month of the year is almost upon us!) and that I live in the north and that winter is a reality and blah blah blah. I also realize I've mentioned in the past that I truly enjoy winter, and that actually remains true whilst we're in November and December and even early January.

But now, I'm over it. I've decided that since it's still May in my kitchen thanks to my abandon-all-hope-and-forget-about-planning shopping trip, I'll continue on by making it May in MEXICO. Ahhh...wouldn't that be nice? Wouldn't it be nice to not have to skip runs anymore? Wouldn't it be nice to feel the sun on our backs? Wouldn't it be nice to put more miles on my legs than on my car?

Ask and it shall be, at least where food is concerned. And since the vegan doughnuts were such a challenge, I present enchiladas that are easy and spiritedly aware of their own summer-y-ness! Oh geez...make it so, enchiladas. You get to use canned enchilada sauce. That's easy. You get to use regular 'ol flour tortillas. That's easy (because really, what do you do with those extra corn tortillas?). You also get to use your microwave if you wish, despite your better judgment (it's not any easier than the option I present, so you can leave that scary contraption off...for now).

Turn your oven on to 350 and make the fabulous filling. Heat up some olive oil in your biggest saucepan, probably the same one you used for Pad Thai, then add:
1 onion, roughly diced
1 red pepper, roughly chopped (you want big chunks like the picture below)
2-3 carrots, chopped

Sautee over medium high heat until the onions are starting to soften a bit, then add:
a big 'ol dash of regular taco seasoning (told you it would be easy)*

Stir it up and add:
5-9 handfuls kale, chopped

Cook everything down until the kale starts to wilt, keeping in mind that the veggies will also be baked...don't over cook them.
When they're ready, turn off the heat and set the pan aside. Open your can of enchilada sauce, green or red, and spread a bit on the bottom of a 9x17 cake pan (this helps stop the enchiladas from sticking). Now, it's time to stuff and shove, baby. You'll need to move fairly quickly to roll the tortillas before they cool/harden, so make sure you have a clean plate ready and that your pan is prepped. All set?

Warm a dry skillet over medium heat...this is where you'll warm the tortillas for stuffing. You can use your microwave too, but this works perfectly well without the freaky microwaves changing the chemical construct of your meal. Drop one tortilla into the dry pan, wiggle it around, flip it over, wiggle again, then plop it down onto your clean plate. Quickly spoon a big line of filling right in the middle, roll it up tightly, and smoosh it into the pan.

Repeat. Like so:
Easy, huh? It goes really quickly once you get the hang of it, and is especially efficient if you have a helper to wiggle the tortillas on the stove while you roll. Regardless, when the pan is full, pour the sauce down over the top:
Use the back of the spoon to push around the lake of sauce until every exposed tortilla is covered, paying special attention to the ends. Finally, cover the top with veg cheese (I used my 2nd favorite, Daiya), seal the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for about 30 minutes.

Oh man will it smell like May in Mexico in your house!

This is what mine looked like when I pulled it out of the oven:
I ended up putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese, then I scooped out a giant portion for myself and watched with horror/hilarity as my windows steamed up from the heat.

Then, I ate it. I ate it while channeling my inner Julia Child, slowing chewing and smelling and chatting with AJ and sipping wine. I was enjoying it so much that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product on my plate...that's how good these things are.

I think you get the idea.

*Alternatively, you can use cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, or any combination of yummy mexican spices