Cauliflower and Roasted Poblano Enchiladas

The last gasps of winter - you hope - will let you make this delicious but very gringo-minded enchilada...with cauliflower! Yes, it sounds crazy but think of tender roasted cauliflower smothered in a cheese and roasted chile sauce. You see the appeal!

It looks like many steps, but once you've made enchiladas this is an easy one to add to your repertoire, and so veggie-licious. This combo makes me think of other non-traditional fillings like roasted yams and chile or sauteed summer squash and chiles. The possibilities are endless!

Cauliflower and Roasted Poblano Enchiladas
(serves 2-3)

3 tablespoons butter/margarine
3 tablespoons flour (spelt is fine)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2-3 poblanos
1 large head cauliflower
salt
8 tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large baking dish, toss cauliflower in olive oil and roast for 20-25 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and turn down temperature to 350 degrees.

While cauliflower is roasting, make white sauce. Heat butter over medium heat in a saucepan and once it melts add flour. Whisk flour into butter until it absorbs all the butter and cook until mixture begins to turn golden brown and makes a roux. Turn heat down to low and add 1/4 cup of milk to the roux, whisking it to incorporate it. Keep adding milk 1/4 cup at a time and whisking to incorporate it until all the milk is gone. Whisk in hot sauce and Dijon mustard and poblanos and adjust for salt. The sauce should be runny like pancake batter. Add in half of the cheese and whisk until it is melted.

Combine half of the sauce with all of the cauliflower, tossing to combine it well. Roast poblanos over open flame on the stove top by placing them on the burner, turning as they blacken. Remove fromheat and place in paper bag or in ceramic bowl and cover for 5 minutes to allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, rub off skins and remove seeds; dice.

Toast tortillas on open medium flame, turning once or twice until soft. Place 1/8 of cauliflower in center of tortilla and sprinkle on some of the diced poblanos, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the completed enchiladas. Roll to form enchilada. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle on shredded cheese and remaining diced poblanos. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Hugs!