Mushroom Spinach Enchiladas with a Guajillo Cream Sauce

Spinach-mushroom enchiladas with guajillo cream (or something similar) sauce!

Sauce:
2-3 guajillo chiles, soaked in boiling water for 15-20 minutes
1/4 c pepper soaking liquid (or more depending on chile size-consistency should be like tomato juice)
3 TB tomato puree* (more to taste, I like mine more on the chile side, some like it more tomatoey)
1-3 cloves garlic
sliver of onion
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground oregano (or 1 TB fresh)
2 TB lime, lemon juice or 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp canola or grapeseed oil
1/2 the container? heavy cream

Blend in blender and bring to a boil in a small saucepan, then simmer lightly with some heavy cream or coconut milk (around 1-2 cups) for 3 minutes or so

*Tomato Puree: you can use fresh tomatoes or canned and blend them in a blender, tomato paste mixed with sauce, or buy fancy Passata

Filling:
1-2 TB butter
1 small red onion or 2 med. shallot
1/2 pkg. baby bella mushrooms
several cups of spinach
2-3 cloves garlic
2 TB wine
3 TB tomato puree
(3 TB cream sauce)

8 corn tortillas
1/2 - 1 cup of cotija or some tasty goat cheese (or monterey jack, or even no cheese at all, use coconut milk and veganize it!)

1. Heat butter in a wok, or some sort of pan into which everything will easily fit. Add the onions or shallot when butter starts to bubble. Stir on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, add mushrooms and cook for 4-6 minutes, till mushrooms soften, add garlic in middle and let it heat up for 20-30 seconds then add the wine and simmer for 1 more minute, add tomatoes, 2-3 TB of sauce and spinach. Heat through, about 3 more minutes.

2 Dip tortillas in sauce, then sear in hot oil in a cast iron skillet on med. high heat for around 30 seconds, fill with tasty filling, roll and dollop some sauce and cheese on and eat immediately. Or, for company, you can do this and then place into casserole pan and heat up in a 400 oven for 5-10 minutes. Or just go the casserole route if you like it, what do I care? I do it sometimes too when I'm feeling really lazy!


**Most casserole versions so well known to we of the Western World are actually heavily Americanized (like much of what we consider to be "ethnic" cuisine: see sushi, spaghetti n' meatballs, and most Chinese food in this country). Shockingly, the very word enchilada does not mean "casserole" but a past participle of the word "enchilar" or "to add chile to" and the enchilada originated as humble street vendor food that lacked any filling whatsoever and was a mere corn tortilla dipped and fried in chile wash.

Though, to be fair, apparently the actual definition involves corn tortilla stuffed with meat and covered in a chile sauce and I certainly don't consider the meat to be a hard and fast rule! We eat meat on it's own so often in this country, why waste an opportunity to enjoy vegetarian food when it's more tasty than the meaty alternative!