layers

Last night I made enchiladas.

Actually, that's a lie. They weren't technically enchiladas; they weren't rolled, they were layered, and the ingredients were a "creative" combination of truffle mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, green enchilada sauce, sauteed mushrooms, black beans, black olives and cheese. Sharp cheddar, to be specific. Oh, and of course corn tortillas.

I used to make rolled enchiladas, carefully heating each tortilla in hot oil, and purposefully wrapping measured ingredients into each one, stacking them against one another until the pan was full. They looked pretty, and servings were easy to measure out. At some point, I started layering them (it takes far less time) and adding different ingredients such as rice sauteed with ancho chile powder and corn, chicken with thyme, tamari, and ginger... I tried different cheeses, green sauce instead of red, and found the perfect baking dish that is probably meant for small casseroles (it even has a lid for storing in the fridge). I bake them uncovered for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees, till the cheese on top is bubbling.

My enchiladas are no longer truly enchiladas. They are difficult to serve (rather sloppy, actually) and typically look like someone put the ingredients in a blender. But, they are delicious. I guess when it comes down to it, no one cares how pretty the garnish is or how dressed up the food looks, as long as it tastes good.

I still like it to look pretty, but I make an exception for those layers of goodness. A little scoop of plain yogurt sometimes helps...