Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce

Every Wednesday RoommateRachel and I host a dinner party. The guest list (8-10) is a mix of our friends, people we want to be our friends, and people we think should be friends with each other (also factored in is food preferences, schedule, frequency of invite/re-invite etc.). It's a different mix every week, and has been a great way to get to know new people here at school and bridge the Business-focus/IR-focus divide (RoommateRachel studies International Business).

And we take Wednesdays seriously. It's our chance to take a break mid-week, do something creative that doesn't involve Power Point, and spend time with friends not on-campus, not involving group projects, and not thinking about any work that we "should" be doing. Because the only thing we should be doing on Wednesday nights is this:

Alright so they came out a little messy, but that is one of each
(shrimp and butternut squash) with tomatillo salsa in the middle. 

Usually I make dessert and Rachel handles the meal, but last night we switched things up. It is COLD here, so we decided on a semi-tropical/warm weather-ish theme. I made a delicious dinner my mama made for me over winter break: Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce. 

To account for hungry grad student appetites, I doubled the recipe and made a shrimp version and a butternut squash and cheese version (oh hey vegetarians I got you covered!). These enchiladas are what I would call California food: heavy on the fresh vegetables, whole wheat tortillas, with a little bit of Mexico mixed in, and some spicy kick. I served them over a simple salad of spinach, black beans, and red onion with lime/olive oil dressing, plus chips and tomatillo salsa (which I cannot take credit for but it was goooood).

So without further ado, the recipe is based on this one from Annie's Eats. You should make it -- you will love it.

Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce 

*No-shrimp version in brackets
Total time: Approximately 1 hour...but if you factor in all the veggie chopping/shredding, give yourself an hour and a half.

Sauce ingredients:

• 2 poblano peppers
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp. unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or veggie broth
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt, or some mix of the two (I did 50/50)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Filling ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• dash cayenne pepper (or more, if you like the heat)
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
•   (or you can use pre-packaged cole slaw in place of shredding your own cabbage and  
•   carrots)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in cans in the market), finely minced (seeded if you fear spice), or 1 tsp. chipotle powder (tip: freeze extra peppers in ice cube trays & store in freezer bags)
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled, and deveined, and chopped [OR 2 cups butter nut squash, cubed in 1/4-inch squares]

To assemble:

• 10 to 12 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas (you can use regular or corn tortillas if you prefer)
• 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese [you will need an additional cup if you're doing the butter nut squash version and want to put cheese inside the enchiladas]

Directions:

1. To roast peppers: Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Place peppers in a medium baking dish. Bake, turning every 6-8 minutes until the skin is blistered over most of the surface, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and let sit 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and discard. Remove the stem (and the seeds and ribs too if you don't want it to be spicy). Coarsely chop the peppers and set aside.
2. To make the sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then stir in the chopped poblanos. Mix in flour, cooking briefly just until golden, 1-2 minutes. 
3. Whisk in the broth, adding a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream/yogurt and cilantro.
5. To make filling: Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, and cayenne; cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in cabbage and carrots [and butternut squash]; cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies start to get tender (about 7-10 minutes).
7. Stir in chipotle peppers.
8. Stir in chopped raw shrimp; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until the shrimp start to get pink (don't worry about cooking them completely now because they'll finish in the oven). 
9. To assemble: Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. 
10. Place about 1/2 cup filling down the center of a tortilla. Roll up tightly and place in prepared pan, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas. [Sprinkle shredded cheese on the filling before rolling up.]
11. When pan is filled, pour the poblano sauce over the enchiladas. 
12. Sprinkle with cheese.
13. Bake until bubbling and slightly golden, 20-25 minutes. At the end, turn off the oven and turn on the broiler for 2-4 minutes (watch them) to get the tops nice and brown. Sprinkle with additional cilantro. Serve immediately.