Enchilada Sauce

Part of my fondness for the Southwest is the fact that I love the regional cuisine. I learned to make this sauce when I was living in Tucson, and it is one of the best enchilada sauces I've had. And it's so EASY to make! I love it over spinach and mushroom enchiladas, or black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, and it's great to use in pancake-style enchilada casserole. The secret is the cocoa - don't leave it out, it is essential!


Ingredients:



  • 3 tablespoons quality New Mexico chile powder*

  • 3 tablespoons flour of choice*

  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 3 cups water

  • 1 small can (8 oz.) tomato sauce


Preparation:



  1. Combine all dry ingredients.

  2. Stirring constantly, slowly add enough of the water to make a thin paste.

  3. Pour into a sauce pan and add the rest of the water.

  4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.

  5. Stir in tomato sauce.

  6. Enjoy!


Notes:


It is essential to use a high quality chili powder - I am fortunate to have a friend in New Mexico who sends me a care package of chiles and chile powders every so often. But no worries - New Mexico chile powder is readily available online. Hatch chiles are the best! Regarding flour, I generally use brown rice flour so the enchilada sauce will be gluten free, but any flour will do!

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