Enchilada Sauce--Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe

I think one of the most critical means of avoiding food fatigue when life gets sporty will lie in our ability to make a wide variety of sauces.  Think about it.  How important are ketchup and mayo?  Salad dressings?  How much are the basic ingredients of beans, wheat/flour, rice, and pasta altered by the addition of a sauce?  Grocery stores have one or sometimes two aisles allocated just for stocking condiments and sauces.  So it’s a good idea to have the means of making these essential foods from scratch.  And as a bonus, it’s easier to avoid those mystery ingredients and “natural” flavorings.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

This amazing sauce also works well with tacos or in tamales or quesadillas.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small white onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

4 (4-oz) cans diced green chiles

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add onion and jalapeño and sauté for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally, until the onion is softened.  Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let cool a few minutes and then blend the mixture in a food processor.  Add chicken broth, green chiles, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Puree until smooth.

Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or cumin if needed.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Red Chili Enchilada Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 ½ tablespoons red chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 ¼ cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Blend in the flour and continue stirring until the mixture is thickened. 

Add the spices and tomato paste and stir until well blended.  Add the water gradually, stirring constantly.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer the sauce, stirring until the desired thickness is achieved.  Taste and adjust spices as needed.

Authentic Enchilada Sauce

3 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

½ teaspoon garlic salt

3 cups water

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

In a small saucepan, combine the dry ingredients.  Stirring constantly, slowly add the water to make a thin paste.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.  Stir in the tomato sauce.

Use either of these sauces in your favorite enchilada recipe.

Family reviews:  Honestly, these are enchilada sauces.  No one gets excited about them.  But if the sauce were bad, no one would ever let me forget.