Chipotle Enchilada Sauce

The chipotle pepper is a smoked or dried jalapeño pepper that originated in the area surrounding Mexico City. The peppers may have been smoked to keep them from rotting, since the jalapeño is prone to quickly deteriorating when stored. Everyone who has tried these enchiladas have loved them!  From the recipe below, you can customize the sauce to fit your taste, plus the sauce can be stored and used later.  We also use it in our quesadilla - just spread some on the tortilla before adding the cheese.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce (depending on how hot you want it - remove the seeds if you want the sauce to be mild), minced
• 2 tsp. adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper to taste 

For the enchiladas:

1. The enchilada filling can vary: you can stuff them with just cheese or cheese and vegetables (bell peppers, onions, spinach sauted lightly with taco seasoning), or with avocado.
2. For the tortillas, you can use the corn ones, or flour ones, or there are now different varieties with different flavors. I like to use ones made with both corn and regular flour.

Method: 

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. 
2. Add the onions and cook until translucent. 
3. Stir in the garlic and chipotle peppers and after about 30 seconds, add the flour.
4. Cook off the raw flour and then add the vegetable broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, bay leaf, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. 
6. Simmer to combine the flavors as you prepare the rest of the meal. Season to taste if necessary. 
7. Puree if you want - I sometimes pulse processed the sauce to make it nice and smooth.