Enchilada Sauce

So, being that I reside in Canada where all dairy products and most Mexican food products seem inordinately priced (I am seriously convinced there is some kind of dairy mafia in this country), I like to make my enchilada sauce from scratch to save money. I happened to still miraculously have a large quantity of my green lentil/wild rice burrito filling leftover in the freezer from the last crockpot full, so turning it into enchiladas was the perfect dinner solution!

I make no claims to the authenticity of this sauce, only that I love making it, even though it turns out a bit different every time. Don't even think of making it without chipotles!

Enchilada Sauce
1 8 oz can tomato paste
1 22 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. - 1 c. veggie or chicken broth
1 large onion diced
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
2-4 bay leaves
2 Tbs ground cumin (freshly ground is even better!)
1- 2 tsp? taco seasoning/or mexican chili powder 
1-2 tsp mexican oregano
1 small can chipotle peppers
2-3 dried guajillo, ancho, or pasilla peppers (deseeded & destemed)
salt to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in veggie or canola oil until golden brown and tender. Add in the cumin and chili powder or taco seasoning near the end and briefly saute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, along with 1/2 c. broth to start. Add the bay leaves, oregano (you can use italian if you can't find mexican), 1 chipotle pepper and a bit of sauce from the can (NOT THE WHOLE CAN!), and the dried pepper (I think I used ancho) to the tomato mixture. Let simmer for 20-30 min. If needed add in more stock. When finished, puree with a hand blender or in a food blender. Can add more stock or tomatoes if needed. Salt to taste. (Confession: I have also been known to use up small quantities of salsa and even spaghetti sauce in making my enchilada sauce.)

To actually make enchiladas...
Spread 1/4-1/2 c. sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. It should just coat the bottom in a thin layer. Roll up flour tortillas with filling and place edge side down in the pan. Once the pan is full, pour enchilada sauce over the top so all edges of the pan are filled with sauce and there is a nice layer on top. Top with grated cheese (and sliced black olives if you like). Pop in the oven at 325oF for 15-20 min with foil on top. Remove the foil for the last 10-15 min. The sauce should be bubbling a bit, and cheese should be melted. Serve with sour cream or yogurt.

Photos to come...