Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Cilantro-Spinach Pesto:
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 cloves garlic , peeled
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/4 cup unsalted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 fresh jalapeño , stemmed
Enchiladas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch collard leaves
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 poblano pepper , roasted, stemmed, deseeded, and chopped
- 2 cups mushrooms , diced
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- almond flour , for garnish, optional
- diced red onion , for garnish, optional
- fresh chopped cilantro , for garnish, optional
- pepitas , for garnish, optional
Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
- 1 clove garlic , peeled
- 2 avocados , peeled and pitted
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup red onion , diced
- 1/2 jalapeño , stemmed
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Instructions
Make Cilantro-Spinach Pesto
Add all cilantro-spinach pesto ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. This pesto should be near the consistency of traditional pesto, but not quite as moist.
Make Enchiladas
Preheat oven to 375º F. Prepare your collard leaves: with a knife, cut off the edge of the stem where the bottom of the leaf is. Then use the knife to very carefully slice off the round part of the thick stem, so that you have a flattened stem. This step helps you roll the enchiladas, and the stem can be quite large and tough to eat.
Fill a large saucepan about 1/2 full with water and bring to a soft boil. About 2-4 at a time, blanch collard leaves for about 60 seconds, or until they turn from a soft blue-green to a very bright kelly green. Remove from saucepan and drain.
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat, then brown ground pork, breaking up with a spoon or spatula. When pork is browned and mostly cooked through, add mushrooms and sauté until softened. Add cilantro-spinach pesto and stir to completely coat and incorporate, then add poblano pepper. Remove mixture from heat.
Working one at a time, lay your blanched and drained leaf onto a flat surface. Spread 1/2 cup or pork mixture on one side of the stem, as shown. Fold long edge over then fold bottom and tops over the mixture. Roll towards open edge then place seam-side down in a baking dish. Repeat until remaining mixture is used up, about 8 enchiladas. Top with 1/2 cup salsa verde and spread to mostly cover enchiladas.
Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes then remove from oven and let cool slightly. Top with avocado sauce, red onions, fresh cilantro, and ground almonds.
Original recipe credit: http://40aprons.com/whole30-enchiladas/