Easy Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 crushed tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
• 3/4 cup chopped cooked green chiles, or 1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound jack cheese, mild cheddar, or a mix, grated
• Half a head of iceberg lettuce
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• Sprinkle of salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• A handful cilantro

Directions

1. Set your oven for 350 degrees F. To make the tortillas flexible, warm a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glossy and hot, lay in a corn tortilla, let it cook for several seconds, flip it with a metal spatula, and give the other side a brief turn in the pan.
2. You can handle the tortillas one by one, or work in doubled and tripled layers so they pick up the extra oil from each other. Put a fresh tortilla over the one already in the pan and flip them together, or tuck the fresh one underneath; either way, it catches some of the oil from the first tortilla. Keep stacking as you go, pulling out tortillas once they have bubbled, softened, and lightly browned, and add more oil to the pan as needed. This quick pre-cook matters because it makes the tortillas easier to roll and gives them better flavor. Move each browned tortilla to a plate.
3. For the sauce, warm 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the crushed tomatoes, green chiles, 1/2 cup of water, and oregano. Bring the sauce to a simmer and taste it; if it comes across too vinegary, stir in half a teaspoon of sugar. Take the pan off the heat.
4. Rub a little olive oil into a 3-quart (9x13) casserole pan, just across the bottom. Sprinkle shredded cheese lightly over 2/3 of a tortilla, roll it up, and place it in the pan. Keep going until all the tortillas are filled and rolled.
5. Pour the sauce over the tortillas in the casserole pan, making sure the rolls are coated. If the sauce needs help spreading, thin it with a little water so it covers the tortillas more evenly. Scatter the remaining grated cheese over everything.
6. Slide the casserole into the 350 degrees F oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve with iceberg lettuce sliced (1/3-inch to 1/2-inch) and sprinkled with apple cider vinegar and salt. Garnish the enchiladas with cilantro and sour cream. Guacamole is a good avocado side dish here, too.