Eggplant-Almond Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups onion, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 6 cups eggplant, diced
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 cup jack cheese, grated
• 12 corn tortillas
• Canola oil for frying

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm half of the olive oil. Stir in half of the onions with a pinch of salt, and sauté for 5 minutes, just until translucent. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne, mix everything together, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water, then raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat so the sauce simmers, and cook for 30 minutes. Midway through that cooking time, stir in half the garlic and season with black pepper to taste. When the sauce is finished, let it cool slightly, then puree it in a blender with care.
2. While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the eggplant along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the eggplant is soft.
3. Add the garlic and green bell pepper to the eggplant mixture. Stir it all together, leave the pan uncovered, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, then fold in the cheese and almonds until evenly combined.
4. Pour enough canola oil into a skillet to coat the bottom, and heat it over medium high heat. Fry each tortilla for only a few seconds per side, aiming for leathery and flexible rather than crisp, honestly no more than 3 seconds on each side. Move the tortillas to paper towels and blot away as much oil as you can. Continue until all the tortillas are done.
5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling into each tortilla, then roll it up. Arrange the enchiladas seam-side down on a baking sheet. Spoon the sauce over the top, bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until warmed through, and serve.