Leslie's Guatemalan Enchiladas

The Recipe:

Ingredients 

—5 medium sized tomatoes

— 3-4 beets

— 1 red bell pepper

— 2 medium carrots

— 5-6 green beans

— 2 onions

— 2-6 garlic cloves

— half a head of cabbage

- 1 potato

- 4-9 lettuce leaves 

-1 ½ pounds of ground beef

-1 package of tostadas

- chicken bouillon seasoning

- ½ tsp salt and pepper

- ½-1 cup olive oil

- 2 cups water

-1 tbsp oregano

- 2-4 bay leaves

-½ cup white vinegar

- fresh thyme

-cotija cheese or queso fresco

-boiled egg

-salsa

-parsley

Directions

The first thing you have to do is prepare your ingredients, chop up your beets, onions , garlic cloves, red bell pepper, potato, green beans and carrots into cubes. Start off by filling a pot halfway with water and add some salt and let it heat to a boil, then add 1-2 of your bay leaves, beets and potatoes . Let the veggies cook until tender, but still maintain some texture. Then, shred your cabbage or cut it into long strips. Add the cabbage, bay leaves, green beans, Thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, half of your carrots, and vinegar into the bowl then add the beets and potatoes . This will be the curtido.

(OPTIONAL) Next you prepare a simple salsa with tomatoes, remaining carrots, onions, red bell pepper, chicken bullion, and 1 clove of garlic. Once again, grab a pot filled halfway with salted water, and cook your tomatoes (whole) until the skin can be peeled off with minimal effort. While the tomatoes cook, add the bell peppers and garlic clove into a pan with a drizzle of oil and let it char a bit to get some smoky flavor. To assemble the sauce, get your tomatoes and the rest of your salsa ingredients and blend in a blender till smooth.

 The final steps to finish your enchiladas will be to cook up some ground beef. Grab a pack of ground beef, and add some chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and garlic salt (OPTIONAL) and use a pan with oil to cook it in. And now it’s time to assemble, grab a tostada, and place a lettuce leaf on it, then add your curtido, and some ground beef. (OPTIONAL) Drizzle on a generous amount of salsa with some boiled eggs, cheese, and parsley to finish it up.

 The culture

Guatemalan enchiladas, better known as ‘Jardieneras’ are a traditional Guatemalan dish that can be traced all the way back to the 18th century. The Mayans were Actually the original cultivators of this dish, but when the  Spaniards came with their garlic and other spices this dish was brought to the next level. My mother grew up in a small village in Guatemala and grew up eating frijoles almost everyday. When they had some jardineras, it was a treat to say the least, Because of my moms small community, my family particularly had closer ties to our Mayan ancestors which makes this dish even more special then it already was to me. When my mom ventured to the United States with my father, we didn’t have much, just about enough to get by. I only tried this dish when I got older and we were more financially comfortable. Although I’ve never been to Guatemala, eating this dish makes me feel closer to my family and abuelita and more connected because it’s a meal we can share in the future and just reminds me of family and also just being grateful to have the opportunity to make it.