This is my favorite recipe on Bug Bites so far! It is so flavorful and satisfying. I want you all to run out and make it for yourselves right now. Don’t forget to share the love with friends and family because that’s the best part of cooking.

I don’t know how to classify this dish because enchiladas are tex-mex, but chimichurri is Argentine. I guess we’ll go with North + South American fusion?

I spent the first semester of my junior year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was still very much a carnivore at the time, and ate steak every Friday night per Argentine custom. Chimichurri sauce always accompanied the meat. It has an herbaceous and acidic profile that cuts through the fatty steak, but I would always end up eating more of it than the meat! Luckily for me (and you), giving up meat did not mean I had to give up this mouth-fiesta of a sauce. I’ve been putting it on veggies non-stop, and it is a perfect substitute for enchilada sauce in this fusion plato.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Start by making the sauce. Throw the leaves of one bunch of cilantro into a blender with one bunch of green garlic. Green garlic was in the Hollygrove box this week, which is why I am using it instead of normal garlic. Green garlic has a milder flavor and a hint of onioniness. If you can only find classic garlic, use three large cloves.

Add the juice of one lemon and red pepper flakes. The amount of pepper is up to you, depending on how much spice you can handle. The cabbage will also have a little kick to it, so keep that in mind if you’re on the wimpier side.

Pulse to combine, and then drizzle in a quarter cup of olive oil. You may have to adjust the amount of olive oil depending on how big your bunch of cilantro was, and whether you’re using garlic or green garlic. Add a little bit at a time to avoid greasy enchiladas. Season with salt and pepper.

After tasting my sauce, I thought perfect balance & harmony & world peace would be achieved with just a touch of sweetness. I added a few drops of honey-literally two little droplets, we’re not trying to make a sweet sauce here- to the sauce.

Blend until it is saucy, but still thick. Set aside. Let the aroma fill your heart with joy. Warning: excessive mouth-watering may occur.

Cut a large head of cabbage in half. I love cabbage because it’s a blank canvas for flavor. It provides amazing texture whether you cook it or keep it raw.

Core the cabbage, and thinly slice it.

Warm olive oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add cabbage and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle in a tablespoon each of chile powder and cumin. These spices give the cabbage the Mexican flare it needs to stand up to the punchy chimichurri.

Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cabbage will soften and shrink in size, but we don’t want it to get totally soft and smushy.

Transfer to a bowl.

Set yourself up to make the enchiladas. Mis en place if you will. Stack 6 corn tortillas, and have the cabbage filling and sauce nearby.

Spread a layer of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.

Time to assemble the troops. Lay one tortilla on a dry work surface and spoon a serving of cabbage into the center.

Roll the tortilla tightly until the cabbage is enveloped in a warm embrace of tastiness. If your tortilla breaks up with your cabbage mid-embrace and tears, don’t fret. Just grab another one and start over. There are plenty of tortillas in the sea.

Set enchilada in the baking dish.

Complete with the remaining tortillas and filling until the baking dish is tightly packed with snuggling enchiladas.

Pour the sauce over the dish and spread until all the tortillas are covered. I found it was best to do this with my fingers so I could gently coax the sauce into all the nooks and crannies.

Pile on the cheese please! I used pepper jack, but you could also use the more authentic (and healthier) cotija.

Tuck those babies in, kiss them goodnight, and slide them into the oven to bake.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the tortillas is crispy and the cheese is melted.

Cool for a minute or two before cutting and serving.

Buen Provecho!

Cabbage and Chimichurri Enchiladas

Level: Easy

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch green garlic OR 3 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

Red pepper flakes to taste

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 drops of honey

For the filling:

2 T olive oil

1 head of cabbage, cored and sliced

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t chile powder

Salt and pepper to taste

For the enchiladas:

1 package corn tortillas (at least 8)

2 oz pepper jack cheese

Cilantro for garnish

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

In a blender, combine cilantro, green garlic, lemon juice, pepper flakes, olive oil, and honey. Season with salt a pepper. Blend until desired consistency. Set aside.

In a large pot or Dutch over, add sliced cabbage and stir. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chile powder. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl.

Spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish.

Place a large spoonful of cabbage in the center of a tortilla. Wrap tightly and place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour sauce over tortillas, and spread to cover. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and tortillas have crispy edges.

Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve with rice and beans.