EL AZTECA (NOW EL PONCE)
939 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta. 404-881-6040, elponce.com
Q: I wanted to see if you can get the recipe for El Azteca's vegetarian cheese enchilada. This is the best cheese enchilada I have ever had and would love to be able to make it at home. — Tammy Feinreich, Atlanta
A: German Barros, general manager of El Azteca's Midtown location, says they offer both a vegetarian enchilada filled with spinach and mushrooms and also a plain cheese enchilada. The cheese enchilada is a corn tortilla filled with shredded white American cheese and sprinkled with garlic powder, then rolled and topped with a brown enchilada sauce and another sprinkle of cheese. He provided the almost equally simple recipe for the spinach and mushroom version, which should be easy for our readers to create at home. The dish is served with a side of refried beans and salsa verde. The El Azteca on Ponce de Leon will soon become El Ponce.
El Azteca’s Mushroom and Spinach Enchiladas
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 1/2 heaping cup)
2 ounces spinach, chopped (about 2 cups packed)
Pinch garlic powder, or to taste
Salt and pepper
3 6-inch corn tortillas
1/4 cup shredded white American cheese
Refried beans and salsa verde, for serving
Heat broiler. Have an ovenproof serving dish or baking dish ready.
In a large skillet, make filling by heating oil over medium heat. When hot, add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to release their liquid, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add spinach and stir until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes total.
Divide filling among three tortillas and roll up. Arrange on heatproof serving dish or in baking dish. Top enchiladas with cheese and run under broiler until cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with refried beans and salsa verde. Serves: 1
Per serving: 319 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 13 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 572 milligrams sodium.
