Enchilada Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS

Once you make your own enchilada sauce, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along. It’s beyond easy and uses basic pantry ingredients, plus it doesn’t contain any MSG like many canned sauces do. I use it in the Mexican-Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (page 145) and for chicken, beef, and/or vegetable enchiladas. If you have trouble with tomatoes, just leave the tomato paste out of the recipe. It’s still delicious without it.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sweet rice flour, or white rice flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1½ cups Vegetable Broth (page 80) or Chicken Stock (page 81)

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and flour over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt, and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth or stock until smooth, and simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Use right away or transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use (within 3 to 4 days).