La Enchilada Suprema

Galen Doi, executive chef at the Wine Cask restaurant in Santa Barbara, needed to figure out a way to use some fancy leftovers--the trimmings from filet mignon steaks cut to order for the dinner menu. His solution: enchiladas. Doi rolls the tender cubes of meat inside flour tortillas and splashes on tomatillo salsa. He decorates the enchiladas with avocado and sauteed peppers. And he flanks the enchiladas with black bean risotto--beans combined with arborio rice cooked in chicken stock--that is reminiscent of the famous Cuban black beans and rice dish moros y christianos (Moors and Christians).

Served at lunch, the enchiladas have become so popular that the restaurant now has to order meat just for them. They’re perfect for a slightly fancy Cinco de Mayo party, too. Accompaniments, if any, should be simple. Doi suggests a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and, for dessert, flan, ice cream or his own favorite, apple pie.

CINCO DE MAYO PARTY

Margaritas

Filet Mignon Enchiladas

Black Bean Risotto

Mixed Green Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

Flan or Ice Cream

Beverages

Margaritas

Pinot Noir

Coffee

SHOPPING LIST

1/2 pound tomatillos

1 package (6-inch) flour tortillas

1 pound beef tenderloin

1 green pepper

1 sweet red pepper

1 sweet yellow pepper

1 avocado

Jack cheese

Dry black beans

Arborio rice

1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk

STAPLES

Olive oil

Onions

Garlic

Crushed red chiles

Salt, pepper

Chili powder

Cayenne

Cumin

Chicken stock

Grated Parmesan cheese

Eggs

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Coffee

Game Plan

Day before dinner: Cook rice for black bean risotto. Make tomatillo salsa.

Morning of dinner: Make flan. Cook black beans.

One hour before dinner: Finish black bean risotto. Brown beef.

About half hour before dinner: Assemble enchiladas. Bake just before serving.

After main course: Unmold flans. Prepare coffee, if desired.

FILET MIGNON ENCHILADAS

1 pound beef tenderloin

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

2 cups Tomatillo Salsa

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

1/4 sweet red pepper, julienned

1/4 sweet yellow pepper, julienned

1/4 green pepper, julienned

1 medium avocado, sliced

Black Bean Risotto, optional

Cut beef into small cubes. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet, add beef and saute until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 cup Tomatillo Salsa. Cook until meat is medium-rare.

Divide beef among tortillas. Roll each into cylinder. Arrange in single layer in baking dish. Top with remaining Tomatillo Salsa, then cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, saute red, yellow and green pepper strips in skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil just until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange 2 enchiladas in center of each plate. Garnish with sliced avocado and pepper strips to taste. Arrange Black Bean Risotto on either side of enchiladas. Serve at once.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

684 calories; 1,576 mg sodium; 78 mg cholesterol; 44 grams fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 1.27 grams fiber.

TOMATILLO SALSA

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red chiles

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Add tomatillos and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, sugar, salt and crushed chiles.

Cook until tomatillos are soft, about 15 minutes. Strain vegetables, reserving liquid. Place vegetables in food processor. Process until pureed, adding just enough liquid to make medium thick consistency.

Makes about 2 cups.

Each 1-tablespoon serving contains about:

23 calories; 123 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.04 grams fiber.

BLACK BEAN RISOTTO

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/8 onion, chopped

1/2 cup arborio or other short-grained rice for risotto

1 quart plus 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, about

2/3 cup dry black beans

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Dash cayenne

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet, add onion and saute until tender. Add rice and stir until slightly golden. Add half 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Add more stock 2 tablespoons at time, stirring after each addition until completely absorbed. Continue adding stock until rice is creamy in consistency and slightly al dente. Remove from heat. Can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until needed.

Combine beans, stock, cumin, chili powder and cayenne in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add cooked rice and simmer until stock is absorbed by rice. Stir in cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

284 calories; 1,068 mg sodium; 5 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 1.85 grams fiber.

FLAN

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt 6 tablespoons sugar in small skillet. Spoon quickly over sides and bottom of 4 (6-ounce) custard cups. Beat eggs in medium bowl until frothy. Add milk, remaining sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and beat well. Pour into custard cups.

Place cups in shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake at 325 degrees until knife inserted in center of custard comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool, then chill. Invert on dessert plates to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

334 calories; 153 mg sodium; 238 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0 fiber.