Wrapping up our discussion of Elevation, I turned to some of Theresa Carle-Sanders’ Elevation-inspired recipes in Castle Rock Kitchen, with Holy Frijole Enchiladas and Green Plantain Chips with Mojo Dipping Sauce. 

Just getting started took some doing, with some of the ingredients proving a challenge to find in my local area, including the various chiles for the enchilada sauce and the plantains for the plantain chips. In the end, I was able to get my hands on most of the ingredients (though not all) and will admit I took some shortcuts with the enchiladas, relying on prepared refried beans and enchilada sauce. Carle-Sanders’ recipes for both the beans and the sauce sound delicious and would definitely add some depth and complexity of flavor to the completed dish, but between the ingredient sourcing challenges and limited time this past week, I worked with what I had and forged ahead. 

The biggest difference between enchiladas I have made before and Carle-Sanders’ Holy Frijole Enchiladas was in the preparation of the tortillas before filling, which included a quick crisping and an enchilada sauce coating. The vegetarian filling includes refried beans and cheese, which was delicious, though (as with most recipes, no matter where I get them) I went with more cheese than instructed.

I was particularly excited about how the Green Plantain Chips turned out—of all of the dishes I’ve made as part of this project, these came out looking the closest to the picture in Castle Rock Kitchen! I’ve only worked with plantains a couple of times before this and was a bit apprehensive, but Carle-Sanders’ instructions were clear and easy to follow, and the final product was starchy and crisp, with the flavor heightened and brightened by the cilantro-centric Mojo Dipping Sauce. We have a home fryer, which likely made things a bit easier and less messy than frying the plantain chips on the stovetop, and I definitely can’t argue with the results.

Food is central to the tensions and relationships in Elevation and enjoying some of the vegetarian dishes—both from Castle Rock Kitchen and the casserole recipe from last week—are a great way to imaginatively put ourselves in Castle Rock, gathered around the bittersweet table with Scott and his friends. 

Check out Castle Rock Kitchen here!