Butternut squash and black bean enchiladas with tomatillo salsa

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, and for many people, an excuse to enjoy tacos on a day other than Tuesday. Sure, Taco Tuesday is great but there’s so much more to Mexican food. Like enchiladas! Tacos and enchiladas are both very popular in the U.S., where most Mexican food is far from authentic or traditional. But I love it all. Mexican (which comes from a combination of ancient Aztec, Mayan and Spanish traditions), Tex-Mex and other Southwest dishes all have their nuances but similarly celebrate fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, chiles, tomatillos, onions and cilantro.

Enchiladas, which actually did originate in Mexico where the practice of rolling tortillas around food such as small fish dates back to Aztec times, are one of my favorites. When making enchiladas at home, I like to experiment with different salsas and fillings. Chicken and vegetarian are my favorite. (Let's face it: at the end of the day, it’s really all about the guac.) With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I wanted to share my version of roasted butternut squash, corn and black bean enchiladas, topped with a red sauce and freshly made tomatillo salsa.