Thursday, October 7, 2010

"¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!" Enchiladas! Enchiladas!

Have you ever been to Mexico? You should really go if you haven't been.
I've been a few times and every time I return home I step on the scale and find out that I have gained a minimum of 8 pounds.  I'm not kidding!
I would wake up, go to the buffet, swim a bit, do some activities, go to the buffet, more activities, more food.  And usually squeak in some more food just before bed!  And I always tried to eat the most authentic of dishes just to get my fix.
I swear I have Mexican blood in me - I love the food, the spices, the creative way of making simple dishes taste so wonderful!
We often have tacos and fajitas at home but enchiladas, not so much...which I am really not quite sure why.  They are healthy, tasty, and really not that difficult to prepare and I eat them when I am in Mexico so???
I have no excuse...
BUT last week I was in a Mexican mood and decided that it was time for some more authentic flavors.
This recipe is not a tomato based like you would find in North American restaurants - just warning you now, don't expect a Taco Bell experience here.

Chicken Enchiladas
2 chicken breasts - skinless (doesn't need to be boneless)
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 small can green chilies
2-3 tomatoes diced
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cumin
salt n pepper to taste
1 c. sour cream
2 c. cheese (I used Tex Mex blend but Queso Fresco would be the best)
8-10 tortillas - I used flour because that was available

First, boil the chicken for about 15 minutes - I threw in a bay leaf, some Mexican oregano to the water.
While the chicken is boiling prepare the sauce.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, cook the onions on med heat until golden, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour, cumin, salt and pepper to the onion mixture and stir until combined.  Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock slowly and continue to stir - it will thicken because of the roux (this is the term used for a thickening agent for sauces) you made with the flour and oil/butter.  Stir in the can of chilies and sour cream and 1/2 the cheese.  Sauce is done!
Now that the sauce is ready you are almost ready to eat - sorta....you still need to shred your chicken (or you can cube it if you like but then its not really authentic - just sayin)

Take your tortillas, a spoonful of chicken a touch of shredded cheese and roll them up - place in a dish.
Pour the sauce all over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Throw in the oven for about 10 minutes just to melt and brown the cheese.
Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans - trust me, you're gonna LOVE it!
Print Friendly and PDF

2 comments:

  1. Garnish with some cilantro, sour cream - it works

    ReplyDelete
  2. love the recipes also the humorous way of presenting them

    ReplyDelete