Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Chili Sauce

Here is a fantastic Mexican recipe if you are feeling very ambitious to make the real thing.  As you can see by the recipes below, there are many steps to this dish but it is well worth the effort.  It can be broken down into a number of parts so it doesn't all have to be done on the same day.  The sauce can be made a couple days ahead as can the chicken filling.  On the day the dish is to be served all that is entailed is assembly and baking. I am lucky enough to live in a community where there are a multitude of Hispanic markets so finding the two chiles called for was not a problem. We also are very lucky to be able to get fresh tortillas, flour or corn, made right here in town.  I am sure there are mail order places on the Web where Hispanic chiles and spices can easily be found also.

Ancho Chilies

                                               Guajillo Chiles
This recipe makes about 4 cups of amazingly thick and complex red chili sauce. The leftovers can be frozen in one cup increments and used again.  I think it would be fantastic without the enchilida sauce additions as a marinade on baked chicken, served with some Spanish rice and some sort of vegetable. Yum.  I got this recipe from The Oregonian Newspapers' great food magazine called Mix.  Even if you're not in the Portland area, it's a great read for those interested in food and in Portland, Oregon, which is nationally known now as quite the restaurant and food mecca these days.

Basic Red Chili Sauce

If you like your sauce spicier, save some of the chile seeds and add them to the sauce after it's pureed and strained.  I found that this definitely needed more chile seeds as it is very mild if you take all of them out.

2 medium onions, peeled and cut through equator into 1/2-inch rings
1 head (15-20 cloves) garlic, papery outer skins removed, individual cloves left unpeeled
10 ounces dried ancho chiles
5 ounces guajillo chiles
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 About 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar, plus more to taste
About 1-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste

Adjust the oven rack so that it is 6 inches below the broiling element and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the onion slices (keep them intact in their round slices) and garlic on the foil in a single layer. Broil until the garlic is charred and tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic, flip the onions with tongs and broil the onions on the second side until they are tender and lightly charred, 10 minutes more; set aside. When garlic has cooled, peel it.

Put on rubber gloves and break the stems off the tops of the chiles and shake out the seeds (reserve some to add to the sauce later, if you like heat). Using kitchen scissors cut down the length of each chile and open them up flat. Trim and discard any veins on the inside of the chiles.

Turn an exhaust fan on or open a window and place a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles in batches and toast them, pressing down on them with a spatula, until they are lightly blistered and tan spots appear, about 30 seconds per side for the guajillo chiles, 40 seconds per side for the ancho chiles. Do not over-toast the chiles or the sauce will be bitter. Place the toasted chiles in a large bowl and add hot tap water to cover. Place a plate on top of the chiles to keep them submerged and let them soak until softened, 30 minutes.

Drain the chiles and blend them in batches in a blender or food processor with the onions, garlic, broth, oregano and cumin; be patient, you may need to stop several times and move the contents around a bit to make sure the sauce becomes evenly smooth. When the last batch of chiles is done, swish out the blender with 1/4 cup of water to get out any of the chile mixture sticking to the bottom and sides of the blender and add it to the sauce. Strain the sauce through a medium-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids, or use a food mill. Discard the solids (skins and seeds).

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Quickly pour the chile sauce into the pot. (Keep a lid handy; the sauce will sputter and spit as it is added to the pot.) Reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has lost its raw chile flavor, 30 minutes. Add the brown sugar and salt to taste. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For the Enchiladas:

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 pounds)
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
 2 cups shredded Asadero or jack cheese (divided)
3 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 to 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas cut in half

For the Enchilada Sauce:

1 cup Basic Red Chile Sauce
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the chicken breasts and place them in the prepared pan. Bake until the chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer will register 175 degrees), about 30 minutes. Reserve the baking dish to bake the enchiladas. While the chicken is still warm, chop it and combine it with the cream cheese, 1 cup of the grated Asadero or jack cheese, scallions and cilantro in a medium bowl.

While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the chile sauce, tomato sauce, chicken broth and cumin. Bring to simmer over medium heat, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until ready to use. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish used to cook the chicken. Microwave the tortillas until just pliable, about 30 seconds. Place 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture on one tortilla and roll up tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the pan. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Spoon the remaining chile sauce over the top of the enchiladas, sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese, and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, 25 minutes.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

We are lucky to live in a town where there is an abundance of Hispanic restaurants, markets and bakeries. Over the years I have discovered my favorites in all categories. One establishment called Salvador's Bakery, is a hybrid of both a restaurant and a remarkable bakery. They have a limited menu of Mexican favorites such as tacos, tamales and burritos as well as take out food and the most remarkable selection of pastries.

For our Cinco de Mayo celebration at home, I purchased some carnitas from Salvador's Bakery and we had a taco bar utilizing this very flavorful shredded pork, homemade guacamole and all the other accompaniments that go into a good taco. With a fresh squeezed lime juice margarita, the meal was complete. Thanks to The Husband for his food styling on the taco plate!Guacamole

1 ripe avocado, scooped out of peel

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp. finely minced white onion or 1 green onion finely chopped

2 Tbsp prepared salsa

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepperPut all of the ingredients into a bowl and mash with a fork to the desired consistency. We like ours chunky. Serve with tacos or along side salsa and sour cream for nachos or plain tortilla chips.

Hit and Miss

Sometimes I make something that sounds so delicious and I think it will be something both The Husband I will like and, alas, it doesn't turn out to be so. This is one of those dishes. We both love Chile Rellenos and often order them when we go out for Mexican food. I actually had never even thought to order such a think prior to tasting it when The Husband ordered it once.

There is a restaurant in Corvallis, Oregon called Bombs Away Cafe where they make the most wonderful Chile Rellenos I have ever had. They use these fresh, big chilies and stuff them with cheese and then bake them and serve them with a choice of red or green sauce. They are really to die for. Well worth the 40 mile round trip!

Anyway back to this recipe. It's a Chile Relleno Souffle and it looked like it combined all the components of a good Chile Relleno without having to do all that frying. I did learn a new cooking technique I had never tried before which was charing the peppers in order to get the skins off and it worked very well. The bottom line is this; I loved this dish and The Husband, not so much. He didn't like "all the peppers" which is ironic, don't you think? If you're a fan of Chile Rellenos I would highly suggest trying this recipe.Chile Relleno Souffle

1 1/2 lbs. whole green chilies (Anaheim or New Mexico)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tsp. salt

4 corn tortillas (6 inches each) cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 lb. Monterey jack cheese (I used a Mexican cheese blend of shredded cheeses)

4 large eggs, separated

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Hot sauce and/or salsa and sour cream to serve on the side

Preheat broiler. Arrange chilies on a baking sheet in a single layer and broil on all sides until charred. Wrap in foil and let sit 15 minutes. Remove charred skin, stems and seeds, then chop chilies into small pieces and set aside.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat, add onion and 1 tsp. salt and saute until onions are soft. Add the tortillas and stir to coat. Transfer this mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. Sprinkle half the chopped chilies and half the cheese on top.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with the flour. In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites and remaining 1 tsp. of salt until soft peaks form. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and mix until combined. With a spatula, spread half the egg mixture on the casserole. Sprinkle remaining chilies on top then cover with rest of egg mixture and sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Bake until golden and puffy, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with hot sauce or salsa. Serves 4 generously.

The Cherry Tomato Harvest

Finally the cherry tomatoes are ripening faster than we can pop them in our mouths and eat so I decided to make salsa with some of them. I didn't want to make the run of the mill Salsa Cruda so I decided on a black bean salsa that I adapted from a recipe from a former employee.

It's delicious with chips of course, but also good as a salad on it's own or served as a side dish/sauce with fish such as red snapper. It couldn't be more simple to put together once you have all the chopping done which as I have mentioned before, I enjoy doing very much. I find mincing, chopping, and dicing therapeutic in a mind numbing kind of way. It's such a needed change from my often frantic office pace.

Black Bean Salsa
1 can of Black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 bag of frozen white corn kernels
1-2 jalapeno peppers, cored and seeded (dependent on individuals heat tolerance)
1 avocado, cubed
3 cups of quartered cherry tomatoes (any tomatoes will work)
cilantro leaves chopped to taste
1/3 cup finely minced white onion
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 large garlic cloves finely minced
Toss all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk the dressing together until emulsified then thoroughly mix into salsa. Let sit for an hour to combine flavors. Isn't it pretty?

Dulce Delicious

The Husband likes my homemade ice cream. He devours it by the Gladware tubful. I make the most simple ice milk recipe which I made up after much trial and error (he doesn't like it too creamy) and named it Ice Ice Baby. It is just 1 quart of whole milk, 1/2 cup of half and half, 1/2 cup of superfine sugar and 1 Tablespoon of vanilla. No cooking of custard is involved and it turns out hard as a rock and did I mention, HE LOVES IT.

Well today I decided to make ice cream that sounds good to me. It's called Dulce de Leche ice cream and it is delicious and ever so simple as it too requires no cooking. If you have an ice cream maker, give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 2/3 cups canned dulce de leche (found with the evaporated milk or in the Hispanic section of the grocery store).

1/2 tsp vanilla.

Bring milk and cream to a boil in a saucepan, lower heat and whisk in the dulce de leche until melted. Add the vanilla then place the mixture in a bowl over an ice bath until chilled.

Mix in ice cream maker following manufacturer's instruction. My ice cream was fairly soft when done so it required a good 4 hours to harden in the freezer.

Dos Salsas Verde

I'm currently learning Spanish via Rosetta Stone at work so I want to use it whenever possible, thus the title. Actually my two green sauces really have more to do with a discussion regarding my food processor. As pictured above it is obvious that this isn't one of your new fangled state of the art food processors.

Nope. This beast is at least 30 years old. I know this because my older sister received it for a wedding present, and if my memory serves me correctly, she was married in 1976. Sometime probably around 1980 she very graciously gave me her Hamilton Beach food processor as she had moved up in the world and bought herself a brand spanking new Cuisinart. Now mind you, beggars can't be choosers and I was tickled pink to have such a food wizard in my tiny Cassel Crag Apt. kitchen. I have been using it ever since, minus the grater attachment which I busted up real good once while trying to grate a particularly hard piece of Parmesan.

I have been recently thinking that I might owe myself a new food processor but after I used this steadfast kitchen workhorse this weekend for three different things, I have decided it still has many more productive spins left in it! I just have to continue grating cheese by hand (which I don't really mind).

This weekend I made blueberry scones and used my processor to do the tedious task of cutting the flour and butter together. I also made these two sauces: Pesto, which I mixed into nice, thin angel hair pasta for Saturday night dinner and Chimichurri, a sauce from Argentina which is used to accent grilled meats. We will dollop it on top of our grilled T-bone steaks for Sunday dinner.

Pesto

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1-2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. pine nuts (I used local walnuts I get from a co-worker and keep in the freezer)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 generous Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Put the cloves of garlic into the bowl of processor with steel blade attachment and run until garlic is minced. Add basil leaves and nuts and pulse until very finely chopped. Scrape down bowl. Run machine while slowly pouring olive oil through feed tube. Stop and scrape down bowl thoroughly a couple of times. By hand, fold in Parmesan cheese and seasonings to taste. Use immediately or refrigerate with plastic wrap over surface of sauce for 1-2 days or freeze.

Chimichurri Sauce
2 large garlic cloves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
With food processor fitted with steel blade, combine garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and sugar and process until garlic is minced. Add the parsley and lemon juice and pulse until parsley is finely chopped. With machine running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce is well blended. Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meats or seafood.