ahh, enchiladas. i've actually never been a big fan of enchiladas (always been a rolled tacos girl myself) until recently. usually the chicken's super dry and the sauce is watery. it's only been as of late that i've been finding some awesome hole-in-the-walls that have tasty enchiladas. so, decided to try my hand at making some. :)
after searching the internet for a bit, i found this recipe from laura's best recipes and decided that the ingredients that she used sounded pretty darn appetizing. so, i took my happy little self to the nearest grocery store and purchased a small rotisserie chicken to shred. chicken...gooooood.
followed the recipe closely except for some changes (changes being not having the ingredients and compromising). let it bubble away and get thick in the pot, rolled them up, then used green enchilada sauce since that was the only can that i had on hand. this was new to me since all i've ever had was red sauce but the boyfriend liked green. i didn't care either way but it was still weird to see green sauce on them enchiladas...
after that was put in the oven for about 45 minutes, i prepped the toppings and set it aside. afterwards, before the last ten minutes of cooking, i took some shredded three cheese blend as well as some grated cotija cheese and topped the little sucker! it came out gooey and bubbly, and smelled fantastic!
ohh, yeah. this was an awesome enchilada! the meat was deliciously spiced, the sauce just perfectly portioned, and completely filling! i'm such a topping-girl...whenever toppings are around, i go crazy. in this case, i was glad for the topping...i needed a little veggie action for so rich a dish. :D this will definitely be added on the dinner rotation for the future! huzzah, another experiment that ended well! XD
Chicken Enchiladas with Tangy Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
(from Laura's Best Recipes)
Salsa:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin (best if you grind seeds in a mill)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
* Note: I skipped this and just used a can of green enchilada sauce. :D
Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (it’s best if you toast and mill whole cumin seeds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, (yours or Organic – but not low sodium)
Chopped cilantro leaves (lots)
1 high-quality (i.e. whole foods) deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large (but not burrito size) flour tortillas (
3/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
For the salsa:
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.(SKIPPED! can o'enchilada sauce is soooo my friend right now. <3)
Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Assembly:
Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa.
Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato. I also swirl some adobo saurce from a can of chipotles into sour cream and use that as a garnish.
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