Enchiladas

Since this week was Cinco de Mayo, I made enchiladas for book club yesterday and thought I’d share.  I made beef/chicken enchiladas (fickled and could not make up my mind J) .  You can make just beef or chicken if you like.  Saylor is spending the weekend and he can’t have dairy so he made his own without cheese.  They are already gluten free.

I have simplified the dish by using salsa instead of chopping onions, tomatoes, jalapeño, etc.  Pick your favorite salsa.

Enchiladas

3 tbs. olive oil

1 pounds chicken (I use both dark and white meat.  You may use chicken breasts if you like)

1 pound lean ground beef

Kosher salt and pepper

1 tsp. cumin powder x 2

1 tsp. garlic powder x 2

1 tsp. chili powder x 2

1 cup salsa 

20 corn tortillas

2 cans enchilada sauce (you can pick hot, medium or mild)

2 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses (Mexican blend)

Garnishes

Sour cream

Green chilies

Green onions

Black olives

Guacamole

Chopped tomato and lettuce

Coat large sauté pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and chili powder before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow it to cool.  Shred it or cut into small pieces.

Brown your ground beef adding the cumin, chili powder and garlic powder.  When done add your chicken to it.  Add your salsa and sauté for a minute.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Let cool.

Microwave your pile of tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable so they don’t crack when you roll them.  I set up an assembly line of tortillas, sauce, meat, cheese and your pan.

Coat the bottom of 2 (13 x 9 inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce (I did one 9 x 13 inch pan and two 9 x 9 inch pans with the recipe so I could freeze the 9 x 9 for another day). Using a large shallow container, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture in each tortilla.  Add a small amount of cheese.  Fold over the tortilla and roll.  I placed 10 enchiladas in the larger baking dish with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and lots of Mexican cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350° oven until cheese melts.  Have individual garnishes such as chopped scallions, sour cream, guacamole, black olives, green chilies, shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes for each person to garnish the way they like.  I like a little sour cream, lettuce, tomato and black olives on top of mine.

To top it off I made churros cheese cake for the dessert. 

Churros Cheesecake

1 package of Pepperage Farm Puffed Pastry (use both sheets)

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) whipped cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup sugar (divide in half)

2 tbs. cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Unroll pastry dough and press one sheet into the bottom of a greased 13 × 9 inch baking pan. 

Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar well until completely blended.

Spread it evenly onto the bottom crust.

Mix ½ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Top the cream cheese mixture with the remaining pastry dough.   Sprinkle it with ½ cup of sugar and the 2 tbs. of cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

I served mine with homemade chocolate syrup at the table.

Syrup

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of kosher salt

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugars to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the cocoa powder, salt, and corn syrup, whisking until all of the solids have dissolved.

Allow the mixture to simmer until it has slightly reduced and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and cool to room temperature.

If you want it to taste more like a Mexican chocolate add a pinch of cinnamon to the cocoa powder.  I didn't because I was putting it on a lot of cinnamon already.  This goes great on ice cream or use it to make chocolate milk.  

Pour into a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.   

Had a wonderful day with friends.  Hope your day is as full and great.  Have a wonderful Mother's Day, be happy and may God bless you and yours.