Enchiladas

Enchilada Recipes

Nothing is tastier and healthier than Tex-Mex food from family-run taquerias and restaurants in the Florida citrus areas and in our border states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. In the best places, the music is Latin, the newspapers are in Spanish, and the owners and customers are Hispanic. See the photo of chcken the Chicken Enchelada dinner I enjoyed at Rosita's in Florida City. Buen Provecho!

1. Chicken Enchiladas Verde
2. Simple Enchiladas Suizas from Rick Bayless
3. Chipotle Crab Enchiladas
4. Baked Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde from Chris Koetke on Let's Dish TV
5. Chicken and Zucchini Enchiladas from Women's Day
6. Shrimp and Crab Enchiladas in Chipotle Cream Sauce from Low-Fat Mexican Cooking by Patrick Earvolino
7. El Azteca's Chicken Mole Enchiladas from The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos 2004 by Robb Walsh Page 130
8. Old Borunda Stacked Red Chile Enchiladas from The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos 2004 by Robb Walsh Page 106
9. Josie's Plate (Chicken Enchilada with Friday Sauce) from Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh Page 164
10. Chili Queen Enchiladas from Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh Page 58
11. Chile Macho (Green Chile Sauce) for enchiladas from Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh Page 110
12. Stacked Green Chile and Chicken Enchiladas from Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh Page 111
13. Tex-Mex Mole from Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh Page 127
14. Larry's Cheese Enchiladas from Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh Page 162
15. Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde published in The Lamar Ledger in Lamar, Colorado
16. Green Enchiladas from Casa Romero restaurant in the Back Bay, Boston
17. Rolled Green-Chile Chicken Enchiladas by Cheryl Alters Jamison from New Mexico Magazine p. 64, January 2014; includes recipe for Corn Tortillas and Green Chile Sauce
18. Chicken Enchiladas from Father Leo Patalinghug

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Filling

1 roasted or rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces (3 to 4 cups)
2/3 cups chopped green onions, white and part of the green
8 ounces reduced-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or a reduced-fat blend of Jack and cheddar cheeses)

10 flour tortillas (use higher-fiber tortillas to increase the fiber)

5 tablespoons fat free half-and-half

Verde (green) Sauce:

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or canned tomatillos (Mexican green tomatoes). If using canned, drain before measuring
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2- to 4-ounce can chopped green chilies (mild or hot, depending on your preference)
1 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with canola cooking spray.
2. Add shredded chicken, green onions, and shredded cheese to a large mixing bowl and toss well to blend.
3. One by one, heat tortillas in a nonstick frying pan until softened. Lay a heaping 1/3 cup of chicken down the middle of each tortilla. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of fat-free half-and-half down the center of each. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes. Pan can be covered or uncovered; it works both ways.
5. To make the verde sauce, add tomatillos, cilantro, and green chilies to a food processor and pulse briefly (the texture should be somewhat chunky, not pureed). Stir in the sour cream. Serve the enchiladas with a spoonful of verde sauce over the top.

Yield: 10 enchiladas

Per enchilada: 275 calories, 20.5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 41 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 350 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 30%.

Quick Mexican Rice

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups long-grain brown rice, uncooked
1 cup finely chopped white onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can (14 1/2 oz) crushed or petite cut tomatoes
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1. Heat oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and saute the rice just until golden (about five minutes).
2. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two more. Stir in tomatoes (including juice), chicken broth, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 25 minutes or until broth is absorbed.

Yield: 8 servings

Per serving: 230 calories, 6 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 119 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 20%.

Best choice for health is a corn taco. But if you deep-fry either type of tortilla i.e. flour or corn, they'll both come up loaded with grease and calories. So go for the "soft" taco option whenever you can.

Taco Chips

When dining out Mexican, you inevitably end up face-to-face with a basket of tempting tortilla chips. If you can enjoy one big handful of chips and then hold off until your meal comes, you'll add about 140 calories (with about half the calories coming from fat). So if you can't stop at a handful, you might want to move that basket to the table next to you. When you're serving Tex-Mex at home, skip the chips in favor of a crunchy platter of crudites, or have a reasonable portion of the baked version.

Source: WebMD http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56075&page=2 Published April 7, 2005.

Simple Enchiladas Suizas from Rick Bayless

Steam-heat 10 or 12 corn tortillas; shred about 1 1/4 cups of cooked chicken into a skillet and warm with a moistening of the sauce. Roll a portion of the filling into each tortilla, lay them in a baking dish, douse with more of the hot sauce and sprinkle with about 1 1/2 cups of grated Chihuahua or other melting cheese. Broil until browned and bubbly, then serve topped with rings of white onion.

Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce

Salsa Verde Cocida

Tomatillos are wonderfully adaptable. Sure, any dish that employs them for sauciness will showcase their lovely, earthy-green tartness. But depending on which steps of preparation are chosen, what balance of flavors in the dish and what variety is at hand, tomatillos can contribute a wide range of flavors.

This simmered sauce is the perfect example of the tomatillo's congeniality. For a light (both in color and flavor), bright sauce that's great for fish or enchiladas, I've given directions for barely boiling the tomatillos during the first stage of preparation. For a rich, more complex sauce that I love with beef or lamb, there are directions for roasting the tomatillos first. A thorough frying of the tomatillo puree mellows the tartness by concentrating the sweetness. The richer-flavored the broth (meat broth being the richest in flavor), the more genial the sauce. And, if it seems appropriate for your finished dish, incorporating practically any dairy product (from yogurt or cream in the sauce, to fresh, aged or melted cheese over the dish), offers even more balance.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

1 pound (10 to 12 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Fresh serrano chiles to taste (roughly 3, 1/2 ounce total), stemmed
1 1/2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil or rich-tasting lard
1 medium (6-ounce) white onion, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups chicken, beef or fish broth (depending on how the sauce is to be used)
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Salt, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of the broth

The tomatillos and chiles.

The roasting method: Lay the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet and place about 4 inches below a very hot broiler. When the tomatillos and chiles blister, blacken and soften on one side, about 5 minutes, turn them over and roast the other side.

The boiling method: Half fill a medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan with water, salt generously and bring to a boil. Add the tomatillos and chiles and simmer vigorously over medium heat until the tomatillos have softened a little and lost their brightness everywhere except on the indented stem end, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool.

Transfer tomatillos, chiles and any accumulated juices to a food processor or blender.

2. The puree. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a deep, medium-large (9- or 10-inch) heavy skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until deep golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer, then scrape the browned mixture into the processor or blender. If using a blender, cover it loosely. Now, pulse whatever machine you're using to reduce the ingredients to a rough-looking puree smooth enough to hold together, but rough enough to keep it from that uninteresting baby-food blahness.

3. Finishing the sauce. Wipe the skillet clean; then heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. When hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply, pour it in all at once and stir constantly for 4 or 5 minutes, as your sauce base sears and sizzles into a darker and thicker mass. (You'll notice that characteristic roasty, tangy aroma fill the kitchen.) Stir in the broth, let return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer briskly until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. (You can check the consistency by spooning a little on a plate: If it looks watery, solids separating quickly from the broth, simmer it longer; if it mounds thickly, stir in a little broth or water.) Stir in cilantro, then taste and season with salt.

Advance Preparation — The sauce can be prepared 4 or 5 days ahead. If frozen, whiz it in the blender or processor to get it back to a beautiful texture.

Other Chiles You Can Use — Fresh jalapeños can stand in for the serranos.

For more from Rick Bayless see Rick Bayless Mexican Recipes

Chipotle Crab Enchiladas (Enchiladas de Jaiba en Chipotle)

Chipotle Crab Enchiladas-very spicy and smokey, seems like it would be very rich, but the balance of everything is perfect. Serve with lots of fresh lettuce as a bed to serve as a foil for the heat. A plain guacamole would be good as a garnish as well.<.p>

Filling:
2 c. thick Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned a little with milk)
1/4 c. milk
sea salt
4 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 c. green onion tops, chopped (Save the white part and slice thinly for garnish)
1 pound of crab meat, in big chunks
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, sliced into narrow strips
fresh ground black pepper
8 corn tortillas
1/4 c. oil or more for soft frying the tortillas
1/2 c. grated monterey jack cheese

Garnish:
3 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro and reserved sliced white tops to green onions)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the crema and milk in a small mixing bowl. lightly salt and set side. In a medium saucepan or deeper skillet, melt the butter with the 2 Tbl. oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions and cook about 2 minutes, until the onions are softened.

Add the crabmeat, chile strips and 1 c. of the thinned crema, reserving the rest to use as a topping. Lower the heat and continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring very gently. Add pepper to taste. This can be prepared to this point ahead of time and then reheated.

Warm the 1/4 c. oil in a skillet. Press each tortilla into the hot oil with a spatula until they just soften, a few seconds at most. Drain tortillas on paper towels. Continue until all the tortillas are cooked.
Place an equal amount of filling across the center of each tortilla. Roll them up and put them side by side in a lightly greased baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated through. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped cilantro and sliced white onion tops.

Serving suggestion: lots of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and any other toppings you enjoy.

Shrimp and Crab Enchiladas in Chipotle Cream Sauce

A lightened up recipe for seafood enchiladas with a chipotle cream sauce. See also "Shrimp Enchiladas with Green Sauce" (outside link separate window)

Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:
3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon salt 1 pound small shrimp, shelled 1 pound cooked crab meat, shredded 20 corn tortillas

Chipotle Cream Sauce:
2 large tomatoes
8 medium tomatillos with husks and stems removed
2 ancho chiles with stems and seeds removed
1 clove garlic
2 slices onion, 1/4 inch thick
2 -4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon toasted cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons corn oil
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream, thinned with 2 tablespoons skim milk

Put 4 cups water, bay leaves, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and boil for 2 minutes. Drain, chop finely, and mix with crab. Set aside.

Chipotle Sauce
Put the tomatoes, tomatillos, and ancho chiles in a large saucepan and cover with water. Simmer for 5 minutes and drain; reserve cooking water. Place the garlic and one onion slice in a blender. Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, ancho chiles, chipotles, cumin, salt, and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water. Puree and strain into a large bowl.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the other onion slice; blacken, and discard. Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and stir in sour cream. Keep warm over low heat.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat about 1 to 2 cups of oil in skillet. Use a pair of tongs and dip a tortilla in the oil for a few seconds until softened. Transfer to a plate atop a few layers of paper toweling to drain. OR

Optionally you can heat tortillas in the microwave Wrap 5-10 tortillas in plastic bag, and sprinkle
with 1/4 teaspoon of water. Heat for up 45-60 seconds. Roll immediately.

Fill each tortilla with about 3 tablespoons shrimp and crab mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in a buttered enchilada pan.

Bake enchiladas for 8-10 minutes until cooked, but not crisped. Remove and serve three per person, covering each portion with plenty of sauce.

Source: Let's Dish with Chris Koetke "Baked Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde" on the Live Well TV network ; includes recipe plus video
on line at http://livewellnetwork.com/Lets-Dish/recipes/Baked-Chicken-Enchiladas-with-Salsa-Verde/8942361 accessed January 7, 2013

Chicken and Zucchini Enchiladas

"My grandma spent hours making enchiladas using vegetables from her garden. This is the 'working mom's version' of her recipe, so I can share the flavors of my heritage with my children in much less time." -Michele Negrete-Crowder
Read more: Chicken and Zucchini Enchiladas Recipe - Woman's Day

Serves: 4 
Total Time: 40 min  Prep Time: 20 min
Oven Temp: 400

Ingredients

    1 jar (15 - 16-ounce) mild green salsa
    2 cups cilantro (including stems), plus more for serving
    1/2 cup  lowfat sour cream
    1 tablespoon  olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    3 small (about 12 ounces total) zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    1 teaspoon  ground coriander
    1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    Kosher salt
    1/2 small (about 2 cups) rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
    4 ounces (1 cup) Muenster cheese, grated
    8 small yellow corn tortillas
    Chopped white onion, for serving

Method

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, purée the salsa and cilantro until smooth. Add the sour cream and pulse to combine. Spread 1 cup of the salsa mixture in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer the remaining mixture to a medium bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the zucchini and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt; remove from heat. Add the chicken and 3/4 cup Muenster cheese and mix to combine.
3. Wrap the tortillas in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave on high until soft, about 1 minute (be careful of the steam when removing). Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in the reserved salsa mixture, shaking off any excess. Place on a cutting board, top with 1/2 cup of the filling, roll up, and place, seam-side down, in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
4. Spoon any remaining salsa mixture on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake until the cheese begins to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with chopped onion and cilantro, if desired.

Source: Women's Day June 2013, "Cooking with Love" Page 168
online at http://www.womansday.com/recipefinder/chicken-zucchini-enchiladas-recipe-wdy0613?click=recipe_sr accessed August 5, 2013