Chicken Enchurritos

I made these “enchurritos” — a cross between an enchilada and a burrito – for Cinco de Mayo. They are super easy and very quick, and you will have enough for a party (6-8 people), or you can make the filling ahead of time and make them one or two at a time, if you’re cooking for one or two people.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 lime
1 can La Victoria red enchilada sauce
1 sack frozen onion and pepper blend
1 tbs canola oil
1-2 cups low fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 package Tumaro’s 8 inch White Gourmet  Tortillas and/or 1 package Tumaro’s 8 inch Jalapeno and Cilantro Gourmet  Tortillas
sour cream and salsa for garnish

How I made them:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a foil packet (my favorite way to cook). Squeeze the juice of the entire lime over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes. Open the packet, turn the chicken breasts over, and continue to bake uncovered until done through (about another 15-20 minutes).

Saute the frozen onions and peppers in the canola oil. When just done through, add the enchilada sauce. (You may need to drain some liquid off before adding the sauce.) Let simmer until the chicken is done cooking in the oven.

When the chicken is done, cut it into small pieces and add to the enchilada sauce and peppers.  Let cook a bit longer (5 minutes or so), then remove from the stove.

Prepare a baking dish with non-stick spray. Using a slotted spoon, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into a tortilla until just slightly full. Roll it like an enchilada (no tucking or folding) and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until you’ve used all the chicken and pepper mixture. If you like spicy food, go with the jalapeno and cilantro tortillas. If you’re less brave, stick with the white ones.

You should have a little  left over sauce to spoon over the top of the enchurritos, but if you don’t it’s okay. (That’s why they aren’t true enchiladas — the sauce is on the inside).  Top with shredded cheese (as much or as little as you like). Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the tortillas start to brown around the edges  just a little.

Garnish with sour cream and salsa and serve.

How they turned out:

YUM-MEE! A quick and easy dinner that’s I’ll definitely be repeating.

P.S. You could make this recipe even more quickly in the microwave — I just don’t use one.

 

Sweet and Spicy Summer Dishes

Inspired by the July edition of Bon Appetit, I decided to adapt a couple of recipes for our Independence Day celebration.  Both turned out so yummy that they disappeared before I got pictures.

Grilled White Salmon with Thai Sauce

This is a spicy coconut sauce that was great with fresh Alaska salmon.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (regular, not lite)
the juice of one lime
5 tsp ginger paste (in the chilled section of the produce aisle)
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp diced serrano chili (no seeds or pith)
1 lb salmon fillet

How I made it:

Heat the coconut over medium-high heat.  Add each of the other ingredients one at a time, gently whisking to combine them all.  Let cook 3-4 minutes, until it becomes a little thicker.  Remove from heat.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce over the fillet and let sit for an hour (in a glass dish, preferably) before putting on the grill.  Reserve the remaining sauce in the refrigerator for later. 

Grill on a medium-hot grill until cooked through, flaking easily and no longer translucent in the center.  Reheat the remaining sauce in a glass bowl in the microwave.

Serve the fish with 2-3 tbs of sauce spooned over the top.

How it turned out:

Given how little was left over, I think it was a hit.  Very moist, with just the right amount of spice.

Soda Jerk Beans

These are a lighter version of the traditional baked beans.

Ingredients:

1 vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups root beer (use a rich artisanal one, not A & W)
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 tbs light or mild molasses
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp chili spice blend (available in the chilled section of the produce aisle)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

How I made it:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In an ovenproof pot or skillet, saute the chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, until the onion just begin to turn brown.  Add the ingredients one at a time, saving the beans for last.  Stir until well combined.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

How they turned out:

A light and tasty version of baked beans.  They won’t be the thick or sticky kind associated with traditional baked beans, but they are full of flavor and a great side dish for food off the grill.

 

Clam Stuffed Mushrooms

As promised, here is the first of two clam-tastic recipes from our recent Clam-a-palooza.  While I helped create these recipes, I didn’t actually prepare them.  One of the best things about Clam-a-palooza was that, not only did we feast on freshly caught clams, I didn’t end up cooking a thing (or washing a dish!). 

So here’s the stuffed mushroom appetizer.

Ingredients:

15-20 large white mushrooms

1 stick butter

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp garlic

3-4 cups very finely chopped smoked clams (this was pretty labor intensive)

2 cups caesar flavored croutons

grated parmesan and romano blend

How they were made:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash the mushrooms.  Remove stems, hollow out caps.  Chop the stems up in small pieces. 

Saute the onions, garlic, and chopped mushrooms in butter until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms tender.  While that is cooking, smash the croutons into crumbs.

When the onions and mushrooms are done, add the clams.  Cook just a couple of minutes, then add the crouton crumbs.  Mix well to make stuffing.

Stuff mushroom caps, placing them on a foil covered cookie sheet for baking.  Top with grated cheese. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and just a little brown.

The results:

YUMMY!!!  I don’t even like clams, but this stuffing turned out very mild and flavorful. 

For the next time:

Maybe work on a creamier stuffing version.  That was my only criticism, that they were a bit crumbly.