Chicken Enchiladas

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we cooked chicken enchiladas for dinner at home tonight. (It beats fighting the crowds to get a table at a local restaurant!) I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly these came together. McHubby helped by shredding the chicken for me and making the Spanish rice and beans side dishes. The enchiladas were flavorful and spicy, with a touch of contrasting sweetness from the corn and tomatoes. This recipe makes 16 enchiladas, so you can easily cut it in half.

Source: Chicken Enchiladas, Tyler Florence

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 ½ cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
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 Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Sauté onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, sauté 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to sauté pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon ¼ cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Black Bean, Spinach, and Mushroom Burritos

What a healthy and tasty treat this dish was! The filling cooks up quickly, in one large skillet, and packs a lot of flavor. I used whole wheat tortillas to assemble the burritos. This recipe maintains a mild flavor in terms of spiciness, but you can always add more heat with your favorite chile peppers or with a few dashes of Tabasco mixed in with the enchilada sauce.

Adapted from: Black Bean, Spinach, and Mushroom Burritos, Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
½ pound mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bunch spinach (about 1 pound), coarse stems discarded, washed well and spun dry
2 garlic cloves
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 scallions, finely chopped
¾ cup coarsely grated pepper Jack cheese (about 5 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canned mild enchilada sauce
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Accompaniment: Sour cream

Directions
In a heavy skillet cook onion and mushrooms in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add spinach and garlic and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, lemon juice, scallions, pepper Jack, salt, to taste, and cook stirring, until cheese is melted.

In a small saucepan, heat enchilada sauce.

Heat a dry skillet (large enough to hold 1 tortilla) over moderately high heat until hot. In skillet heat tortillas, 1 at a time, turning frequently, 30 seconds, or until softened, and transfer to a work surface. Divide filling between tortillas and roll up burritos.

Spoon sauce over burritos and serve with sour cream.

Chunky Guacamole

Appetizers for a crowd don't get any easier than guacamole, and this one is so full of flavor. It really is just a matter of mixing all the ingredients together. I prefer a chunky guacamole rather than a smooth, blended texture. I usually cut the avocado flesh while it's still in the half-shell, cutting a diced pattern. Then I simply scoop out the flesh into the bowl and mix together with the other ingredients using a rubber spatula. Delicious!

Adapted from: Guacamole, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
½ cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Directions
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl.

Immediately add the lime juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the cilantro and tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Sliders, or miniature hamburgers, are a great party food when you want to have appetizers or smaller sized portions. To ensure that the seasonings permeate the meat mixture before I form my patties, I added Worcestershire sauce and English prime rib rub to the ground chuck and lightly mixed together.

Adapted from: Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Bobby Flay

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 chipotles in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

½ lime, juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sliders:

1 to 1 ½ pounds ground chuck, 80/20
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon English prime rib rub
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cheese slices, your choice

Mini burger buns Burger Bar (if desired):

Chipotle Mayonnaise

Pickles

Red onions
Tomato slices

Lettuce

Directions

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Sliders:

Preheat grill over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, lightly mix the ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, English prime rib rub, salt, and pepper until just blended. Form the meat into 2 to 3-ounce portions, packed tightly.

Place the sliders on the grill. Wait until they are nice and crusty on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook another 4 minutes. When the sliders are about done, top with desired cheese and close the grill, allowing the cheese to melt.

Place the slider on mini burger buns and top with chipotle mayonnaise and any other desired toppings.

Slow-Cooker Three Bean and Meaty Chili

Everyone seems to have their “go-to” chili, and this one is mine. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you—the slow cooker does all the work! I love a really thick, chunky chili with depth of flavor. I use ground bison, which is leaner and sweeter than beef. The chipotle chile imparts a smoky spicy flavor that is offset by the subtle sweetness of the brown sugar. (If you like a less spicy chili, remove the seeds from the chipotle chili before mincing.) Masa harina, a Mexican corn flour, should be stirred in at the end of cooking to help thicken the liquid slightly and give off a hint of corn flavor. Serve with your favorite chili toppings, and pair with a salad or cornbread.

Ingredients
1 (15 ½ ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ½ ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ½ ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound ground bison (or ground beef), browned and drained
1 pound diced beef sirloin, browned and drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons masa harina

Toppings
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Scallions, chopped
Jalapeno peppers, chopped
Salsa
Crackers

Directions
Put ingredients in slow cooker in the order listed, through salt and pepper. Carefully stir. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or high 5 to 6 hours. Add masa harina and stir. Cover for another 10 minutes.

Garnish with favorite toppings and serve hot.