From the Kitchen of: Jessica Brainard
Jessica’s The Best in the West Chicken Mushroom Enchiladas
Corn tortillas (12 count)
La Victoria Enchilada Sauce 2 cans (Red or Green)
Chicken breast Skinless/boneless 3 pieces
Green onion scallions 1 bunch diced (save the green ends as a garnish)
Green chilli 1 can
Whole Black olives 1 can
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 Habanero pepper diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 pack of mexican cheese
1 pound of Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese
a dash of cayenne pepper or chipotle chile pepper
a scoop of butter
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, sliced
1 dollop of sour cream
Prep the ingredients: Drain the cans, rinse off and chop the veggies. CHOP: Cut food into coarse or fine irregular shaped pieces, using a knife, food chopper, blender or food processor. Cut both ends of the scallions dice the bottom half for the chicken mixture and save the top half of the scallions for the garnish put them in a bowl cover and refrigerate. Shred the cheese. SHRED: Cut into long, thin pieces using the round, smooth holes of a shredder, a knife or food processor. Rinse off the chicken. Brown the chicken in a skillet lined with 2 tablespoons of hot olive oil. BROWN: Cook quickly over high heat, causing the surface of the food to turn brown. Season the chicken with chipotle chile pepper , salt, pepper, a little pico limon. Drain the fat, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice chicken then return it to the skillet. Add a splash of olive oil, scoop of butter and the scallions, onions, mushrooms, green chillies and hot peppers. Mix well, squeeze some lime juice on it and add a splash of beer. Bring to a simmer. SIMMER: Cook in a liquid on the stove top just below the boiling pint while bubbles rise slowly and break just below the surface. Simmering is usually done after reducing heat from a boil.
Putting the Enchiladas Together
In a separate skillet heat an inch of olive oil on a high and wait until you see it bubbling. Pour a splash of enchilada sauce into the oil to cook the flavor into the tortilla and fry tortilla in the pan on both sides for 1 minute each. Pour a splash of olive oil and 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the baking pan. Take the tortilla out of the frying pan let the excess oil drip off of it before you transfer to the baking pan. Place the fried tortilla in the baking pan. Scoop the chicken mixture onto the tortilla. Place 1 whole black olive in the center of the chicken mixture and top with the pepper jack cheese roll up and continue to place the tortillas in rows onto the baking pan until it is full. Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the assembled enchiladas. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil sprinkle a layer of mexican cheese on top. Put it back in the oven for five minutes to melt the cheese. For the kids I just make plain cheese enchiladas, put them on the side of the pan so you can find them after it cooks.
Garnish with sliced avocado, sour cream, green onion, guacamole, and of course salsa. Serve with corona, lime, spanish rice and refried beans on the side.
1 jalapeno=mild 1 Habenero=HOT 2 Habenero=Mauwe Caleante
This recipe is great when I am craving spicy food because I live in Oregon and the mexican food at the restaurants here is bland or tastes microwaved. I use corn tortillas because the flour tortillas get soggy where as the corn stay firm. You can also substitute the chicken for shredded pork or beef. These taste even better the next day. You can freeze these into individual tupperware dishes and take to work for a spicy lunch. My mom makes a different version of enchiladas. They are the more authentic Mexican version she says because instead of the can of sauce she uses the dried chilies and makes her own sauce. I tried this recipe it was a lot more work and they had little more tardy of a taste they aren’t as good as mine but they are good too. It did taste a lot better than her spam tacos that she made me eat once a week as a kid. I did apply some of her techniques to my recipe so that’s why I think it is so good. You can try both and vote on the one you like best.
This is her recipe in her words:
Mom’s Authentic Enchilada Recipe
Go to Food 4 Less for the ingredients.
1 bag of New Mexico chilies (hot or mild) by the potatoes and onions.
1 package of Guerrerro tortillas (right next to the chilies)
1 package of Asadero cheese (or any kind of mexican white cheese)
1 package of Long Horn cheese
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
salt
1 large can of chicken broth (its about 10 inches tall)
Place chilies in a skillet on high. Flip them over often, they burn fast. Take them out when they get soft, takes maybe a minute or two. If they start to smoke try not to breath in the smoke, it will take your breath away! Place them in a pan with boiling water in it. I had a pan next to the skillet and when they are done on the skillet I put them right in the pan. Put a plate or something heavy (I used 2 plates) to weigh them down in the water and let them set for about a half hour. Scoop them out of the pan and in to a bowl to cool till you can touch them. Save the water. When you can touch them pull the stems off and rinse out the seeds. Put them in a blender or a food processor (you might have to do 2 batches-just depends on how many chilies you can fit into it.) Add about 1/2 cup of the chili water, enough to get your blender going good. Run your blender for a while (about 3 minutes). Put a strainer over a bowl (tea strainer works great) Work the chilies thru the strainer with a spatula. Throw away the bits of chili left in the strainer. You seen me do this. In a saucepan put in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil or regular oil, just enough to coast the bottom of your pan. Turn it on a medium heat. When it is warm , add the strained chilies, can of chicken broth, oregano, cumin, and about a tablespoon of salt. Taste it. If it is bitter add a teaspoon of sugar and keep tasting it till the bitter does away. You might need salt. The salt and sugar amount just depends on the batch of chilies you have. Remember to add a little at a time and taste till you like it. You might even let it simmer for a little bit in between the spoons of sugar just to let the flavors blend. Let it cook on the stove for about 30 minutes.
Putting The Enchiladas Together:
Put plates in the oven at 200
Add about a 1/4 cup of oil to a skillet and have it on medium heat. Dip the tortillas in the sauce and fry them for about 30 seconds a side. If they fall apart when you try to flip them you need to cook them just a little longer. Stuff them with the cheeses, shredded chicken, or whatever. Put them on a hot plate and serve right away. You could also try rolling them and putting them in a cake pan. (So you could all sit and eat at once) Just bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrese. You don’t want to bake them too long or they dry out. Have any questions call!!!
Mixing Food 