Food for thought: Chicken Enchiladas

Hola a todos!

Enchiladas are one of the famous Mexican food and also originated in Mexico. Enchilada are made by rolling tortillas around food. Traditionally, corn tortillas are folded or rolled to wrap around fresh small fish caught by natives in the lake areas in the valley of Mexico way back the Mayan or Aztec times.

Over time, there are so many version of Enchiladas now and it is not just of Mexican Cuisine. I would say, there are a few other countries now have its own version of Enchiladas. For sure there are so many ways to make enchiladas and you can make chicken, beef. fish or vegan enchiladas

So, what I am sharing with you is plain Chicken Enchiladas. The great thing with Enchiladas, you can add beans, chick peas, rice or corn and spice to what your heart desires. I like my Enchiladas a little spicy but not too spicy though.

Your choice of the following:

• Beans: Black beans, green beans, kidney beans or any type of lentils
• Cheese: Tex Mex, Cheddar, Jalapeno cheese or Mozarella
• Tortillas: Plain flour, whole wheat or corn tortillas or flavored like sundried tomato or herb tortillas
• Topping Sauce: Tomato chunks, plain tomato sauce, or taco sauce or homemade sauce

Whether you make chicken or beef enchiladas, I would recommend you marinating the meat for three hours or overnight before making it. But if you don’t have time, sure you can just prepare the meat at same time.

For Vegan Enchiladas, you may use black beans, broccoli, chick peas and spinach or any of your favorite vegetables and top with vegan cheese or your choice.

Ingredients: 8 rolls of Chicken Enchiladas

Fillings:

• 2 large chicken breasts cubed (about 300 grams each)
• 1 medium size onions chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 8 pcs of 10″ tortillas

Toppings:

• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup of spinach chopped (optional)

If marinating overnight: In a bowl combine the meat with all the spices and cover with saran wrap and leave it in the fridge for three hours or overnight.

Preparations: 50 minutes

• In a skillet, sautee the garlic and onions until brown
• Add the chicken, spices, salt and stir for about 5 minutes
• Add water and tomato paste and cover to simmer for about 10 minutes
• Add pepper and cheese and mix well
• Let it simmer for another 5 minutes or until chicken not too saucy like above photo
• Let it cool before rolling up
• Arrange your enchiladas on a greased baking pan
• Top with sauce, cheese and spinach
• Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes
• Serve warm

Enjoy!!!