Enchiladas de Pollo

If you are having a hard time figuring out what the title says it is simply Chicken Enchiladas ;). Living in El Paso, the Spanish language is really popular out here. The only Spanish I remember is from high school and college. I’m telling you now, I WISH I continued learning the language because it would be so helpful to know. Plus it be cool to know another language. If you have the opportunity to take on Spanish, do it!

I transferred my job out here and it is very close to the Mexican border. We get a lot of Mexican citizens and all they know is Spanish or broken English. So I’ve been forcing myself to remember what I know and I’m always asking how do you say this etc. It is a challenge but I’m happy to accept it! Como se dice…

During the super bowl my boyfriend’s SIL decided to make some Chicken Enchiladas. She is Mexican and learned a lot from her family to carry on their Mexican traditions in the kitchen. I told her teach me true Mexican food! I knew she makes killer enchiladas, so I was excited when she told me that was what we were having for the super bowl. I took some notes, along with pictures and followed her in the kitchen. It honestly is easy to make a homemade enchilada sauce! I won’t ever by the canned stuff again, unless it is a true emergency. The taste was authentic, smoky, slightly spicy and had the freshest taste you could imagine.

She will cook up the onions and garlic, while she is rehydrating the red peppers in boiling water. Everything will then be transferred to a blender and pureed. Adding in some of the red pepper liquid to make for a smooth consistency. Some salt and pepper can be added for taste. Once it the way she wants it, not too thick or thin, she will strain it. Takes out all the pepper skins, to make for a perfectly smooth sauce.

This is a “secret” ingredient. You know how Italians put sugar in red sauce to cut the acidity… Well Mexicans use chocolate!

Her chicken breasts are seasoned and baked. Once they are cooled off, she shredded the chicken and mixed it in with some red enchilada sauce.

  

In a saucepan she heats up a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil, to heat up the corn tortillas. I asked her if this was a step to skip and she explained to me it the best way to make the corn tortillas more pliable and the sauce will stick to it  better. The chicken mixed in sauce is placed in a corn tortilla and rolled into a casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese and baked in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F, to heat it through and melt the cheese.

  

We placed our chicken enchiladas on top of romaine/spinach, green onions, diced tomatoes and a squeeze of lime juice.

            

It was face rocking delicious! I hope to try this out on my own one day, if I can remember all the steps. ;)

Have you ever made your own enchilada sauce? I honestly think it is worth the extra time in the kitchen to make it fresh. The canned sauces put all this weird stuff like corn/soybean oil and flour?!?! The only oil in her sauce was from cooking up the onions and garlic (extra virgin olive oil) and no added flour to thicken it up. All natural baby!

Enjoy,

Fallon