Last week, I picked up some corn tortillas to pair with the filling from my empanadas for a quickie dinner. We had a ton of tortillas left over. What better way to use them than to make enchiladas? I've love enchiladas - especially mole enchiladas. But let's face it, mole enchiladas are a little bit risky for a rookie. Maybe I'll give them a whirl them once my brain thaws out during spring.
So, back to the story - making enchiladas had been on my mind for the past half week or so. I had started looking for enchilada recipes, but I've been feeling a little cavalier lately, so I decided to sort of wing my own enchiladas, based very loosely on this recipe.
Of course, I picked the best time to run to the store - smack in the middle of a winter storm - to pick up a few things, including a poblano pepper. Just one. I wasn't joking when I said I was winging it. In retrospect, I probably could have used a few more peppers, but it was the middle of a blizzard. I had to move! Unfortunately, Whole Foods is never a short trip for me, because they inevitably sell some interesting and foreign object that I stop to stare at. See below. These were right underneath the mushrooms. How could you not stop and stare at these? Why are they green? How many omelettes can they make? What's an Emu anyway? All of these thoughts run through my head as a polite but slightly impatient-looking woman stands behind me, just trying to get her mushrooms.
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| What?? |
When I eventually got home, I realized I had no idea how to roast and skin a poblano pepper. After a little research, I learned that you can broil them or simply use your stove top flame. Roasting the peppers helps bring out the flavors and it's really very simple: just put the peppers under your broiler for 5-10 minutes per side until the skin starts to blister and blacken. Let cool for 15 minutes. The skins will be easy to peel off, and you can remove the cap and scoop out the seeds.
The rest of the enchiladas are so easy to put together - all you'll need is some chicken breast (thighs work too), a can of cream of chicken soup, onions, and spices. So, have a go at this (with two poblano peppers)...you'll have a great winter dish that's healthy, warm, spicy, and a little bit cheesy... so perfect at this time of year!
Roasted Poblano Chicken Enchiladas
3/4 lb chicken breast
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 poblano peppers
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 small red onion (or 1/2 large)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend
8 corn tortillas
avocado & tomato (for garnish)
Directions
1. Roast poblano peppers as described above. Once finished roasting, set the peppers aside to cool, and preheat your oven to 350F
2. Prepare cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell's - simply add a can full of water). Bring to a boil. Reserve one cup of soup and set aside.
3. Heat skillet on medium heat; add garlic and onion. Cook 5 minutes until onion is translucent
4. While garlic and onion cook, season chicken with salt, pepper, child powder, and paprika. Add chicken to the pan with garlic and onion. Keep heat on medium-low to avoid overcooking the chicken
5. Chop poblano peppers. Add 1 pepper to the chicken along with creamy chicken soup. Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until chicken cooked through (of course, exact cooking time depends on the thickness and cut of your chicken - just keep an eye on it!)
6. While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine remaining poblano pepper, yogurt, and reserved 1 cup of soup in a food processor. Puree until smooth and set aside
7. Lightly grease the bottom of a baking pan. Fill corn tortillas with chicken and sauce mixture. Roll tightly and place in pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until all are tucked in tightly
8. Pour sauce over the rolled tortillas. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown.
9. Garnish with chopped tomato and avocado slices
Enjoy!
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