Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Who knew?  Homemade enchilada sauce is so easy.  It beats the heck outta the stuff you buy in a jar or can.  We eat a LOT of Mexican inspired food so this sauce is a staple around here.  I found the recipe on, where else, Pinterest.

I have another post with chicken enchiladas, but this time I used white corn tortillas, and the homemade enchilada sauce.  Heat some oil in a skillet and warm the tortillas in the oil. Next dip the tortilla in the enchilada sauce, fill with chicken and cheese, and roll it up.  Place seam side down in a baking dish with more enchilada sauce.

Here's a shot of the shredded chicken and grated cojack cheese.

And finally, here's the recipe for the homemade enchilada sauce.  

This one is from "Kitchen meets Girl" blog. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (I used homemade)
• 1 cup chicken stock (also homemade)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook until just browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and oregano and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Sauteing your spices for a few seconds will give your sauce a fuller flavor.
2. Add in the tomato sauce and chicken stock. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat, and strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the onion to extract the sauce. If I am making enchiladas or something similar, I'll add the reserved onions to my filling. You may discard the onion if you wish.
4. Keep refrigerated for up to one week. Makes approximately 2 cups.

adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

If you like a little spicier sauce, add some chipotle chili powder, careful it's hot!

Enjoy friends!

Breakfast Quesadillas

This morning hubby ask for "something Mexican" for breakfast.  Looking over the contents of the fridge, I noticed lots of possibilities.  However, having not used my quesadilla maker for a while, I thought this might be just the ticket!

I chopped up some onion, jalapeno, and some Jimmy Dean turkey sausage.  

Saute until the vegies are tender.

Get the rest of the ingredients ready.  The salsa, sour cream, and avacado will be garnish!

We like to use whole wheat tortillas!

Here's the quesadilla maker that was a gift from our daughter, Nickole!

Top a tortilla with some cojack cheese and the sausage mixture.

Place another tortilla on top and close the lid.

Meantime, break a couple of eggs into a non-stick skillet.

A bonus of living in a small town, we get farm fresh eggs from our 

next door neighbors for $1.50 a dozen!

The finished product, sprinkled with some cilantro.

Enjoy friends!!

Springtime Quiche

I am starting to dig out the springtime recipes from my recipe book and cookbooks!  It's time for some refreshing recipes with ingredients that are available now.

First the crust.  Since I don't make a lot of pastry crusts, 

consider this one "rustic" looking when it's done!

OK?

1 C flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 C butter (cold, cut into pieces)
2 Tbl. cold cold water

Combine the flour and salt, add the pieces of cold butter.

Use a pastry thingy to cut the butter into the flour until you have course crumbs.  

Work quickly so the butter stays nice and cold.

Sprinkle in the cold water a little at a time just until the flour is moistened.  Dust some flour on the counter, shape the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk.  See those pieces of butter in the dough--

that, my friends, is a GOOD thing.

Now roll out the dough into a 12 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.  

Place in the pie pan and crimp the edges.
Rustic looking, don't you think??

For the filling you will need 2 C of shredded cheese 

(cheddar, cojack, jack, whatever you like), Ham, 

4 eggs, 1 1/2 C milk or half & half, salt, pepper, and a few asparagus spears.

Put the cheese on the bottom of the crust, top with the ham, then arrange the asparagus spears in a spoke pattern on top of the ham.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt & pepper in a bowl..  Pour egg mixture over everything -- slowly -- so you don't mess up this beautiful creation.  Into a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 40 - 45 minutes.

If the edges of the quiche crust start to brown too much before cooking time is up, 

shield the edges with some aluminum foil.  

The quiche is done when it's puffed up and set in the center.  

Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cut the quiche into wedges and serve.  

Enjoy friends!

yum, Yum, and YUM!

Chicken Enchiladas

If Tyler Florence (from the Food Network) can use rotisserie chicken for his enchiladas, so can I!  So, tonight I used a lot of shortcuts, but the end result was delish.

Gather up all the ingredients--shortcuts!  Shredded chicken from a purchased rotisserie chicken, canned chopped green chiles, canned salsa verde, and some whole wheat flour tortillas.  Corn tortillas can be used as well, but I find that they fall apart and kind of crumble in the end product.  Seasonings include smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin.

Shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, and seasonings go into the bowl.

Mix it up and then add some shredded cojack cheese.

Line an aluminum baking pan with foil for easy clean up.  Then pour in a can of the salsa verde.

Heat a skillet on medium heat.  Drizzle in a little oil, and when it's hot cook the flour tortillas one by one until they are warm and soft.  This can be done in the microwave as well, but I like doing it in the skillet with a little oil.

Time to fill and roll the enchiladas.  Place a tortilla in the baking pan, add a couple of heaping tablespoons of the chicken filling and get ready to rock and roll.

As the enchilada is rolled up, drag it through the salsa verde for extra flavor.

Keep rolling until the baking pan is filled up and the enchiladas are lined up like little soldiers!  Pour some more salsa verde down the center of the enchiladas, then add some grated cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.

Get some toppings ready, not necessary, but nice!  Salsa, sour cream, and shredded lettuce.

When the enchiladas are hot, remove the cover and turn on the broiler to get the cheese all bubbly. Get 'em out and get ready to eat.  I made Homestyle Spanish rice for a side dish.  (November 2011 blog).

Serve and enjoy!