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Friday, June 25, 2010

Shredded Chicken Enchaladas with Roasted Tomatillio sauce and Habanero Salad



This is a quality recipe. Many thanks to Ash from A Year in the Kitchen for posting her enchalada casserole which was the inspiration for this recipe.


You will need
  • Jalapenos
  • 1 or 2 Onions
  • Dozen or so Tomatillios
  • 4 Cloves of garlic
  • 1 whole chicken
  • Adobo seasoning
  • Corn Tortillias
  • 1 Habanero
  • Scallions
  • Roasted Corn Salsa 
  • Cheese (mexican or cheddar or manchego if you're super fly)

So let's start with the chicken.
Pictures of me hacking apart a chicken aren't entirely pleasant so I'll just tell you what I did. I quartered the chicken into 2 leg/thingh pieces and two breast/tender pieces. Throw those into a pot and cover with water. Just enough to cover all the chicken, Add 2 tbsp adobo seasoning boil for 30-40 minutes.

Crank your oven up to 350 after you have the chicken going and wash and roughly cut up 1 onion 2 jalapenos, 4 cloves garlic and tomatillios.

Throw those in the oven and let them bake 15-20 minutes till the tomatillios are tender.

After they come out of the oven we go right into a blender and that is our salsa verde.


After your timer goes off for the chicken we are going to pull it off the bone. It'll be hot so I use a pair of tongs to get everything separated you want just meat no skin or bones/cartilage.

Save your stock!
Shred the chicken with a fork and add some of the remaining liquid from the pot you boiled everything in until chicken is moist and juicy but not swimming.



After you have all the ingredients prepped we can go into assembly mode.

Put a little of the salsa verde in the bottom of the pan to prevent burning.


From right to left. 
  1. Tortillia
  2. Green onion (largepieces)
  3. Shredded Chicken
  4. Roll
  5. Place in pan in a vague geometric shape (a row)
Now you're ready to cover with the rest of the salsa verde. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes until the cheese looks nice and pretty.

I made a little habanero salad to go along with the dish because I like it HOT. 

Thinly slice habaneros, onion and scallion.
 I was cooking at night so the artificial light did not help the pics but the salad was beautiful orange white and green.

To plate put them on the plate top with roasted corn salsa and habenero salad.

Enjoy!

Yum.
 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Roasted Corn Salsa


Let have some Mexican food!

We'll start with the salsa and move on from there tomorrow.


You Will Need
  • 4 Large ripe tomatoes cubed
  • 1 bunch scallions sliced thin
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro Chopped rough
  • 2 Jalapenos diced
  • 2 ears fresh sweet corn
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 sweet yellow onion (diced)
So you'll want to roast the corn first. Throw it in the oven or on the grill husk and all for 20 minutes on 400 degrees. The husk will start to brown that is perfect.

While the corn is roasting let's chop up everything else.
The scallions.








The Cilantro...

The onions tomatoes etc... and toss into a mixing bowl where they will all be happy together.



Hmm... I'm forgetting something.

The Corn! Cut it off the cob and add.
Just mix and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight for the best flavor.
Serve with corn chips :)
Yum.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Boiled Peanuts

Hi folks!
Having just spend the weekend down on gulf shores and seeing the oil on the beach for myself I wanted to tip my hat to everyone who is (actually) working towards a solution to all the nastiness that the BP well is spewing. Here's a cheap easy snack that will keep you going. Peanuts are full of good stuff that will keep an active person active.

Boiled Peanuts
Makes 15-20 servings

You will need
  • 5 lbs raw peanuts
  • 1 cup salt 
  • 1 large pot and some water.


 So fill your pot up 1/2 way with water.

Add salt.

Add peanuts.

Did you really think i was going to be hard?

OK so for the gourmet at heart it's all in the timing. I like to retain the peanut's natural flavor and not just make mushy over boiled slimy crap like you get in the gas stations that have been in the water for weeks.

Taste them as you go and after 3 to 4 hours they will be perfect. Let cool then remove them from the water do not dry! Bag wet and freeze for a ready microwave snack any time.





Easy but still yum.