ISO Beginner Enchilada Style Meal

[ttubbs]

As I explained in a previous thread, my nephew, age 10, wants to do some cooking with me when he comes for a visit. Doing a Mexican themed menu was suggested, and I like the idea, but would like to do more than our typical taco or taco salad standbys. My nephew really wants to learn to more about cooking, so I’m looking for mostly from scratch ideas. I don’t want to go as far as making my own tortillas, but would prefer to make any sauces and mix our own seasonings.

So, I’m looking for a really good enchilada or burrito enchilada style recipe and a sauce recipe to go with it. A tried-and-true beginner/basic recipe would be great. A few variations on how you might “kick it up a notch” (he loves Emeril) would be fantastic.

I’d also like to hear ideas for what you’d serve with it.

[beccac]

Hi,

Here are my two standby enchilada recipes. Everybody really loves these. To add heat, you could add fresh jalapeno pepper. Something more mild could be habaneros. I serve these with rice and a Mexican Avocado Salad. I will also include that recipe:

Chicken Enchiladas

12 del rey tortillas (these kind make them fluffy)
chicken - maybe 3-4 breasts
1 carton sour cream
1 package monterey jack cheese
fresh cilantro, chopped about a cup
green onions
cumin, 3-4 tablespoons
dried red peppers, 1-3 teaspoons depending on your preferred heat
milk - about a cup or two

Saute chicken until outsides are done (it will cook more in the oven).

In a sauce pan saute the green onions, but keep them firm. Add the cheese and sour cream and melt. Add the cumin and peppers and about a half cup of milk. Mix together. If too thick, thin with milk as you melt it all together. Add in the chopped cilantro - almost all, but keep some back. Mix together.

To make the enchiladas, have a pan that is slightly greased. Hold a tortilla in your hand and add in a few tablespoons of chicken so that it lines the crease, spoon in the cheese mixture and folder together - lay in pan seam side down. Repeat with the remaining 11 tortillas. When finished, pour extra cheese sauce over the top. Bake, covered, at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more - take out of oven and garnish with the rest of the fresh cilantro.


Bean & Onion Enchiladas

/2 block cheddar (cut up into smaller blocks)
1/2 block monterey (cut same as monterey)
1 onion
1 can refried beans
1 can diced green chilis (if you like hotter stuff, cut up 1 or 2 serranos and deseed)
1 8 oz. thing of sour cream
cream cheese (i didn't use, but you can add anywhere and it's good.
cumin
hot pepper flakes (i used special ones that my gma brought from mexico, but any will do, really)
12 tortillas - best kind are del rey - i don't like others really


1. cut up onion (dice or whatever), saute with 1 tbs. butter until golden. set aside.
2. heat refried beans and set aside. you really don't even have to heat them, but i like to b/c i like to add hot sauce so it helps to heat them if you're going to do that, but you can be lazy and just scoop them out of the can b/c they'll cook in the oven.
3. for filling: melt 2/3 cheddar, 1/3 monterey (if you want to put cream cheese here, it's good, just cut back on the other cheeses maybe). add 2/3 of the green chilis, 1 tsp. or 2 of cumin, dash of milk - 2 tbs?, hot peppers. mix until smooth.
4. at same time, in different saucepan, make sauce: melt 2/3 monterey, 1/3 cheddar, add sour cream, another tsp. of cumin and the rest of the green chilis. mix until smooth.
5. take a tortilla and scoop some beans, then onions, then some of the filling mixture. roll it up and place it seam-side down in a casserole pan. it's okay if some cheese leaks out. do this for all 12 tortillas. don't stuff too big b/c it'll be too much, but make them good size.
6. when all of the tortillas are wrapped, take the sauce and spoon it over all of the enchiladas until you use it all and it's basically even.
7. wrap in foil and bake for 35 minutes at 350. take foil off and bake for five more minutes or so until cheese is bubbly.
8. eat.

Mexican Avocado Salad

Boston bibb lettuce
fresh tomatoes
avocado
dressing

Arrange the vegetables on a flat platter and drizzle the dressing over the top.

Mexican Salad Dressing

1/2 Olive oil
1/4 White vinegar
1/4 Sugar
1 clove minced fresh garlic
Squeeze of lime
Salt
Pepper

Mix all together and shake up. Taste until to your liking

[sneezles]

This is the recipe I use for the sauce and it's very tasty. You can kick it up a notch by adding some other dried pepper or just some ground chile powder. Guajillos are very smokey without a lot of heat. Ancho-pasilla would be a bit hotter and then chipotles would be even more so and you can control that by removing the seeds before you add them to the water.

Red Chile Sauce
Found at mexgrocer.com

8 large dried red chile pods (calls for ancho-pasilla but I used guajillo)
2 cloves garlic (I used 4-smashed)
1 medium onion, chopped
Water
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 cups water (I used the Terra-Cotta Stock that I had used to poach the chicken breasts)
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp Ground cumin (used more like a tsp but I love the stuff!)
Salt to taste (used about 1/4 tsp)

Wash chiles, remove stems and seeds (leave seeds if you prefer a hotter sauce...guajillos are not that spicy and I left in the seeds that didn't fall out when I stemmed the chiles). Place chiles, garlic and onion in a 3 qt heavy pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain water (I ended up cooking a bit longer so the water was reduced quite a bit and decided not to waste that seasoned water so added it to the blender). Place chiles, garlic, onion and flour into blender; puree till smooth. Pour back into pot, add 2 cups water or stock and seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick and bubbly. Adjust seasonings as needed.

I prefer to poach the chicken breasts rather than sautéing because they don't dry out as much and they're much easier to shred (I prefer shredded meat to diced). I add garlic, onion, dried chiles and Mexican oregano to the stock that I use and then use that liquid in the chile sauce. Last tiem I did use the Terra-Cotta Stock that I had made (it's from the Whole Foods Cookbook and it's posted on the BB if you're interested). After the meat is shredded I mix in a cup or so of the chile sauce, warm the tortillas on a comal or in a dry skillet, roll up and then top with the remaining sauce and bake for a bout 10-15 minutes at 350ºF having topped the enchiliadas with grated cheese (I use M. jack and a sharp cheddar).

The beef enchiladas that I make involve a more complicated recipe for the meat (it takes a couple of days but it's well worth the effort).

I also love chicken enchiladas suiza and here are 2 recipes for them...

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:


1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon chicken base or bouillon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 10-oz. package (12) yellow corn tortillas
cooking spray
2 cups (4 oz.) grated reduced fat sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 to 5 grams fat per 1 oz.)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 recipe Sour Cream and Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Method:
1. Remove any visible fat from chicken breasts with sharp knife. In a medium saucepan bring 2 1/2 cups of water, garlic powder and salt to a boil; add chicken, cover pan and reduce heat to simmer for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove chicken, setting aside to cool. Cover stock and set aside for enchilada sauce.

2. Prepare enchilada sauce following recipe instructions and set aside. After chicken has cooled, cut or shred into small pieces and set aside.

3. To assemble enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350º F. Pour 2 cups of enchilada sauce into a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Heat each tortilla until soft in a comal or in a dry skillet. Stack and cover cooked tortillas with a cloth towel to keep them from drying out. Do not overcook tortillas or they will become tough.

4. Adding tortillas to baking dish one at a time, lightly coat both sides in sauce. Place approximately two tablespoons grated cheese, one tablespoon chopped onion and 1/3 cup shredded chicken in center of tortilla and roll up. Repeat process arranging enchiladas side by side, seam side down in baking dish. Add more sauce to baking dish as needed to coat tortillas. When dish becomes full, dip tortillas in pan of sauce and assemble enchiladas on top of the others in baking dish. Pour 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the remaining sauce evenly over enchiladas. Make sure not to use too much sauce, as enchiladas will become soggy. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.

5. While enchiladas are baking; re-heat sauce over medium until hot, stirring frequently. Remove foil from enchiladas, top enchiladas with a little more sauce if desired and cover evenly with cheese. Return enchiladas to oven and bake uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 12 enchiladas at approximately 165 calories each; 4 grams total fat; 2.2 grams saturated fat; 26 milligrams cholesterol; 17 grams carbohydrate; 1.5 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams protein; 450 milligrams sodium.

Sour Cream And Green Chile Enchilada Sauce


Ingredients:


5 cups water or Chicken Stock and water equaling 5 cups total liquid
1/2 unbleached all purpose flour
2 to 3 cloves fresh pressed or minced garlic
4 teaspoons chicken base or bouillon or 3 and 1/2 if using chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 4-oz. can roasted chopped green chiles
2/3 cup (5.5 oz.) sour cream

Method:
1. Pour 3 cups cool or warm liquid (stock or water) into a 4-quart saucepan. Adding about a third of the flour at a time, rapidly whisk flour into liquid until smooth.

2. Whisk remaining liquid, garlic, chicken bouillon and garlic powder into slurry and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently until sauce comes to a low boil and begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low, stir in chopped green chile and continue to cook sauce for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, whisking occasionally.

3. In separate bowl; use a wire whisk to blend nonfat sour cream or yogurt cheese together with 1 cup warm sauce. Add sour cream mixture back to sauce in pan and blend well. Adjust seasonings if necessary and remove from heat. Cover sauce and set aside until ready to use. As sauce cools it has a tendency to thicken and can be thinned with a little water or stock.

Yield: About 6 cups or 12 1/2-cup servings at approximately 32 calories; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 6.7 grams carbohydrate; 0 dietary fiber; 1.6 grams protein; 242 milligrams sodium.

Notes:

Yield: About 6 cups or 12 1/2-cup servings at approximately 32 calories; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 6.7 grams carbohydrate; 0 dietary fiber; 1.6 grams protein; 242 milligrams sodium.


And this is the recipe from Gail that she posted quite awhile ago and it's very, very good but not light!

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS
(Swiss enchiladas)

...not that they are actually Swiss, rather that Mexicans associate the use of cream with a dairy country.

1 dozen tortillas (yeah, corn again)
Oil for frying
6 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups sweet cream, warmed (I either do half and half or above listed above)
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, cubed (I am a staunch grater)

CHICKEN FILLING
1 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 mashed clove of garlic
2 chopped green chiles or to taste (I buy Anaheim chiles-- around 6 inches, green, flat, fairly mild-- blister them in the toaster oven (or you can put one on a fork, hold it over a burner and sing camp songs) , throw them into a paper bag to steam, then remove skin and chop)
2 cups tomato puree (or slightly less. This gives a somewhat sweet taste if you overuse)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Salt to taste

Fry the tortillas in about 1 inch of hot oil, being careful not to let them get crisp, as they must be rolled. Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot cream and dip each tortilla in the mixture. Cover generously with the chicken filling, roll up, please seam side down in a baking pan, pour remaining cream mixture over all. Top with cheese, add remaining cream, dip, and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. The chicken filling is made this way: Fry the onion in the hot oil until soft, add all other ingredients, and simmer about 10 minutes. Slices of avocado or hard-boiled eggs, radishes, grenn or ripe olives-- all are attractive garnishes for enchiladas.

[zackaboo]

CL's White Bean Enchiladas are really good and you could use a homemade sauce recipe with them. This is another of my favorites..not the lightest of recipes but I have successsfully reduced the fat content in the sauce with a half and half substitution before.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cheese Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vegetarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Sauce:
1/2 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
6 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions -- minced
1/2 4 oz can diced green chilies -- drained
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
Enchiladas:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 6" corn tortillas
3 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup sour cream

For sauce: Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir mixture 2 minutes.; do not brown. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and milk. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, cilantro, green onions, chilies, cumin, coriander and red pepper. Puree in batches until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

For enchiladas: Heat oil in heavy skillet. Briefly dip each tortilla in oil to soften, about 15 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels. Combine cheeses in a large bowl; set aside 1 1/2 cups for topping. Combine onion and cilantro in small bowl. Place 1/4 cup cheese mixture in center of each tortilla. Spoon 2 tsp onion mixture over and roll up. Place seam side down in large glass baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir sour cream into sauce and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with reserved 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake until cheese melts and enchiladas are heated through, about 25 minutes.

Cuisine:
"Mexican"
Source:
"Bon Appetit: Tastes of the World"

[NewMrsG]

This is the standby recipe that I use for a quick weeknight meal - we love it even though it's one of our simplest meals. I do use the canned sauce (I honestly haven't found a recipe that I like better, although I'm sure they're out there somewhere ...:) ) - if you wanted to make a sauce, you could easily incorporate that into the recipe. And you can jazz it up however you'd like - adding more sauteed veggies to the filling, etc. I serve it with a tossed salad with salsa or a salsa-ish dressing (sometimes just mixing together salsa and ranch dressing).


* Exported from MasterCook *

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Mexican vegetarian entree

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
16 ounces fat-free refried beans
1/3 cup minced onion
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 cup lowfat cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
32 ounces enchilada sauce -- half hot, half mild
1/2 cup black olives -- sliced

Heat beans. Pour 1 can enchilada sauce (doesn't matter which kind) into 9x13" dish. Spoon beans down center of tortillas. Sprinkle with onion, rice, and cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in dish. Pour second can enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Top with rest of onions, cheese, olives.

Cuisine:
"Mexican"
Source:
"Unknown"
Ratings : Excellent - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 425 Calories; 21g Fat (43.0% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 54mg Cholesterol; 760mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[tperes]

These are a favorite of mine. I have made this recipe, and variations of it many times.

Creamy Spinach-Mushroom Skillet Enchiladas

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light cream cheese with onions and chives
1 (16-ounce) bottle green salsa, divided
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preheat broiler.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add spinach and salt; cook for 1 minute or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Drain; return mushroom mixture to pan. Add cream cheese; cook 2 minutes or until cream cheese melts, stirring frequently. Place the mushroom mixture in a bowl; set aside.

Heat 1 cup salsa in a saucepan over low heat. Dredge both sides of each tortilla in warm salsa using tongs, and stack the tortillas on a plate. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon mushroom mixture into center of each tortilla; fold in half, and arrange in skillet, overlapping slightly. Top with remaining salsa, and sprinkle with cheese. Wrap handle of skillet with foil, and broil enchiladas for 4 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with sour cream, and garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 enchiladas and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

CALORIES 273(29% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 3.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 10.1g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 330mg; SODIUM 806mg; FIBER 6.7g; IRON 2.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.4g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2001

http://i.timeinc.net/cooking/images/recipefinder/cl_19729.1_m.jpg

[Ann Sanders]

I have made this, and boy I was surprised on how much it tasted like a burrito!:) :)
Burrito Casserole

Prep:15minutes
Bake: 45 minutes

10.25 oz. can beef gravy
10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
2 (16 oz.) cans refruied beans
10 -12 flour tortillas
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Garnish: salsa, chopped tomatoes, olives, shedded lettuce, sliced green onions, guacamole, sour cream.
Pre-heat oven to 350. In small bowl, combine beef gravy, and enchilada sauce; set aside. In large skillet over med-high heat on stovetop, brown ground chuck and drain grease. Add taco seasoning and water. Continue to cook until liquid has been adsorbed (5-10 minutes) Add refried beans to meat mixture and stir well; set aside.
Line a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish with one-third of tortillas. Spread half of meat mixture over tortillas, and top with half of sour cream. Repeat layers, ending with the final third of tortillas. Pour gravy mixture over casserole and top with cheese. Bake 30-45 minutes, or until casserole is hot and bubbly. remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into squares and top with your favorite burrito toppings.
Taste of the South, Spring 2005

[mcgee]

I just made the Cheese Enchilada Casserole last week. Both DH and I liked it a lot. I used TJ's enchilada sauce instead of the salsa it calls for. I also crisped the tortillas in the oven before using them to eliminate the potential glop factor from overcooked tortillas. Would definitely make this again for a quick and easy dinner.

http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=showRatings&recipe_id=522125

[CindyWeightWatcher]

Here's one of my favorites!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cheese-and-Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : International June '98
Main Dish Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese -- divided
1 cup bottled picante sauce
3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (about 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups bottled green taco sauce

Preheat oven to 350º.

Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add onion, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, picante sauce, cream cheese, and cumin. Cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla, and roll up. Place enchiladas in a 13 × 9-inch baking dish; drizzle with taco sauce, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve enchiladas immediately.

Serving Size: 1 enchilada


Cuisine:
"Mexican"
Source:
"Cooking Light, June 1998, p.120"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 272 Calories; 8g Fat (25.8% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 924mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

[SHERRY]

Mexican is my favorite!!! So, thanks to all of you who posted recipes...I have put them all in my to try list.

I thought maybe you would be interested in a side dish with all these great looking enchiladas above. I really like this rice and bean dish. It would be great for 10 yr old to make. It goes together easy and quickly and it tastes great!


I apologize for not knowing the source for this one. I have had it for a couple years and failed to keep good notes then. PLEASE speak up if you can claim this recipe or know the source.

Enjoy!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cheesy Rice and Beans

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Side Dishes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can black beans -- drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans -- drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes -- drained
1 can corn -- drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
3 ounces cheddar cheese -- shredded

Cook rice according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350
F. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25
minutes, stirring once, until hot and cheese is melted.



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 300 Calories; 6g Fat (17.5% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 107mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[beacooker]

Originally posted by beccac
To add heat, you could add fresh jalapeno pepper. Something more mild could be habaneros.

:eek:
Habaneros are very, very hot. I wouldn't recommend them for a 10 year old. Unless you really didn't like the kid. ;)

[ttubbs]

Originally posted by beacooker


:eek:
Habaneros are very, very hot. I wouldn't recommend them for a 10 year old. Unless you really didn't like the kid. ;)


I read past that a few times, and didn't catch that. Yeah, he's a good kid, so I'll not be using the habaneros on him. I did at least know that much. :)




All, thanks for the suggestions.

Anyone know, if I wanted to used dried beans, about how much dry I’d need to make a can worth?

I’m going to show my lack of knowledge on Mexican cooking, but looking through these recipes there are not much tomato products except for salsa. Is there really no tomato in the enchilada sauce that comes in the can? It’s just a red chili sauce? I would never have guessed that. I assumed red sauce included red tomatoes and red chilies and a green sauce used tomatillos and green chilies. Is that true only for salsa? (Salsa means sauce right? So when I use salsa I’m thinking the stuff you dip chips in, and sauce more like what you’d put on enchiladas.)

[beccac]

Originally posted by beacooker


:eek:
Habaneros are very, very hot. I wouldn't recommend them for a 10 year old. Unless you really didn't like the kid. ;)

Sorry. I meant to type poblano. Thanks. Becca.

[sneezles]

Originally posted by ttubbs

Anyone know, if I wanted to used dried beans, about how much dry I’d need to make a can worth?

I’m going to show my lack of knowledge on Mexican cooking, but looking through these recipes there are not much tomato products except for salsa. Is there really no tomato in the enchilada sauce that comes in the can? It’s just a red chili sauce? I would never have guessed that. I assumed red sauce included red tomatoes and red chilies and a green sauce used tomatillos and green chilies. Is that true only for salsa? (Salsa means sauce right? So when I use salsa I’m thinking the stuff you dip chips in, and sauce more like what you’d put on enchiladas.)

Well, a can of beans is about 3 cups and so you'd need one cup dried to yield 3 cups cooked.

Enchiliada sauce does not have tomatoes as a general rule (or much if any fat for that matter). That said there are red sauces with tomatoes (other than salsas) but not generally served on enchiladas in a typical Tex-Mex, anyway. Salsa Ranchera is served on a meatless special plate in a Houston chain (Los Tios) but I don't recalll it being served on anything else...

[ttubbs]

Sneezles, I did a searched for the Terra-Cotta stock you posted. It sounds great. I found where you’d posted the red chili sauce before too. I’ve been looking for a good enchilada sauce recipe, and you had commented on another thread that after making this, you’d never buy canned again. You’ve set my hopes high for this now.

When dating, my wife and I would go to this local Mexican place and get their Burrito Enchilada Style split on two plates. We’ve moved since then, and I’ve not been able to find or reproduce a similar dish here. The burrito is pretty basic, but I’ve not found a canned sauce that comes anywhere close. I’ve not made my own chili sauce yet either, so maybe this first try will be the one.



Another Question:
Since I’ve never done this, can all these kinds of pepper be found in the local grocery store? I picked up a jalapeno this weekend, and noticed that right beside them was a section with a sign that said “Hot Peppers”. I wasn’t really paying much attention, but it seems like there might have been two or three kinds and they were all green. I don’t think any were dried. This was in the produce section. I don’t think there was any other label than “Hot Peppers”.

[tperes]

ttubbs -- you can usually find dried chile peppers on the aisle w/ "Mexican" "Latin" or "Ethnic" foods (at least around here you can). Also, I dislike when they mix all the hot peppers together in the bins. I often have a hard time telling them apart. And it is doubtful the person working produce will know the difference. I have a feeling they get shipped to the store that way. Sorry I can't be of more help!

[emptyspool]

I cook a pound of pinto beans in a crock pot with 8 cups of water on low for about 7-8 hours. I add salt at the end. For years I cooked them stovetop. I never soaked them but cooked them in the same amount of water, bring to boil, cover and simmer for two hours adding salt at the end. I always did this at the end of the day when I knew I would be home and around. It seems like a long time but it isn't really when you are doing other things. A pound of course makes a huge amount, probably 2 quarts. You could easily make half that amount. They keep in the fridge for close to a week and we would refry to use for other meals.

I might start with a simple cheese enchilada. I will write my MIL's recipe I learned when I married.

Enchilada Sauce

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon veg oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water

In a small saucepan saute garlic until just starting to turn color, add chili powder and stir for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add flour and salt and mix with chili powder until well blended. While still off heat (very important) add water and stir until well blended and no lumps. Then return to heat and cook over med heat stirring occasionally until mixture begins to thicken to the point it covers the back of a spoon. Taste for salt. This only takes a few minutes.

For enchiladas. This makes enough sauce for 6.

6 Tortillas
shredded longhorn cheddar
finely chopped onion
sauce

Wrap 3 tortillas at a time in paper towels and microwave about 35-40 seconds to soften. Dip the tortilla in the sauce, fill with some cheese and sprinkle with onion, roll and put in oblong pan. Repeat until all are filled. Put more shredded cheese on top and sprinkle more onion. Cover with remaining sauce, bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, just until melted and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

My MIL used to always say, 'not too much cheese inside but lots on top.' She always served this with Mexican rice and pinto beans. Sherry's recipe looks wonderful.

To 'Kick it up' you could sprinkle finely chopped pickled jalapeno on top. And for variation we add chopped cooked chicken breast inside. But mostly we make the cheese. My MIL used this for her Friday meatless meal.

[landk]

My grocery store mixes them all together also and it is hard to tell them apart especially if they are the same color. I love going to my farmers market because the guys are so knowlegeable and give me great tips. The number one thing that they told me to keep in mind is...the smaller the pepper, the hotter it will be. Habaneros are normally little small peppers that come in orange color, etc. There are some small mild red peppers that are really cute. In fact I have a good recipe for one that is stuffed with swiss cheese. You have your yellow banana peppers which are larger and used quite often sliced in salads and you can buy in the jar.

[sneezles]

Originally posted by ttubbs
Another Question:
Since I’ve never done this, can all these kinds of pepper be found in the local grocery store?

Since I live in Texas I don't have a problem with finding dried chiles and after years of buying I can pretty much tell them apart. I can buy them in packages marked with the names on them but I prefer to buy them from Penzey's. Theirs are in much better shape than the ones sitting in the bulk bins.

This picture shows some of the dried chiles that are used in Mexican cooking though I've never seen a pale chipotle...and the guajillo isn't as hot as the chart says...well not to me anyway ;)

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=dried+chiles/v=2/SID=e/l=IVI/SIG=12ji3lggk/EXP=1118947537/*-http%3A//www.northshoremag.com/graphics/images/10-03-chiles-1.jpg

[ttubbs]

OK, I think you all have provided enough educated for me to make a worthy attempt at enchiladas and their sauce. I’ve copied a bunch of stuff to MasterCook, even the pepper chart, and have grand plans to eventually try them all. My grand plans are often like New Year’s Resolutions though, so we’ll see. I’ll at least put together one meal before my nephew visits.

[sneezles]

Well, all this talk of enchiladas had me in the kitchen most of yesterday making chicken enchiladas, salsa picante, pork carnitas, rice and frijoles!
One thing I need to mention about the sauce...I made a double batch yesterday and didn't seed the chiles but seem to end up with a very seedy mixture before putting it in the blender. I didn't have that the first time so I must have shaken out more seeds the first time. This time I put the mixture in the blender without the flour and puréed, the put through a fine mesh sieve and then whisked in the flour after returning to the pot. So to avoid that extra step and mess (plus I felt I lost a bit on the sieve) I would seed the chiles first. Then if it's not hot enough you can add some chile powder to kick it up a notch or so...

[funniegrrl]

*thread hijack*

While we're on the subject I thought I'd mention that I've recently discovered Amy's frozen enchilada meals, on the recommendation of a friend. This brand is shelved in the "health food" freezer at my grocery store. The cheese enchildas and the black bean & vegetable enchiladas are just about as good as any I've gotten from a typical tex-mex restaurant. Probably not as good as all of these lovely homemade recipes, but they make great healthy quick tasty lunches.

[ttubbs]

I checked the Farmer’s market for peppers this weekend. They said they were a few weeks away from starting, but wouldn’t really hit bit until August. I also stopped at the grocery store to look specifically for them. I did find bags of dried ones, looked like mixed types, which were helpfully marked ‘hot peppers’. The only ones marked by name were jalapeño and chipotle. So, my question (don’t laugh) is: Are the peppers to a great extent interchangeable in these recipes? Is it more the heat that is changed by doing so, and not so much flavor? or is flavor a big factor too?

Thanks,