Yummy Enchiladas for Halloween night

These are delicious and would make a great meal for your Halloween night. Everyone loves Mexican food. It is something you can whip up in the morning, and put it in the fridge. They will be all set to pop in the oven right before you are ready to eat it. Mexican food is one of my families favorite meals to eat. Happy Halloween. 

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Meat:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 C diced onion
1-1 1/2 C shredded cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 package neufchatel cheese
6 tortillas (try our homemade tortillas here)
shredded Mexican cheese mix
fresh chopped cilantro for topping


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lightly saute minced garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chipotle chilis, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and for 10 minutes to let the spices meld together. Remove from heat.

3. In a medium saucepan, saute onions in olive oil until they soften. Add chicken, cilantro, chicken broth, and tomato sauce, as well as a couple of large spoonfuls of the sauce you have already made. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Divide neufchatel cheese into 6 even portions. Spread a portion on each tortilla and divide meat mixture evenly between tortillas. Roll and place side by side in 8x10 pan.

5. Pour sauce mixture over top of tortillas and top with cheese. Cover the pan with foil and put in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes, or just until cheese begins to bubble.

6. Top with fresh cilantro.

Awesome Enchiladas

These are delicious and would make a great meal for your Halloween night. Everyone loves Mexican food. It is something you can whip up in the morning and put it in the fridge and you will be all set to pop it in the oven right before you are ready to eat it. Mexican food is one of my families favorite meals to eat. Happy Halloween. 

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Meat:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 C diced onion
1-1 1/2 C shredded cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 package neufchatel cheese
6 tortillas (try our homemade tortillas here)
shredded Mexican cheese mix
fresh chopped cilantro for topping


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lightly saute minced garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chipotle chilis, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and for 10 minutes to let the spices meld together. Remove from heat.

3. In a medium saucepan, saute onions in olive oil until they soften. Add chicken, cilantro, chicken broth, and tomato sauce, as well as a couple of large spoonfuls of the sauce you have already made. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Divide neufchatel cheese into 6 even portions. Spread a portion on each tortilla and divide meat mixture evenly between tortillas. Roll and place side by side in 8x10 pan.

5. Pour sauce mixture over top of tortillas and top with cheese. Cover the pan with foil and put in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes, or just until cheese begins to bubble.

6. Top with fresh cilantro.

Enchilada Casserole with Black Beans and Brown Rice

Nice meal with lots of fresh vegetables with it.

Enchilada Casserole

I love eating enchiladas. Well I could just about eat Mexican food every night. This was an easy way to eat enchiladas without a lot of preparation.  I liked that! It made a delicious meal last night, and great lunch today too. Enjoy your weekend. Its a beautiful day here. 

Ingredients:
2 C cooked brown rice
2 cans of black beans  rinsed and drained  (* i used beans I cooked)
2 small cans of enchilada sauce or one large one (*I used this sauce)
2 C sharp cheddar cheese
Serve with:  Salsa, guacamole and  tortilla chips and fresh vegetables 

Directions: Serves 8. Heat oven to 350
1. Grease 9 x 13 pan. Spread brown rice on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle evenly over the rice 1/4 to 1/2 C of enchilada sauce.
2. Then spread the black beans evenly over the rice.  Spread about 1/2 C of cheese over the beans.
3. Pour and spread the enchilada sauce over the beans.
4. Pour the remaining cheese on top.
5.Place pan in the hot oven and cook about 25 min until heated all the way through.
6.  Take out of the oven and serve warm with fresh salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips and fresh cut up vegetables.      
* I had frozen the sauce in a zip lock and it was great!
* I made black beans in my pressure cooker. I soaked them for 2 hours. Cover them completely with water. Then rinse the beans and pour drained beans in the pressure cooker. Cover the beans in water about 2 C of water to 1 C of beans. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda. (It helps them to not cause as much gas.)  Cook them on high pressure for about 30 to 35 min. Let the pressure release on its own. Drain  and use or, freeze them in airtight containers and they are ready to use when you need them. Just thaw them and they are ready to go.      

Lime Chicken Enchiladas with Brown Chili Rice

I like enchiladas just about any way they are made. This was a new variation that I tired yesterday. I substituted cashew cream for the cream to have a healthier fat. Either way would be great. I went all out making homemade tortillas and homemade enchilada sauce too. I forgot to make guacamole with it. That would have been a wonderful addition. I even had ripe avocados. The enchiladas and rice made a really nice lunch today. :)
Ready to dive in. It tasted great!

Ingredients:
2-3 cooked shredded chicken breasts (till nice and tender where they fall apart)
1/4 C honey
1 T chili powder
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 C lime juice
1 dozen flour tortillas or homemade tortillas
2 C of shredded cheese Monterey jack * optional I left it off this time
2 C green enchilada sauce this is the recipe I used*
1 C heavy cream (cashew cream)
Directions:
1. Mix honey, chili powder, garlic and chicken together in a bowl cover with plastic. Set aside for about 30 min.

2. Pour 3/4 C of enchilada sauce in greased 9x13 inch pan.

3. Fill the tortillas up with chicken and cheese and roll up and put in pan. Continue the same process with the rest of the tortillas.

4.Mix the remaining enchilada sauce, cream or cashew cream, and any remaining marinade together. Pour the sauce on top of the enchiladas, and sprinkle with cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 30 min.


Brown Chili Rice:

2 C Brown rice cooked
2 T olive or grape seed oil
1 onion chopped up in small pieces
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
14 oz diced tomatoes with green chili's
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 jalapeno pepper* optional seeded and minced into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 C cilantro chopped up

1. In a skillet fry oil and onion until tender about 5 min on medium heat. Then stir in the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the chili powder, tomatoes, oregano. jalapeno* Cook for 5 more min on medium low. Then sit in the cooked rice. Add salt and pepper to taste preference. Heat until warm. Garnish with cilantro. Serve (I loved mixing the enchilada and the rice together as I ate them.

*Green enchilada sauce: I just fried the chili and tomatillos in in frying pan till brown. I didn't take the skin off the tomatillos and I threw them into the blender. I skipped the oven part.

Homemade Enchilada Casserole with Homemade Sauce

I was in the mood for making enchiladas. I was at the store and was going to buy some enchilada sauce and was disappointed how many ingredients it had in it including corn syrup. Why do they have to put corn syrup in everything? So I opted to make my own and it turned out great. My son in law gave it raving reviews, and came back for thirds. I will have to make this again. My family loved it.

Ingredients: enchilada sauce recipe:
2 T grape seed oil or oil of your choice
1 T multi grain flour
1/4 C chili powder
2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles (Pulse in blender till smooth)
1 C water
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a saucepan heat up pan to medium heat. Add the oil and let it warm up. Then slowly stir in the flour. Heat for 1 min while stirring. Then stir in the chili powder and heat for 1 min while stirring. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer for at least 15 min. This is a great sauce for any enchilada dish.

Enchilada casserole
Ingredients:
enchilada sauce
1 pk of tortillas flour or corn ( I made homemade)
3 C cooked brown rice
1 1/2 lb cooked shredded chicken breast
1 C chicken broth (left over from cooking the chicken in water)
1 to 2 C shredded cheese of your choice

Directions: grease 13x9 glass pan. Heat oven to 350

1. Combine the chicken, rice and broth together. In greased pan place ripped tortillas and make a single layer on the pan.

2. Then Pour a thin layer of sauce. Then spread on a layer of rice chicken mixture.

3. Then put on another layer of tortillas. Then a layer of sauce and a layer of cheese. Then repeat with chicken mixture, tortillas, chicken mixture, sauce, cheese. (Or do your own creative creation)

4. Bake uncovered until cheese melts and the tortillas soften. We served with homemade guacamole.

*I cooked my chicken in the pressure cooker with the rice. 3 C water 1 1/2 C brown rice and 1 1/2lb boneless chicken breast. Set it on high pressure for 35 min and did the quick release. Scooped out the chicken and shredded it and then stirred it back into the rice. Their was about a cup of chicken broth still in the rice and it made it nice and moist.

* I think some black beans would be wonderful in it too.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce and Enchiladas

It is a wonderful new week. Today is a special day as well. It is my Mom's birthday. I am so grateful she is still around. I learn so much from her. She runs circles around me. She is an inspiration. I love her zest for learning and her concern for others. I know much of what I am is a result of her efforts. Happy Birthday Mom! I love You!

I am not a fan of the enchilada sauce in the can. So I like to make my own. I liked the combination of flavors in this sauce. You can add your own variation to this recipe. I love the Muir Glen brand of tomatoes. They add a wonderful flavor to my foods, when I use them.

Ingredients:

2 T butter or margarine
2 T whole grain flour
5 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
28 oz can fire roasted (Muir Glen tomatoes) puree in blender
1/2 water
salt and pepper to taste

Meat of your choice for filling
1 dozen flour tortillas or homemade
1 1/2 C grated cheese
Directions:

1. Heat a saucepan add butter In a sauce pan. Let it melt.

2. Stir in the flour with the butter, until it thickens.

3. Add the spices, tomatoes puree blend in with flour mixture.

4. Then add the water slowly keep stirring. Bring it to a boil.

5. Turn down to med. low heat and let thicken till desired consistency.

6. Grease square pan. Pour in small amount of sauce on the bottom. Spread to cover the bottom.

7. Then rip apart tortillas and make a layer over the sauce. Then add the meat, then the cheese and continue. End with the cheese on top.

8. Heat in 350 oven till cooked all the way through and cheese is melted.

9. Serve. with Salsa and guacamole.