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Hello, readers! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a young teacher who's having second-thoughts about my career choice and deciding where to go next. The main contributor to my career doubts is the feeling of being stifled- too many rights and wrongs, and not much room for interpretation. I know that wherever I end up, I need to be able to use my imagination and hopefully inspire others to do the same. Maybe I'll figure out how to do that within the confinements of the classroom, or maybe I'll find a new road to explore. I'm not sure yet, but I know if I don't do something soon, I'm going to turn into a job-loathing zombie. In attempt to stay sane and release some pent-up creativity, I've challenged myself to create at least one new recipe a week. The recipes may not always be completely mine, but they'll always have my personal spin. Please feel free to try them out, as-is or with your own touch, and let me know how it tastes! Enjoy!
Week One- Chicken Portobello Enchilada Stacks with Green Sauce
Green Sauce
4 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded and chopped
1.25 lbs tomatillos, husked, roasted and chopped
3 Serrano chillies, roasted, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion (I prefer yellow)
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
Roast all the peppers by placing in broiler or on a hot grill. Heat until sides are dark and skin begins to blister. You will probably need to turn 2-3 times (about 5 min. each side) to heat all sides. When you take the peppers out of the heat, place them in an air-tight container (pot with a lid works great) for about 10 minutes. As the peppers cool, the skin will separate from the peppers, making them easy to peel. Peel each pepper, then slice open, remove the stem and core, and scrape the seeds out. Slice the meat of the peppers- a rough chop is fine.
Combine all ingredients except the sour cream in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and simmer for about 20-minutes to allow the flavors to marry. When you're ready to use the sauce, return it to the blender, and blend the sour cream.
Chicken Portobello Enchilada Stacks
9 white corn tortillas
2 large chicken breasts
2 large portobello mushrooms, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 mushroom broth
2 cups (approx.) queso fresco
2 cups (approx.) jack cheese
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
garlic powder
cumin
salt
pepper
Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare your chicken breasts by sprinkling garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper on each side. Eyeball the seasonings- I recommend only salting one side to avoid over-salting. Grill 3-5 minutes on each side. You're grilling for flavor, don't worry about cooking all the way through.
In a skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. When hot, add the onion to the oil and cook until onions are transparent and slightly golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple minutes, just long enough to cook down a bit. Chop the chicken breasts and combine with the onions and mushrooms. Add in the mushroom stock and allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, just enough for the chicken to cook through and the broth to cook down a little.
As your chicken and mushroom mixture cooks, prepare your enchilada pan. Start by lightly oiling a casserole dish (I use olive oil spray). Spread a light layer (1/2 to 1 cup) of jack cheese on the pan. You don't need to completely cover the pan. Create a layer of corn tortillas (I use 3 whole and 1 1/2 cut into halves). Spread about a cup of your green sauce on the tortillas, add in the chicken mixture, then cover with the remaining jack cheese and about half of the queso fresco. Add the second layer of tortillas (3 whole, 1 1/2 cut into halves), then pour enough of the green sauce to coat the enchiladas (I had about 1 1/2 cups left over).
Bake for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining queso fresco over the top, and continue baking until cheese is brown, about 10-15 minutes.
