A Taste of the Southwest on a Snowy Day

Man, did we get hit with some snow!  It was hard to tell the exact amount that was dumped upon us due to the drifts.  Part of my driveway, unfortunately a very small part, had no snow, while other parts were quite deep.  The drifts practically hide the fence in the front of the house.  What else is there to do on a day like today, except bake and cook?

The chicken enchiladas that I made tonight reminded me of the trip that the husband and I took in September to CousinFest 2009, a.k.a. Aunt Ann's wedding.  I found the recipe in an old issue of Cooking Light in an article discussing Christmas in Santa Fe.  Funny enough in New Mexico, when you order a dish with both the green and the red chili, it is called "Christmas" style.  Alas, this dish was half of Christmas and was just green.  The plain green enchiladas were still good.  I turned down the heat on this by a third for the husband who said that it was still too spicy. 

Green Chili - Chicken Enchiladas
(adapted from Cooking Light December 2007)
printable recipe


3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
3 cups Green Chili Sauce (recipe listed below)
cooking spray
16 (6 inch) corn tortillas
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine broth, 1 cup onion, and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Remove chicken from pan, chill 15 minutes.  Shred chicken into bite size pieces, combine chicken, remaining 1/2 cup onion, and sour cream in a bowl.  Stir well.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
3. Spread 1/2 cup Green Chili Sauce in the bottom of a 11x7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Warm tortillas according to package directions.  Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up.  Place tortillas seam side down, in the baking dish.  Pour remaining Green Chili Sauce over filled tortillas.  Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over tortillas.  Bake at 350F for 18 minutes.  

Green Chili Sauce
(adapted from Cooking Light December 2007)

4 Anaheim chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 ounces of chicken broth

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 14 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 7 minutes.  Place in a heavy duty zip top plastic bag; seal.  Let stand 15 minutes. Cut lengthwise in each chile, remove and discard seeds and tops.  Chop chiles to measure 3/4 cup.
3. Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Add garlic; saute for 1 minute.  Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute.  Add chiles, salt, and broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Place mixture in a blender and remove center piece of the lid to let steam escape.  Secure lid on the blender.  Place a clean towel over the lid (to avoid a messy kitchen).  Blend until smooth.  Cool completely. 
   

Yield: 8 servings, two enchiladas per serving