Thursday, September 26, 2013

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa


The first thing I thought of when I got tomatillos was: salsa and enchiladas - such good comfort food! First, let me give some information about tomatillos. In English, tomatillos are also know as husk tomatoes or Mexican tomatoes. In Spanish, they can be called tomate verde (green tomato) or tomatillo (which translates to little tomato). Tomatillos are a plant in the nightshade family and originated in Mexico - although they are now grown in various countries.

Tomatillos are surrounded by a papery husk, which is inedible. As the tomatillos grows, it fills the husk. The husk should be left intact until you are ready to eat the tomatillos. After the husk is removed, the tomatillos is sticky - wash the tomatillos thoroughly before eating. Tomatillos are typically green, but can turn red or even purple when ripe. Tomatillos, unlike tomatoes, should be firm - they will soften when cooked (adapted from this recipe)

Here is a picture of my tomatillos before cooking:



Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

(Yields 6-8 servings)

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 2 small chicken breasts
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 10 large tortillas (you can use flour tortillas but the corn tortillas give everything a nice flavor!)
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF
  2. On a baking sheeting, arrange tomatillos (cut side down), onion sliced and garlic cloves. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Transfer vegetables (and any juices) to a food processor. Add cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper and pulse mixture until combined but still chunky (remember, this is salsa). Set aside
  3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add chicken breasts and boil for 15-20 minutes (check to assure chicken is cooked). Once chicken is cooked, remove from water and shred chicken with a fork. Set shredded chicken aside
  4. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil (enough to coat pan). Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic and cumin, cook for another minute. 
  5. Sprinkle flour into pan and gradually add/whisk in the chicken stock
  6. Continue to stir, while mixture simmers, until the liquid thickens
  7. Turn off the heat, add half of the tomatillo salsa, shredded chicken and black beans. Add salt and pepper to taste
  8. Lower temperature on the oven to 350ºF
  9. In a large baking dish, smear the bottom with half of the remaining tomatillo salsa. Take a tortilla, fill it with the chicken mixture and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll the tortilla closed (don't fold over the ends or anything - just roll it closed). Place rolled tortilla in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas
  10. Pour the remaining salsa mixture on top of rolled tortillas and top with remaining shredded cheese
  11. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly on top
  12. Optional: serve with sour cream, guacamole, rice, etc.

Here are my salsa ingredients before being roasted in the oven (I didn't have 1 pound of tomatillos so I added some regular tomatoes too):


Here is my salsa before being pulsed in the food processor:


And here is the finished meal:


Enjoy and thanks for reading!
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