Authentic Enchilada Sauce and Chicken Enchiladas plus Enchilada Shrimp Soup

 

I have been making this enchilada sauce for years. It's the first sauce I attempted and never made another one since. You know when you just nail the perfect recipe the first go around? That's what this one is for me. It's so authentic with a little smokiness and spice in the background, and a perfect balance between the tomatoes and chilis. It tastes like a little old lady living in an adobe house in central Mexico whipped this up. And if you are going to make homemade enchilada sauce, it should, right?

My Aunt Colleen is the one who introduced me to this recipe. It's from her friend Cecila. Cecilia is a gourmet chef and the owner of a catering company. She grew up in Mexico and learned how to make this enchilada sauce as a child from the servants that worked for her parents (swanky, huh?) These enchiladas are Cecilia's most popular menu item, probably in part to the sauce, but also because she wraps a hefty amount of chicken in each fried corn tortilla, bakes it to perfection with a bit of Jack cheese and tops it with a bunch of cold toppings. When I say a bunch, I'm not joking. She sets out trays of shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, sliced radishes, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado slices, and olives. It's the mixture of hot and cold, crunchy and soft that makes this dish special.

The sauce itself is easy. The only step needed before putting the whole thing together is softening the chilis in boiling water then removing the seeds. Next, just throw the chili's in a blender with onion, garlic and enough water to blend and puree until smooth. Add it to a pot with tomato sauce and spices and you are set to go. I usually double the recipe because this keeps so well in the freezer and I'm always excited to use it.

Enchilada Sauce

adapted from Cecilia

3 bags Pasillo or Pasilla chili's- they are shorter, darker and wrinklier than "california chili's"

(about 4-5 come in a bag)

1 onion, cut in quarters

5 coves of garlic

2 28oz cans tomato sauce

2 Tbsp tomato or chicken bullion

1 tsp salt (I added more)

optional: just a touch of cumin and oregano

Simmer pasillo chili's in a pot of water until soft (approx. 30 min.) Put a lid on the pot if you have trouble keeping the chilies underwater. Drain the chili's in a colander in the sink. Once chili's have cooled enough to touch, rip the stems off and remove seeds (I just run them under water to make quick work of it. The unwanted parts go right into the garbage disposal) and place in a blender. Blend chili's with the onion and garlic, adding 1/2 to 1 cup of water to make a smooth paste. Put the paste in a saucepan and add tomato sauce, salt, bullion, cumin and oregano if using. You can add water if you think it's too thick. It should be the consistency of spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate until ready to use, or store in quart size freezer Ziplock bags and freeze for future use.

This sauce is foundation. The heat chili's give off is varying. If you get a spicy batch you can add more tomato sauce to make it less spicy. Mine was fine with the quantities as written, but it did have a little spice to it which I like. Taste and adjust what you need to.

Assembling the Chicken Enchiladas:

Boil a chicken for 45 minutes. Remove the meat from the bone. One chicken will make one dozen enchiladas (more if you use less chicken in each one) OR buy a rotisserie chicken and remove the meat from the bones.

Fry corn tortillas in vegetable oil over medium heat on both sides, briefly. Oil must be very hot. Fry for about 30 seconds on one side, 20 on the other or until the tortilla is starting to crisp up but is still pliable enough to wrap around the chicken. Put on paper bags or towels and stack.

Dip fried tortillas in enchilada sauce (you can probably tell I skipped this step from the picture, shame same, but I usually do it and it tastes better). Wrap around a good amount of chicken. Line them up in a 9x13 pan. Pour more sauce and grated jack cheese over the pan of enchiladas and bake in a 350 degree oven until warm, about 30 minutes.

*THIS IS KEY- Serve the enchiladas with a variety of cold toppings...shredded lettuce, sour cream, sliced radishes, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado slices, and black olives. It's the mixture of hot and cold, crunchy and soft that makes this dish special.

Cecilia's Easy Shrimp Soup using Enchilada Sauce:

Here is another delicious main dish to make using the enchilada sauce. This soup is hearty. The ingredients do not need to be measured. Just improvise.

Saute garlic, celery and onion

Add diced potatoes, carrots and water just to cover, simmer until potatoes are cooked through

Add some shrimp bullion and or chicken bullion and enchilada sauce (enough to make a soup consistency)

At the last minute, add loads of cut up pre-cooked shrimp

Serve with oregano, jack cheese, great bread and a salad.

When I made this, I used 2 garlic cloves, 2 stalks of celery, 1 small onion, 1 russet potato, 2 carrots, 2 1/2 cups of water, 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bullion, 1 to 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce and salt to taste. I also used about 4-5 shrimp per person. It served 4 people. Keep in mind you may need to add more or less of these ingredients for your desired taste.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

We had to go to our annual HOA meeting a little over a week ago. It's funny, really. Our HOA is comprised of 9 homeowners (2 of which are never here) over the age of 50, except us, and is held at our closest neighbors house ever year during the summer. Everyone brings an appetizer (although I wish I had dessert duty) and drinks wine. That's mostly what we do. We drink and eat and eventually call the official meeting to order. It lasts all of 10 minutes, complete with motions and "I"'s and then we all go home to our respective houses.

This year I brought this roasted shrimp cocktail. I had to step it up since last year I totally copped out and brought bread and pre-packaged dipping oil. I forget what I had going on last year but it must have been huge for me to take that desperate route. Ah, but tis necessary sometimes isn't it?

I'm obsessed with cocktail sauce. Let's start there. My Grandpa Grillo makes great cocktail sauce and so this is his recipe, although it is so simple I don't really understand why people buy the pre-bottled stuff. Maybe because cocktail sauce using ketchup for a base is gross (in my opinion) and that's what most recipes call for. This cocktail sauce's base is made from a bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce, which you can find above the ketchup in most supermarkets (unless you are Steamboat's Safeway, argh!) That's what it's called and I have no idea what you are supposed to use it for (chili?) other than making outstanding cocktail sauce. It's fresh and not sweet like ketchup so it's an ideal match for perfect cocktail sauce. Is it just me or have I written the phrase "cocktail sauce" way, way too many times already? Add fresh lemon juice and horseradish and it's done.

Shrimp cocktail might just be my very favorite appetizer. I love big juicy, meaty, cold poached shrimp that usually accompany cocktail sauce that you order in restaurants. However, I find it's sort of hard to poach shrimp perfectly at home. Not to mention rather time consuming considering you should poach shrimp with the shell on, then peel them after they cool and then refrigerate them till cold. It's much, much simpler to open a package of peeled and deveined shrimp, tail on, and roast them for a couple minutes and serve at room temperature.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

method adapted from Ina Gartens, Back To Basics. Cocktail sauce from my Grandpa

FOR THE SHRIMP

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined*

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

FOR THE COCKTAIL SAUCE

1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

the juice of 1/2 a juicy lemon

3-4 tablespoons horseradish (I used prepared horseradish)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Place shrimp on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread them in one layer. Roast for 4-5 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.

For the sauce combine the chili sauce with the lemon and horseradish. Stir to combine and taste. If you like it spicier, add more horseradish to taste.

Serve the shrimp and sauce on a platter with a few lemon wedges for squeezing.

serves 6-8

*If you are using larger shrimp (like 12-15 count) great! I would have too except they are hard for me to find. In that case, roast for 8-10 minutes.

This appetizer is delicious and quick. As Ina would say "how easy is that?"...actually, I just found out she has a new cookbook slated to debut this Fall under the title "Barefoot Contessa (wait for it) How easy is that?" HA! I laughed out loud to myself. If I had a nickel for every time Ina said that phrase during one of her shows, I'd have ten bucks. Five at least.

Grilled Chicken/Shrimp and Peaches with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

The answer is yes. Yes, that funky picture of the chicken is in fact a picture of a picture in the magazine from which this recipe came from. That is why it looks cloudy and a bit unappetizing, but I needed to represent for all of you meat eaters out there! Otherwise, every single protein based picture on this blog would be fish and shellfish and you can't really run a legitimate food-lover blog on shrimp alone. Well, not if you are me anyway and happen to be a closet prosciutto eater...OK, moving on...

In a word, this meal was delicious. Period. Really, that's all you need to know.

Can't take my word for it eh? Alright, let me tell you all the wonderful foodie details!

Obviously I made this with shrimp (which was fabulous) but it was originally meant for chicken and you can use which ever you prefer or have on hand. I'm going to say that this is an all in all crowd pleaser because even though the whole peach and chicken pairing, (not to mention chipotle) probably really freaks out the picky eater demographic (I know you are out there) they will like this. All the flavors blend together so beautifully. The marinade/dressing is sweet and savory and tastes just as good on the grilled peaches as it does on the shrimp but not quite as good as if you get all of it in one bite. If you can do that (I had peach, shrimp and rice in every forkful) it's wonderful.

The marinade came together very quickly, say, 3 minutes and was totally simple. Basically you whisk together peach preserves, peach nectar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper and some juice from canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. The chipotle chile juice is adobo sauce and it is slightly spicy and very smoky. I advise putting the whole 2 teaspoons called for into the dressing because the end result is not very spicy. I stuck my finger in the sauce before I brushed in over my shrimp and thought it was a little spicy, which I like, so I wasn't alarmed. But when it's over everything and you are eating it, the flavors just works together and I promise it won't offend any ones palates. This dish is fit for company, yet casual enough to whip up for a late dinner on the deck on a warm night (guilty).

Grilled Chicken or Shrimp and Peaches with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

1/3 cup peach preserves

1/3 cup peach nectar

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chile's

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

3 large peaches, rinsed, fuzz wiped away, each cut into 6 wedges

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 42 med-small shrimp, peeled and deviened-half a bag of frozen 31/40 lb shrimp)

Coat a grill rack with non stick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Stir preserves, next 3 ingredients, 2 teaspoons oil, and chopped cilantro in a medium bowl.

Brush peaches and chicken with the dressing, reserving at least half for drizzling over when done. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Grill peaches until slightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.

Place 1 chicken breast on each of 4 plates. Surround with peaches. Drizzle dressing from the bowl over chicken and peaches. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

*For shrimp: Thread 6 shrimp on each of 7 wooden skewers that has been soaked in water for at least 10 minutes (the wood will absorb the water so it won't catch on fire while grilling) If you have larger shrimp, use less. Spoon some of the marinade over, reserving some for drizzling after cooked. Grill for about 2 minutes a side or until just cooked through. Serve 12 shrimp per person, or 2 skewers. Surround with peaches and drizzle everything with the dressing/marinade.

Serves 4

Chipotle Chile's canned in adobo sauce are sold in the Latin foods section of most supermarkets. I, strangely enough found the peach nectar there as well, but I would think you should be able to get that in the juice aisle as well.

I served this with a whole grain rice blend but any rice would do nicely.

Lemon Grilled Shrimp

Tis the season for grilling! I made this easy grilled shrimp up today for a quick lunch on the deck to celebrate that the sun is finally out and shining in Steamboat Springs! I made up some shrimp skewers and poured my lemon marinade over half, putting bottled Asian barbecue sauce over the rest, just in case my marinade was too weak and I wanted a stronger flavor. I could have skipped that step because the lemon shrimp won out and was WAY better than the barbecue ones. It's great for lunch or dinner served with a salad or if you are like me, an edamame, red pepper combo or they are just as good alone as an appetizer served with some lemon wedges and crusty bread. I polished off my lunch and took a break from baking, sat in the sun with my lemon water and Food Network magazine and read while Jeremy built the kids a swing set out of timbers. A perfect Saturday afternoon if I do say so myself.

Lemon Grilled Shrimp

32 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on (about half a frozen 2lb bag) less if you have large shrimp, or more for smaller shrimp)

8 wooden skewers

juice from 2 lemons

zest from 1 lemon

olive oil

a hearty pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

Old Bay seasoning or Chesapeake Seasoning (a must)

Soak your wooden skewers in some water for at least 10 minutes before grilling so the sticks don't catch fire and burn.

Put the juice from the two lemons in a glass bowl or cup so you can see how much is in there. Add half as much olive oil to the glass as there is juice. Add the zest and salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Thread 4 shrimp to a skewer and set on a baking dish. repeat until all the shrimp are skewered. Pour the lemon marinade over the shrimp and toss to coat. Sprinkle liberally with Old Bay seasoning on both sides and again with salt. Set aside and let it marinate for 10 minutes.

Turn your grill to high and add the shrimp. Cook until just done. It should only take about a minute on each side.

Serve with lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Serves 4 (8 shrimp per person)

The edamame salad that I served with mine was just tossed with some small dice red pepper, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, salt, scallion and a drizzle of olive oil. It was fine but not great which is why I didn't provide the exact recipe. A black bean, corn salad would go great with this. (1 can black beans, kernels from 2 shucked corn on the cob, a diced jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, diced tomato, diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, salt and pepper...I never measure, just eyeball it)

The Old Bay or Chesapeake Seasoning is really what ties everything together and goes so well with the pungent lemon zest. I will definitely be making these again!

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

I have been gone for the past 2 weeks, soaking up the sun in California, my home state. Last night I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for my Grandma and Grandpa Burgos at their house in Camarillo. I was feeling very uninspired and didn't really know what to make. My Grandma is a great cook even though she doesn't do it much anymore because her chemo treatments leave her with limited energy. After days of thinking about it (am I the only one who obsesses over food like this?) I decided I would just make linguine shrimp scampi. I make it a couple times a year and so it is considered a "regular" at my house. I think I have mentioned before that even regular meals only get made a couple times a year since I am usually trying new recipes and techniques out.

This pasta is so good! It's very fresh and lemony despite all the oil and butter called for. Honestly, it looks like a lot, but when you consider it's the sauce for the whole dish, it's not too bad relatively speaking. I love it because it's one of those dishes where you prep everything in advance (chopping parsley, mincing garlic, zesting lemons, extracting lemon juice, measuring salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes) but once it's done the whole dish takes 5-8 minutes to make. It's great for company because you can whip it out in no time. And as long as the people you are serving like lemon, it's a real crowd pleaser!

I used whole wheat pasta because it's healthier, and normally I would say you can't tell the difference, but in this case you can. It's still great with the whole wheat, but I think white pasta better suits this particular meal. It's your call.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Kosher salt

1 pound linguine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (I use 5)

5 tablespoons olive oil

9 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on (I use 1 lb, but you can use as many as you want)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half rounds

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Measure out and chop all ingredients so they are waiting for you

Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in another large (12 inch) heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

serves 4-5

This is great served with bread for dipping and a green salad with italian dressing (home made is better). Don't be scared by all the garlic called for in this recipe. It's the perfect amount.

After dinner I served a dessert consisting of fresh frozen berries in a hot white chocolate sauce. I'll post that in a few as it is easy, impressive and yummy-licious. One disclaimer. tThis is NOT my photo. I didn't have my camera when I made this and so I just snapped a picture from my cook book. It looks exactly like this, though, every time I make it.