Day 2 of Foods and Flavors of San Antonio

Today's featured recipe from Gloria Chadwick's new cookbook, "Foods and Flavors of San Antonio", is enchiladas. This recipe is easy to prepare and quite versatile when it comes to deciding what type of filling you would like to use.

The typical enchilada dishes offered in various restaurants around the Southwest, especially in San Antonio, are filled with either beef or chicken. Some new " Nuevo Latino Cuisine" food establishments have been known to offer this traditional dish with a filling of lobster or crabmeat. They are quite tasty too.

For a sauce, you can use red chile or green chile. However you choose to prepare your enchiladas I'm sure they will be enjoyed by all. Complete the meal with a side dish of Mexican Rice and maybe some refried beans and a simple salad and you will have yourself a memorable meal.

Remember that we will be adding names to the "hat" for a drawing on Saturday for two of Gloria's cookbooks. The winners will also receive a copy of my ecookbook Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes. So get yourself to the kitchen and enjoy making this wonderful dish of enchiladas.

Beef Enchiladas

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 (10 ounce) cans red enchilada sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ligtly spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, brown ground beef with the onion over medium-high heat. Season with cumin and chili powder while meat is still cooking. Place 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce in a shallow pie plate and set aside.

Add oil to a 12 inch skillet and heat for 2 minutes over medium heat. Using tongs, fry each tortilla (one at a time) for 3 seconds per side.Drain on paper towels and set on a paper plate.

Dip each tortilla in the sauce and set on a separate plate. Once done, fill each tortilla with the beef mixture and cheese and roll tightly. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Enchilada Dinner, Quick and Easy

It’s a holiday weekend, and I’m taking a holiday from standing around too long in the kitchen preparing dinner. Here is an easy (and cheaters) way to prepare Enchiladas for my honey and daughter. Of course my daughter won’t eat until “later, mom” because she’s got places to go and people to see. Ah, to be so young and so energetic. But, we’ve all been there and done that. It’s time to relax and enjoy. So make dinner easy on yourself, but still make it sensational.

I prepared two kinds of enchiladas (I guess just to ease my guilty conscience). I did it the “Sandra Lee” way, the Semi-Homemade way. I used the Old El Paso brand of enchilada sauce instead of making my own. The last chile colorado (red chile sauce) I had in the freezer went to making the Chile Colorado Stew a couple of weeks ago. But my enchiladas were still good. I like the Old El Paso brand. NO, I’m not getting paid to say that. There are some of their products I would not use, like the dinner taco kit or their beans. But their enchilada sauce is acceptable, besides it’s named after my city. What can I say? General Mills has good taste in picking brand names. So, I hope you guys have a wonderful 3-day weekend. Stay safe and enjoy life.

Red Picadillo Enchiladas

1-pound ground beef
½ onion, chopped small
1 large tomato, diced
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can (10 ounces) Hot Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce
1-teaspoon cumin powder
1 package (8 ounce) shredded cheddar cheese
Oil for frying

In a teaspoon of oil, sauté your onion and tomato. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Warm up your enchilada sauce in a large skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin to give it a slight smoky taste. Keep temperature on low.
In a separate smaller skillet, eat 2 tablespoons of oil. Get this hot but not smoking. Dip individual corn tortillas for 1 – 2 seconds and flip over. This will soften the tortillas and make it ready for the sauce. Immediately dip softened tortilla into the enchilada sauce and remove to a plate.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of prepared picadillo (cooked ground meat mixture) onto center of tortilla. Sprinkle some cheese on top and roll your enchilada. Place on a cookie sheet.
Continue until all 12 are done.
Pour remaining sauce over prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar over the top of enchiladas and bake for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Serve warm.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2 large cups cooked, shredded chicken. White meat or dark, your choice.
½ onion, minced
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can Old El Paso Green Enchilada Sauce
1 package (8 ounce) shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
Oil for frying

Follow the directions as for the red enchiladas. Soften tortillas in hot oil, dip in sauce, spread with chicken, top with a few sprinkles of cheese and minced onion, roll and place on cookie sheet.
Pour remaining sauce on the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 15 minutes in 350-degree oven. Serve warm.

Now make some Spanish rice and a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and sliced avocados and sit down at the table to eat with your family.

Now comes the easy part, let your better half clean up the kitchen. LOL.

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Mexican word of the day is: MUSHROOM
Orale vato, when me and my whole family get in the car, there's not too MUSHROOM.

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Please check out my new chocolate blog: Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. Let me know what you think about it and how I can make it even better for you. Muchas gracias mis amigos y amigas.