Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1 (3 oz.) can (mild) chopped green chilies 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 pt. sour cream 

1 can of corn 

2 cup of rice 1/2 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated 1 dozen flour tortillas 

Boil rice. While rice is cooking, toss together: chicken, Jack cheese, and chilies. Mix together soup and sour cream. Heat salad oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Fry each tortilla very quickly on both sides (only to soften). Put about 1/4 cup of chicken filling in center. Add 1 tablespoon soup mixture. Fold sides in, and then roll. Drain corn, mix it with the rice. Make a rice bed on the bottom of a casserole pan. Place enchiladas , seam down, on the rice. Repeat with each tortilla. Spread the remainder of soup over all. Top with Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

6 Roma Tomatoes
6 Garlic Cloves
2 Jalapenos Peppers (more if you like very hot)
1 Bunch Cilantro
7-8 Large Basil Leaves (this is my add on original recipe) 
1 Small Bunch Chives
1 Lime
Salt to taste

 

 

 

Chop the tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, basil, chives japapenos. Mix all together, add lime juice and salt to taste.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

 

 

20-24 large jalapeno peppers (as large as possible)

16 oz (453.59 g) cream cheese room temp. (2 packages Philadelphia works best)

4 large garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup (59.1 ml) finely chopped sun-dried tomato

2 tablespoons (29.58 ml) finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) coarse sea salt (to taste)

1 pound (453.59 g) thin bacon slices

toothpick, soaked for about 15 minutes in water

 

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese, garlic, sundried tomatoes, cilantro and salt until well blended. You can now set the mixture aside or even freeze for up to a couple of months in a freezer bag.
2. You'll want to wear some kitchen gloves for this step! Slice the jalapeños lengthwise, being careful not to slice them in half. Then slice at the top along the width of the pepper just about a quarter inch below the base of the stem until you cut through the core, again being careful not to cut completely through the pepper (This step will probably take some practice). Now you need to decide whether you want to keep the seed webbing for those that like it really hot, or remove them for a lot less heat. I like to do about half and half so that you can please everyone. Anyway, if removing the seeds, gently remove the core using a paring knife by spreading the pepper carefully, you may need to shake some of the remaining seeds out.
3. Separate the strips of bacon and cook in the microwave for about 5 minutes on high, just enough to give it a head start. Then pat dry with paper towels. Just to soak up some of the grease. Set it aside to cool.
4. Fill either a pastry bag or just a freezer bag (cutting one corner out), and pipe some of the filling into each pepper until full but still able to almost close the pepper.
5. Wrap each pepper with a strip of bacon then use two or three toothpicks to secure the pepper closed.
6. Place the jalapeños on a medium heat grill and cook until the bacon is crisp. you'll need to turn frequently to heat them evenly. you may even want to use foil to prevent the mess. I find that by cooking the bacon a little first and not over filling that you'll get minimal mess however
7. Let them sit for about 5 to 10 minutes and serve them up! Don't forget which ones have the seeds!

Empanadas De Minilla de Atun - Tuna Minilla Empanadas or Tuna Turnovers

Since I came to El Paso Texas, my interest in the Mexican and the Tex-Mex cuisine began. I tried some experiment that came out ok, then I started googling chefs.. and there she was... Patricia Jinich. She is by far one of the best Mexican chefs and this is one of my favorite recipes.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas

Insanely practical, that’s what these empanadas are. Perfect to make ahead for gatherings, as you can eat them hot or not. And they are oh, so, comforting: think of a tuna casserole in the good old style, but revamped with great Mexican flair and then flipped and turned into individual size. They withstand hours of travel and will remain delicious until you are ready to take a bite.

Lessons learned:
1. Make a double batch.
2. If you don’t, refrain from telling your friends about the fabulous thing you prepared but couldn’t bring because you finished it before hopping in the car. They won’t like it.
A simple way to describe an empanada is a turnover-looking packet stuffed with one or another kind of filling. The story goes that they’ve existed since the Spanish Crusades as they were perfect travel food. It was the Spaniards who brought them to Mexico.
From the Spanish word “empanar,” which can translate as “the act of covering something with bread or bread dough,” aside from practical, they are also versatile. They can go from mini to giant, from savory to sweet, from a tasty appetizer or funky main meal to a sweet bite, depending on the fillings.

I can think of three things that distinguish empanadas from quesadillas. First, quesadillas aren’t sweet. And, whereas quesadillas are made with flour or corn dough (or flour or corn tortillas) empanadas are made with flour dough. That doesn’t make empanada variations limited. Oh no. There are as many fillings and as many flour doughs as one can think of. One of the fluffiest ones are made with puff pastry, called hojaldre in Spanish.
Delightful, because as it bakes, the seemingly flat dough develops its multilayered structure: paper-thin layers of dough puff up with air, and delicious butter, in between them.
You can make your own puff pastry or simply buy it at the frozen section at the store. Just be sure to thaw before you roll out.
Then make rounds. You can make them as big or as little as you like. Here I am cutting 5” rounds. Brush with egg wash (just a beaten mix of egg and water) around the edges. Then add the filling.

A second difference between empanadas and quesadillas is that it is pretty hard to find a quesadilla that is sweet, for a good reason. Whereas not only are there plenty of sweet empanadas but even when they are savory, they have a sweet element to them, like the Tuna Minilla that is going in here….

Minilla is a very popular way of cooking fresh fish and also canned tuna along the Mexican Pacific Coast, especially in Veracruz.
It is so tasty and its flavor shows the impact that kitchens in Veracruz received from it being a port of entry to the Spaniards. It has a base of cooked onion, garlic, plenty of tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, along with the capers, olives, raisins and herbs the Spaniards brought. Pretty much like the Fish a la Veracruzana style. The sauce gets cooked until moist and the flavors have been completely absorbed and combined.
You can eat Minilla as a main dish on top of rice. You can use it to make sandwiches or tortas and inside the Empanadas.

Then seal the empanadas by folding the circle over the filling. Then use a fork to not only decorate the edges but to seal them even better. In Mexico, many cooks know a fancy technique of decorating and sealing the edges of the empanadas so they look like encaje or embroidery.

The third thing that distinguishes empanadas from quesadillas, is that empanadas are mostly baked. Not fried or cooked over the stovetop on a comal or skillet.
Once in the oven, the puff pastry layers do what they must… puff and puff and puff, the top crisps, the middle gets moist, and the filling bonds with the packet.

Off you go!

TUNA TURNOVERS
Empanadas de Minilla de Atún
Makes about 16 empanadas
INGREDIENTS
For the filling:
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup chopped white onion
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1½ pounds chopped ripe tomatoes, or about 6 roma tomatoes
2 7oz cans tuna, drained and shredded
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or to taste
1/4 cup roughly chopped raisins
1/4 cup roughly chopped manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos
1/4 cup seeded and roughly chopped pickled jalapeño chiles, store bought or make your own, more to taste
1 tablespoon capers
3 tablespoons chopped Italian or flat-leaf parsley
To form the empanadas:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1 1.2 pound package frozen puff pastry, thawed, or homemade puff pastry
TO PREPARE
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, but not smoking, stir in the onion and cook until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until completely cooked, softened and mashed up and pasty looking, about 15 minutes.
Toss in the tuna and with a spatula or fork, mix it well with the tomato mix, making sure there are no big chunks. Add the bay leaves, sugar, oregano, thyme, salt and mix well. Add the raisins, olives, pickled jalapenos, capers, fresh parsley and mix well. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes, the mixture should be very moist but not too watery. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Remove the bay leaves and set aside.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350. In a small mixing bowl beat the egg along with the water.
Gently flour your countertop and rolling pin and roll out one thawed sheet of pastry to about 1/8” thick. Cut out 5” to 6” rounds with a cookie cutter or anything that can act as a mold. With a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rounds with the egg wash. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of tuna in the center of each round, fold as a turnover or quesadilla to make a half moon, pushing the tuna inside of the empanada at the same time as you press the edges of the dough to seal it. Gently press the edge with the tip of a fork, this will act as decoration but also help seal the edges. Place the empanada on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the rounds and the second sheet of puff pastry. When all empanadas are formed, brush their tops with the remaining egg wash.
Place them in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until crisp, puffed up and golden brown.