Recipe Challenge: Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde

Nom nom nom.  That’s all I’ve been saying since I made my last recipe for the recipe challenge.   Due to my big failure of a recipe last time, I really wanted to make something that would so tasty I would dream about it.  Good news is, I did.

As you know, I hoard cookbooks but my favorite cookbook that I own by far is this one:

Everything I’ve made thus far from Mad Hungry has been off the charts good.  So, in searching for this weeks recipe, I went right to this book and picked something I had been eyeing for months now: Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde. People, THESE WERE DELICIOUS. PartyDog and I ate it UP and I’m already planning on making it again ASAP. (Sorry for the craptastic pictures, it was late and it’s hard to make enchiladas not look so messy…)

On Kelsey’s Scale of Tastiness I give this a 9.3.  It’s really good, fairly simple and is great served over salad! Here’s the recipe that you need to go home and make for dinner now (and don’t forget to invite me over!).

Mad Hungry’s Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde 

Green Sauce:

• 1/2 white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, stems removed
• 14 whole tomatillos, peeled and simmered in water for 5 minutes
• 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Preheat the broiler. Place the onion, garlic, and chiles on a baking sheet. Broil for 4 minutes, or until charred and blistered. Discard the garlic skin. Place the onion, garlic, and chiles in a blender jar with the tomatillos, peanuts, salt, and broth. Blend until smooth.

Chicken Enchiladas w/ Salsa Verde

•  3cups Green Sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons more for dressing the salad
• 12 corn tortillas, toasted, stacked, and wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to steam
• 4 cups shredded chicken (from a 3-pound poached chicken)
• 7 ounces queso fresco, crumbled, or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 to 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce, washed and dried
• 6 radishes, trimmed and sliced
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a saucepan to medium high and add a tablespoon of oil. Carefully pour in the green sauce and cook, stirring constantly to thicken up, about 3 minutes. One by one dip the tortillas in the sauce, place in an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, fill with some chicken, and roll up. Fit each enchilada snugly next to the other in the baking dish. Pour the remaining green sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the enchiladas are heated through.

Meanwhile, toss the lettuce and radishes with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper. Layer the salad on top of the hot enchiladas and serve immediately.

** I made a few changes to the recipe as follows:

• I used almonds instead of peanuts in the green sauce (it’s what I already had on hand).
• I also added a roasted poblano pepper to the green sauce (adds another depth of flavor that’s hard to beat).
• I added a handful of cilantro to the green sauce (I highly recommend doing this!).
• I poached my chicken in chicken broth with a ton of cumin, chili powder and a bay leaf.
• I used feta cheese instead of queso fresco simply because they didn’t have it in my g-store.