Mexican Enchiladas with homemade sauce.

I thought I had posted this recipe when I looked through my pictures to clear out space on my computer, but I haven't so here goes!

I got this recipe from my mother, who learned it from her family, who learned it from...you get the point.  My mother is Mexican and my father is Salvadorian, so the food I eat is nothing like the American imitations you find in stores or restaurants, in fact, I really dislike expensive Mexican restaurants.  I know, I know, I love almost everything life gives me, but that food is just a cheap alternative to create mass production.  Luckily, I can cook, right?  My husband loves my enchiladas and the sauce...even told me the other day, after he took a bite from his mom's enchiladas, leaning close to say,"Yours are way better, these need some sour cream or something..." Shhh!  She must not know though, because she works a lot and I recognize that she has other strengths.  It made me quite proud, oddly, I don't like pride very much, it's huge and gets in the way of seeing things right.  So, before I start with the delectable recipe, I must tell you a story.

STORY TIME!  So, there I was going out for a jog in the streets when....nah, nothing like that, but more about food and why I know what I know.  I can cook many traditional and typical Mexican and Salvadorian foods like pupusas, enchiladas, chillaquiles, gorditas, pan con chumpe, platanos fritos, etc.  My mother taught me everything, unless otherwise noted, starting at the age of 12.  I spent a lot of time before dinner mostly in the kitchen before I went to college for years.  She knows how to cook Mexican because of her mother and knows Salvadorian dishes because of my father's older relatives and some friends.  Well, I was the eldest of eight kids growing up and I sometimes altered the recipes to make things more convenient, cut down on time, and just because I was lazy.  Now, I appreciate the flavors and richness that cooking from scratch brings.  There is no comparison!  Most of all, nothing compares to a meal you make at the heart of your home, not even a $50 plate...believe me, you can make everything yourself that you can buy from a restaurant and still keep the rest in your pocket or just make a feast from scratch out of $50 dollars.

Now, the enchiladas.  note that the sauce itself takes about 2 hours.  It's so worth it!

YOU WILL NEED

Chicken, cooked and hand shredded

Tortillas

Mozzarella Cheese

Cheddar Cheese (traditionally Monterrey Cheese is used, but that's a little more fat)

Onion, diced very small
Green pepper, sliced long, but short enough to fit in a tortilla

Cilantro

9x13 glassware for oven or a square one

FOR THE SAUCE

2 tomatoes

2 California Chillies, dried and cleaned out from the seeds(I don't like spicy food because it makes my stomach super upset)
1 big garlic clove

salt

Corn starch, about 1/2 tablespoon
3 cups water

Blender (preferably plastic, but a if you have a glass one then place it near or on top of the stove while you cook)

MAKE IT

1.  Start with the sauce.  Boil 2 cups water and clean out the chilies.  No seeds!  Cut them open vertically and rinse under warm water.  Now place in already boiling water for about 20 min.

2.  Remove the boiled Chile and water from heat and let cool to a warm temperature.  In a blender(preferably plastic), place halved tomatoes (2 whole), one garlic clove, 1 teaspoon salt, and pour in the boiled chili and water (if the blender is glass, it might crack [it happened to me!]unless you placed it near the stove while it was on).  Finally, add about 1/2 tablespoon of corn starch and blend until chili chucks are no longer visible and everything has blended thoroughly well.

3.  Boil this sauce on medium for 90 minutes(1hr & 1/2), stir occasionally to prevent bottom of sauce sticking to pot and cooking evenly everywhere.  Don't raise heat to speed up process because it will bubble and make a stingily mess.  Check after time is up and if you want to still have a better flavor, then continue cooking for another 30 min.  If not, turn off heat and let it sit while you prepare the rest.  It will start to thinken quickly.  Now, spray the rectangular ovenware with cooking spray, lightly.

4.  Warm up your tortillas in the microwave or toaster oven to prevent cracked, rolled enchiladas and to wrap better.  Slice long pieces of cheese.  Place the green pepper, onions, and shredded chicken horizontally close to the edge and roll, not tightly, but smugly.



5.  Place the tortilla inside the ovenware with the open flap face down.  This will keep your contents inside while you repeat filling in the tortillas until you finish filling your ovenware.

A few tortillas cracked bc I left them waiting too long to be rolled. 

6.  Now, check that your sauce isn't too thick yet because you need to pour it evenly over the tortillas.  It needs to completely soaked so coat every inch of the rolled tortillas, otherwise it's just not an authentic dish and your flavors won't be encompassing every bite.  It's good to have a thin layer of this sauce drip down into the pan too to cover both sides of this delicious dish.

7.  Usually I shred cheese on top, but I cut out too much cheese up so I placed then on top each enchilada.  Now, lightly toss some cilantro on top of everything.

8.  Cover with aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 20 min.  Just enough for everything to soak up the flavors of your super tasty enchilada sauce.



This set of enchiladas are from the day after...my hubby took original enchiladas out quick when he heard the bell and devoured them...fast!  So, the sauce here was thick from being in the fridge overnight and I guess I didn't heat it up enough to make it pourable.



9.  Now remove and use a spatula to serve to individuals.  There will be sauce in your pot still, but store it in a airtight container for next time, or use it for Chilaquilles, or Pizadillas...yummy!  Watch out for spills because this sauce can really stain, like spaghetti sauce.

You can serve this with a side of beans, or rice, or both.  Hugo (my starving husband) just eats them by themselves...up to 8...in one sitting.  I recommend eating less than that though ;-)  Taste your masterpiece!

Buen provecho! Enjoy this real Mexican dish!