chicken enchiladas
adapted from a recipe by Cook’s Illustrated

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2-3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp granulated sugar
2-3 cups cooked, shredded chicken meat
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2-4 oz diced roasted poblano chili peppers (or 2-4 oz pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped)
1/2 cup corn kernels, optional
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
10 corn tortillas
sour cream, cheese, avocado, lettuce, and limes to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Put the cooked chicken in a large bowl and pour 1 cup of the tomato mixture over the chicken pieces; stir well to combine. Set the remaining sauce aside. To the chicken mixture add cilantro, roasted poblano chili peppers or jalapenos, corn, and most of the cheese (saving a little to sprinkle on top of the enchiladas before cooking).

Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat tortillas in a non-stick frying pan until pliable and fill with a tablespoon or two of the chicken mixture. Roll the tortilla closed, place seam side down in your 8×11 or 9×13 pan, and repeat until you’ve used all the filling. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.

Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and lime wedges separately.

Every Wednesday, my husband’s work orders pizza, and since he’s the last one to leave work most nights, he grabs all the leftovers and brings them home so they don’t get thrown out. Generally, this is a good deal for him because pizza is one of his favorite foods and now he gets it every week. At this point, I’m wondering if he regrets the decision to take home all of last week’s pizza because he’s eaten nothing but pizza for the last 5 days. Why? Because this weekend I was taking a much needed day off work and decided that gosh darn it, I wanted pizza. And not some work leftovers either. I wanted my own delicious cornmeal crust pizza with my own delicious sauce and a personalized array of my favorite toppings arranged exactly how I like them. (I was feeling a bit selfish – can you tell? ) I hadn’t made pizza in ages. It was time to shred some cheese and prep some toppings. In other words, it was pizza time.

pizza sauce
taken straight from www.allrecipes.com (if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it)

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Spread on your pizza and bake!

*If not, check back here for a great recipe to be posted soon.