Sunday, July 13, 2008

green (er, verde?) chicken enchiladas

















i try to visit philadelphia's italian market every weekend. 
while the produce isn't the greatest, it is cheap. 

i've been told the market vendors buy their goods at a vegetable wholesale warehouse in south philly. at this warehouse, retail outlets like whole foods and super-fresh reject any produce crate that's been damaged in transit. in steps the salvage buyers,  and a day later you can buy 12 peppers for a $1.00 on 9th street.

yesterday i was in search of yellow/orange peppers to make a salsa. when i couldn't find any, i turned to the tomatillo. i haven't had a great deal of experience with these tomato-like green fruits, but i knew it was the basis of salsa verde, so i decided to make chicken enchiladas. 
 


































salsa verde

6 tomatillos
2 jalapeno peppers
1 small onion
2 limes
1 clove galic
cilantro 

rub the tomatillos with some olive oil, salt + pepper, then roast at 300-deg for about 10 minutes. their skin should start to blister. then put them in a blender with the rest of ingredients and your done. set aside.



















red-cabbage relish (i really don't like the word slaw)

1/4 head of red cabbage
1 jalapeno pepper diced
1 small red onion diced
2 limes
1 orange
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

shred the cabbage and combine with the onion, jalapeno and cilantro. mix honey, vinegar, juiced orange and lime and add to the cabbage mixture. salt + pepper. let this sit, as the salt will begin to soften the cabbage - the longer it sits, the softer (and better?) it will get. it will be a bit "wet" due to the excess water drawn out of the cabbage, immediately before serving drain this liquid.



















guacamole

2 avocados
1 roma/plum tomato
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1 lime
cilantro

dice and combine everything. add about a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste. mash it up - it's easy.



















chicken enchiladas

1 large chicken breast
1 small onion
salsa verde
corn tortillas
1 cup cheddar (or monterey jack) cheese

thin out the chicken breast to about 1/4" thick. cover it with salt + pepper, and throw it into a hot pan with some olive oil + butter. brown on both sides - it will cook quickly - take it out before you think it's done (it can be a little pink - don't worry you're going to keep cooking it). dice/shred the chicken on a cutting board, and return to the pan with onion. after the onion has softened add the salsa verde, and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. stir and allow the ingrediants to come together. place a little bit of the chicken mixture into a tortilla, roll, then place into a baking dish. i got about 5/6 out of this when i made it. cover with cheese and throw under a broiler until the cheese is melted and has begun to brown. serve it up.

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