Melissa Brown
Published: Noember 8, 2006
After 2004’s Hurricane Ivan ripped off our roof and destroyed most of our belongings, my fianc‚e, son and I drove to Texas to stay with my childhood family that’s scattered across the state. Our first stop was my brother Jim’s house in the hills of Austin. I grew up on the Mexican border in Brownsville, Texas, so my return to the state resurfaced memories of the infinite variety of Hispanic foods I was exposed to in my youth. Thankfully, my brother treated us to several dishes he created, inspired by his Latino surroundings.
Although this recipe is not exactly the same as what Jim prepared for us, the basic ingredients are the same: boneless chicken, sour cream, salsa verde, and corn tortillas. By using store bought diced tomatoes and salsa verde (or tomatillo salsa), this dish is easier and less expensive to prepare, while still full of flavor. Serve with canned black beans seasoned with garlic powder and cumin and fresh sliced avocado, sprinkled with salt.
Green chicken enchiladas
1 lb. boneless chicken (breast tenderloins)
2-10 oz. cans Ro*Tel Mexican Festival diced tomatoes
_ C salsa verde
_ C sour cream
16-20 corn tortillas
Ripe avocados
Salt
Can of black beans
Garlic powder
Ground cumin
In a deep skillet, pour diced tomatoes over chicken, cover, and cook at medium heat (photo 1). Occasionally stir and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed (photo 2). Remove from heat and separate chicken from tomatoes. Shred the chicken with two forks (photo 3). In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and green salsa. Heat tortillas one at a time over low heat on a flat skillet to make pliable, turning constantly, and keep warm in a covered dish. On a small plate, place a spoonful of chicken in the center of one tortilla and pour a spoonful of the sour cream sauce over the chicken. Roll carefully, but tightly, and place seam side down in a glass baking dish (photo 4). Bake at 375? for about 12 minutes, and then drizzle half of the remaining sour cream mixture over the enchiladas (photo 5). Return to oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes (photo 6). Serve with remaining sour cream salsa.