Enchiladas de Pollo con Salsa Verde (Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce)

This is Part 2 of our Tall Cans recipes.  The first recipe, Tall Can Mexican Black Beans, was actually made with a whole tall can of Tecate.  Between the enchiladas and salsa verde here, it's really only 2/3 of a tall can of Tecate, but that just leaves the extra 1/3 for you to finish off.  I really liked the beer flavour in the salsa verde.  I don't usually use beer when I make it, so this was a first, and I think I'll make it with beer from now on!

Much like the black bean recipe, these recipes were inspired by the Transplants' song, "Tall Cans In The Air."  But since I used that song for the bean recipe, I think it's fitting that I use a different Transplants song.  Justin and I always joke about their song, "Gangsters and Thugs", because living in Humboldt County, we can relate to the chorus, "...some of my friends sell records, some of my friends sell drugs."  It's a good sing-a-long, kiddies.  -jen

ENCHILADAS DE POLLO (Chicken Enchiladas)
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time:  30-45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes (not including the chicken baking)
Makes:  15-20, depending on the size of your chicken thighs

• 6 baked chicken thighs
• vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, julienned
• 2 red bell peppers, julienned
• 2 jalapeños (de-seed for less heat), julienned
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup Tecate beer
• 1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt and pepper
• corn tortillas (15-20)
• salsa verde (see recipe below)
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

*I seasoned the thighs under the skin with salt and pepper, but left the skins on to bake.  Baked at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños.  Sautee for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, Tecate, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Continue cooking until all of the liquid has disappeared and vegetables are soft.  Remove from heat to cool.

Discard the chicken skin and shred the chicken meat from the bone into a large mixing bowl.  Add the cooked vegetables, green chiles, cilantro and cumin to the chicken, mixing.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

"Wet" tortillas, fried and dipped in salsa

Place 1/2 a cup of the salsa verde into a shallow dish (I like to use a pie plate) and have an additional plate available to hold the "wet" tortillas.

In a small skillet that will fit a single corn tortilla, heat enough oil just to cover the entire bottom of the skillet over a medium-high heat, and keep the oil nearby for refills.  Using tongs, place a corn tortilla into the hot oil for 5 seconds, then flip and cook 5 seconds on the other side.  Let the excess oil drip into your pan and place the tortilla right into the salsa, just to coat.  Remove from salsa, letting excess salsa drip back into pie plate and set the wet tortilla onto your extra plate.  Repeat, stacking the wet tortillas on top of each other on the plate until finished.  Add oil to your skillet and salsa to your pie plate as needed.

Create an assembly line with your stack of wet tortillas, shredded chicken mixture, shredded cheese, and a large, rectangular baking dish.  Place a thin layer of salsa verde on the bottom of your baking dish.  Set a wet tortilla into the baking dish, fill with shredded chicken mixture and shredded cheese, and roll, placing the enchilada seam-side down.  Continue until your baking dish is full.  Spoon the remainder of your salsa (about 1/2 a cup) over the enchiladas, as well as the remainder of your shredded Jack cheese (also about 1/2 a cup).

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

SALSA VERDE (Green Sauce)
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes:  about 3 cups

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 can (28oz) tomatillos, drained (or 7-8 fresh, large tomatillos, roasted)
• 1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
• 1 cup Tecate beer
• 1 teaspoon chicken base (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt & pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and tender.  Add all remaining ingredients except salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer for 25 minutes.  Pour into a blender to puree (but don't fill your blender more than half-way or it could explode hot salsa all over you!  Ouch!  Work carefully in batches... or use a stick blender and avoid that whole mess.)  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shown with Tall Cans Mexican Black Beans

Mexican Chicken Phyllo Rolls (Homemade Hot Pocket)

I'm not sure what my inspiration was for this recipe.  Justin had chicken thighs thawed and we had most of the items on hand.  It sounded like a delicious mix of Mexican, Greek, and American influences.  I imagine most food critics or trained chefs would be appalled by this combination, but it came out to be a delicious, soul-warming homemade Hot Pocket!  I was a little leery about making and using the gravy in this, but after tasting it, I have no regrets!  Imagine crossing a chicken pot pie with chicken enchiladas and wrapping it all up in some crispy, Greek phyllo dough!  Play list while cooking consisted of the Operation Ivy Pandora station - Some Op Ivy, Rancid, Goldfinger, Descendents, The Slackers.  -Jen

MEXICAN CHICKEN PHYLLO ROLLS (HOMEMADE HOT POCKETS)
Makes about 6 phyllo rolls

• frozen phyllo dough, thawed (requires appx 8 hours thawing, follow instructions on box)
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
• 5 chicken thighs, with skin and bone
• 3 teaspoons seasoning mix, divided (see recipe below)
• 1 can (4oz) chopped green chiles
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
•  2 teaspoons garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon, plus extra green Tabasco hot sauce
• 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, as needed
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 egg (and 1 tablespoon water)

Seasoning Mix   

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pasilla chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground New Mexico chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground California chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Mix spices together.

Place a small strainer over a bowl and empty can of tomatoes into strainer.  Toss with 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside to drain.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil.  Place chicken thighs in baking dish and sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of seasoning mix.  Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes, until juices run clear.  Remove from oven and using tongs, place chicken thighs on a plate to cool and set aside.  Carefully pour the remaining chicken juice and fat from the baking pan into a bowl and refrigerate.

When chicken is cooled, remove skin and discard.  Pull the meat from the bone and place into a bowl.  Using two forks, shred chicken meat.  Add green chiles, green onions, cilantro, garlic, oregano, cheese, and 2 dashes of Tabasco.  Mix together and set aside.

Remove chicken drippings from refrigerator.  The fat should have solidified on top.  Scoop all the fat solids off the top of the chicken broth, saving 2 tablespoons of fat.  Measure out the chicken broth saved from baking and use canned chicken broth to make a total of 1 cup of liquid.  Place the 2 tablespoons of chicken fat in a small sauce pan (use olive oil to make up the difference if you didn't have 2 tablespoons worth of fat).  Heat on medium and add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.  Stir constantly until a paste is formed, making a roux.  Quickly add the 1 cup of broth to the roux, turn heat to high, and begin whisking constantly.  While whisking, add 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix.  Once the liquid begins to boil, the gravy will begin to thicken.  Continue whisking until it's a gravy consistency and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Since phyllo dough can be a pain to work with because it dries out quickly, it's best to arrange your work station like an assembly line.  You'll need your chicken filling and gravy near by, enough room for two working areas for phyllo dough, and a well greased cookie sheet.  Make sure your butter is melted and egg wash prepared (by whisking egg and 1 tablespoon of water together) before opening your phyllo dough.  Remove one sheet of phyllo dough and keep the rest covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap.  Brush melted butter over the first sheet of phyllo and cover buttered dough with a second sheet of phyllo dough.  Brush second sheet with melted butter.  Gently place about 1/2 a cup of filling near the bottom of your phyllo sheets.  Top with 2 tablespoons of the gravy.  Carefully begin to roll the filled phyllo like a burrito, tucking the sides in as you roll.

Place rolled pouches seam-side down on well greased cookie sheet.  Brush tops with egg wash.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes before serving.