Post by amarante on Oct 23, 2016 19:03:26 GMT -5
Mole Chicken Enchiladas
From: Dana Jacobi - Cook & Freeze
Layers of intense flavor make a good Mexican mole sauce unforgettable, but preparing one can take. Since mole keeps well, this recipe makes extra to freeze and use another time. For the chicken, you can use poached breasts, leftovers already on hand, or store-bought barbecued chicken.
• freeze for up to 8 weeks
• can be doubled
Makes 4 servings
mole sauce
½ cup raisins
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 vine tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons ground ancho chile
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 soft corn tortillas (6- or 7-inch diameter)
to serve
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded queso blanco or Monterey Jack cheese
Thinly sliced red onion rings (garnish)
Soak the raisins in ½ cup of warm water until plump, 20 minutes. Drain the raisins and set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, 5 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the contents of the pan into a blender and wipe out the pan. Add the tomatoes, almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, ancho chile, chili powder, and soaked raisins to the blender. Pour in ½ cup of the broth and whirl until the mixture is pulpy. Add ½ cup more broth and puree until the sauce is as smooth as possible”
Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the contents of the blender and add the chocolate and remaining ½ cup broth. Cook until the sauce simmers and darkens, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. There will be 3 ½ cups of sauce.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch x 7-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
To assemble the enchiladas, in a bowl, mix 1 cup of the sauce with the chicken. Spread another ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Two at a time, coat the tortillas lightly with nonstick spray, lay them on a baking sheet, and heat in the oven until supple, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken mixture horizontally across each tortilla near the edge towards you and roll up tightly. Place the filled tortillas seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat, packing the tortillas together tightly. Spoon 1 cup of mole sauce over them.
for serving now Cover the baking dish loosely with foil. Bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Divide the enchiladas among 4 dinner plates, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over each serving, and serve immediately, garnished with the red onion.
to freeze Open-freeze the enchiladas in the baking dish. Unmold in a block onto plastic freezer wrap and seal, then wrap in heavy-duty foil, and return the enchiladas to the freezer. Or vacuum seal the unmolded enchiladas and return to the freezer.
Freeze the extra 1 cup of mole sauce in a tightly sealed container, pressing plastic freezer wrap onto the surface.
to defrost and serve To defrost, unwrap the frozen enchiladas and drop them back into the original baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through. Just before serving, sprinkle the cheese and the onions over the enchiladas.
The extra mole sauce, defrosted in the refrigerator, can be used to turn pan-seared pork chops, turkey cutlets, or sautéed shrimp into “a flavorful skillet supper.”
From: Dana Jacobi - Cook & Freeze
Layers of intense flavor make a good Mexican mole sauce unforgettable, but preparing one can take. Since mole keeps well, this recipe makes extra to freeze and use another time. For the chicken, you can use poached breasts, leftovers already on hand, or store-bought barbecued chicken.
• freeze for up to 8 weeks
• can be doubled
Makes 4 servings
mole sauce
½ cup raisins
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 vine tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons ground ancho chile
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 soft corn tortillas (6- or 7-inch diameter)
to serve
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded queso blanco or Monterey Jack cheese
Thinly sliced red onion rings (garnish)
Soak the raisins in ½ cup of warm water until plump, 20 minutes. Drain the raisins and set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, 5 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the contents of the pan into a blender and wipe out the pan. Add the tomatoes, almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, ancho chile, chili powder, and soaked raisins to the blender. Pour in ½ cup of the broth and whirl until the mixture is pulpy. Add ½ cup more broth and puree until the sauce is as smooth as possible”
Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the contents of the blender and add the chocolate and remaining ½ cup broth. Cook until the sauce simmers and darkens, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. There will be 3 ½ cups of sauce.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch x 7-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
To assemble the enchiladas, in a bowl, mix 1 cup of the sauce with the chicken. Spread another ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Two at a time, coat the tortillas lightly with nonstick spray, lay them on a baking sheet, and heat in the oven until supple, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken mixture horizontally across each tortilla near the edge towards you and roll up tightly. Place the filled tortillas seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat, packing the tortillas together tightly. Spoon 1 cup of mole sauce over them.
for serving now Cover the baking dish loosely with foil. Bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Divide the enchiladas among 4 dinner plates, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over each serving, and serve immediately, garnished with the red onion.
to freeze Open-freeze the enchiladas in the baking dish. Unmold in a block onto plastic freezer wrap and seal, then wrap in heavy-duty foil, and return the enchiladas to the freezer. Or vacuum seal the unmolded enchiladas and return to the freezer.
Freeze the extra 1 cup of mole sauce in a tightly sealed container, pressing plastic freezer wrap onto the surface.
to defrost and serve To defrost, unwrap the frozen enchiladas and drop them back into the original baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through. Just before serving, sprinkle the cheese and the onions over the enchiladas.
The extra mole sauce, defrosted in the refrigerator, can be used to turn pan-seared pork chops, turkey cutlets, or sautéed shrimp into “a flavorful skillet supper.”