Mom Cookin' Up Warm Goodness

Mom made this with some of our leftover turkey ... they were really great as the orange juice really added a little something different to the sauce. From start to finish, I'd say it took me about an hour and a half. The recipe comes from Greg Atkinson's "West Coast Cooking". This is something my friend Katie send me in mail, mom made it tonight. Yum.





For the Enchiladas:
3/4 c. canola or corn oil
12 corn tortillas
8 oz. cream cheese
12 oz or about 3c. of cooked chicken (or turkey)
1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

For the enchilada sauce:
1/2 c. corn or canola oil from frying the tortillas
1/2 c. All-purpose flour
1/4 c. chili powder
1 c. finely chopped onion
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (I used store-bought without pulp)

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Put the oil in a small frying pan over med-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. It should be about 375 F ... tortilla dipped into the oil will immediately begin to bubble.

2. Fry the tortillas one at a time in the hot oil, turning them once. cook each tortilla until it begins to puff up, about 10 seconds. As they are cooked, carefully stack the fried tortillas one on top of the other so they won't dry out as they cool. (I also kept them covered with a paper towel.) Allow the stacked fried tortillas to stand at room temperature while you prepare the enchilada sauce. Save the oil used for frying to make the enchilada sauce.

3. Make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over med-high heat, stir the oil (you may have to add a little to what you have leftover from frying the tortillas to make a 1/2 c.) and flour with a wire whisk until bubbling hot. Stir in the chili powder and then the onion and cook for one minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and orange juice and stir the sauce continually until it comes to a full, rolling boil. Turn off the heat and keep the sauce covered while you prepare the enchiladas.

4. Put 1 cup of the enchilada sauce and the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on slow speed until the cream cheese is soft and well combined with the sauce, about 2 minutes. Fold in the chicken meat.

5. Put a piece of baker's parchment down (I used paper bags with paper towels on top) on the counter and lay the fried and cooled tortillas out in a single layer. Distribute the chicken filling evenly among the tortillas (about 1/4c. each), and roll each one into a tight little log.

6. Spread 1 c. of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish, and place the enchiladas in a single layer over the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, making sure the edges are covered. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce. The enchiladas can be prepared ahead, refrigerated, and baked several hours later.

7. Bake the enchiladas until the cheese is molten and the sauce is bubbling hot, 15-20 minutes. Transfer enchiladas to plates and serve.

Mom also made the most delicious soup today. Butternut Squash Soup from "A Celebration of Women Chefs".

2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
1/4 pecans
4 butternut squash, peeled and cubed (mom used on very large one)
6 cups of chicken stock
1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg, salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon crushed amaretti (mom did not use this)
1 teaspoon chopped chives
(Mom also added some cumin and chopped pecans left over from Tday)

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add squash and pecans and continue cooking to toast nuts. Add chicken stock and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, puree the soup, then season to taste. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with cheese, crushed cookie and chives.

This was delicious, a must try!

Mom also made bread pudding with chocolate bits with old bread from Tday.



And what wasn't worth cooking, the crows got.