Mexican Recipes - Double-Post Thursday

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Today's double post deals with Mexican recipes, including Oven-Fried Chicken Chimichangas and Dulce De Leche Banana Pie. Enjoy!

BBQ CHICKEN BURRITOS

My son and I were both on several long-forgotten emailing recipe lists. This is one of the recipes my son passed along from one of those lists.Makes 24 muffins.

Yield: 6 servings.

Ingredients

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

6 burrito size fat free wheat flour tortillas

3 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese

1 small tomato, diced

1 small avocado, diced

1/2 cup diced purple onion

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

2 tbsp. lowfat sour cream

1 tbsp. light ranch dressing

Directions

Heat grill over medium-hot coals. Grill chicken breasts for 7 minutes; turn over and grill 5 minutes longer. Brush chicken with barbecue sauce. Grill about 3 minutes and turn chicken over. Brush with more barbecue sauce and continue grilling and turning until chicken is done and generously coated with barbecue sauce.

Let chicken cool enough to handle. Slice into thin, short strips.

Warm flour tortillas according to package directions. Evenly divide chicken among flour tortillas. Top with lettuce, cheeses, tomatoes, avocados and onions. Combine barbecue sauce, sour cream and ranch dressing; dollop on burritos. Roll up.

ZUCCHINI ENCHILADAS

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “No tortillas? No problem. Take advantage of summer's squash bounty and wrap your enchilada filling up in zucchini.”

Total Time: 1 hr 5 min; Active Time: 35 min; Yield: 4 servings (3 enchiladas per person); Level: Easy

To view this line, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin discarded)1 1/2 cups salsa (not chunky)

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

3 to 4 medium zucchini

Several dashes chipotle hot sauce, plus more for serving, optional

2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the chili powder and cook, stirring, until the scallions are coated and the oil is brick red, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Set aside.

Halve the zucchini lengthwise and arrange cut-side down on a work surface. Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to shave off ribbons the entire length of each zucchini and as wide as possible (the first few may be too skinny). Make 36 zucchini ribbons total.

Lay out 3 ribbons, slightly overlapping to make a rectangle (think of this as your "tortilla"). Pile about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down along one of the short ends of the zucchini tortilla and then roll up to enclose the filling. Put in a 2- to 3-quart baking dish. Roll up the remaining zucchini ribbons and filling and arrange in the dish. Top the rolls with the remaining 1 cup salsa. Add several dashes of the hot sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Thin the sour cream out with a little water and drizzle over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens and serve with more hot sauce if you'd like.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE SKILLET

This is from tbsp., and begins, “Wherein we turn a humble pound of ground beef into a supremely satisfying and totally doable meal in a matter of minutes. Now you never have to wonder what’s for dinner. You’re welcome.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Drain, and wipe out skillet.

Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beef, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix. Heat to simmering; stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is heated through.

Top with cheese and cilantro.

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “Here's a delicious way to enjoy chimichangas without all the mess from deep-frying...and guess what? They actually taste better this way.”

Serves: 6 servings (1 chimichanga each);Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2/3 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

2 green onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

2 tablespoons butter, melted

fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Stir the picante sauce, cumin, oregano, chicken, cheese and onions in a medium bowl.

Place about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Fold the opposite sides over the filling. Roll the tortillas up from the bottom and place them seam-side down on a baking sheet. Brush the tortilla rolls with butter.

Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until they're golden brown. Serve with additional picante sauce. Garnish with cilantro.

Helper: For 1 1/2 cups chopped chicken, in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, in 4 cups boiling water, cook 3/4 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed, for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Drain and chop the chicken.

Tip: Substitute 2 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained, for the cooked chicken.

ENCHILADAS CON CARNE

This is from Sam Sifton, founding editor of New York Times Cooking. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” (Note: You may have to sign up to see the above-mentioned salsa.)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time 1 1/2 hours

This was featured in “Enchiladas Are the Saucy, Cheesy Addition to Your Dinner Table,” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Chili Con Carne:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped

1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican

2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought

For the Enchiladas:

1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola

12 yellow corn tortillas

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta

1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.

Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.

Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.

Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.

When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.

DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE

This yummy recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, “A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling.”

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; 8 Servings; 10 Ingredients

To view this yumminess, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling

1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche

3 ripe medium bananas

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions

Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.

Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.

In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.

In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.

Expert Tips

Dulce de leche is a traditional Spanish confection made from milk. It's a popular culinary reference to rich caramel flavors. Look for canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of the supermarket.