Southwestern Spring Rolls

  Borrowed image, but this is it, including Kim's Cilantro Lime Sauce.

So we were down in the states and found something new... a variant of a food we always loved. Spring rolls. Except this time it wasn't in a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant. And after the first bite, I was determined to recreate the best of the flavor. Kim and I got to work. We did some trial and error - don't even bother with tortillas, it just comes out heavy. Mind you, the measurements are subjective... adjust to your own taste.

You'll need:

3 skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
2 cups cheese (we use a mix of pepper jack, mozzarella, cheddar, and smoked gouda)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small bag of frozen corn, preferably roasted corn.
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp, chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp. chipotle pepper powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. cayenne (if so desired)
2 tbsp, Cholula or other hot sauce
1-2 pkgs. large wonton wrappers or 4 small ones (depending on the size roll you want)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
oil
Keep a liter of chicken broth or stock on hand.

Heat a large deep pan with approximately 3 tbsp. of oil till just shy of smoking. Put cornstarch in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it, shake off excess, and place into the pan. Cook until lightly browned and juices run clear; approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and once hot, toss in peppers, onions, and saute at med-low heat for a few minutes. Add spinach, beans, corn, and cilantro.

While cooking, cut chicken into small cubes and add to mix in pan. Add remaining seasoning and a couple of splashes of chicken broth. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Once broth cooks out, remove from heat and add cheese. Stir the cheese in till it's melted in.

Example of the proper rolling technique. (Borrowed) 

Take a wonton wrapper and lay filling along diagonally along any corner. (Hint: wonton wrappers dry out quickly . to avoid that, simply cover them with a slightly damp paper towel.)  Wrap the corner over the filling; press to ensure no air stays in wrapper. Roll wrapper tightly. When you're about halfway through rolling it, fold the two ends in and roll it the rest of the way. Brush a little water on the remaining corner to seal the end. Repeat this until you are out of filling, laying them all on a cookie sheet (put parchment paper down on cookie sheet - keeps them from sticking.) At this point you can freeze some or cook them all.

Rolled and ready to go!

Using a deep fryer or pot with about 2" of heated oil, ease the spring rolls into the oil and cook until light brown and crisp. Do it in small batches of 4-5 to maintain oil temperature, otherwise you'll have greasy spring rolls. Place on a separate paper towel covered pan to drain and keep warm in the oven at 225°.

Cooking up nice!

First ones out... and man, were they good!

Serve with your choice of dipping sauce, But I recommend Kim's Cilantro Lime Sauce. Great for game day or any day!

Lime Chicken Enchiladas.

Lime chicken enchiladas - a new twist to something great. Best part-
you can make some to freeze and bake anytime!

Well, I already put out some of the things you need to make this. Now let's get down to, shall we? I usually use the larger tortillas, and flour at that. Just a personal preference. Just the same, once you have tried these, you will never want to have enchiladas any other way!

You'll need:

6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into small cubes

juice of one lime

1/2 cup of white wine

sprig of crushed rosemary

4-5 sage leaves, crushed

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

3 cups colby or pepper jack cheese shredded

1/2 cup chopped green onion
20 large tortillas

Quick Enchilada Rice

My Smoky Enchilada Sauce

also: olive oil

In a non reactive bowl, mix lime juice, wine, rosemary, cliantro, sage, salt, and half the garlic. Add the chicken, let marinate for at least an hour.

Heat oil in a pan until nearly smoking, add garlic. Drain marinade from chicken and add to pan; cook through. Add chicken to enchilada rice mix, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan. Take a tortilla, spread a little sauce on it, and add filling and cheese. Roll tightly and place in pan, seam down. Continue until you run out of filling.

Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce. Spread cheese over top, garnish with green onion, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted. Let rest for about ten minutes before serving.

Quick Enchilada Rice.

Enchilada rice, ready for the addition of meat or as a filler on its own.

The great thing about enchiladas is that you can fill them with just about anything. I found early on that just adding meat, cheese, and salsa didn't quite get it for me though. So I amped it up and created my own filler, loosely based on Spanish rice. It's also an excellent use of leftover rice.

You'll need:

2 cups cooked rice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1 can of black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. hot sauce, or to taste

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chipotle pepper powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

also: olive oil.

Heat olive oil (about 2 tbsp. or so) in a deep pot till hot, but not smoking. Add garlic, onions, and peppers, sautee until onions are translucent. Add stock and everything but the rice and simmer for about twenty minutes. Add rice and heat completely through, allowing the stock to cook out. Taste as you go and season to your desire. 

My smoky mesquite enchilada sauce.

Slow simmer in the pot...  cooking right now.

I've recently discovered enchiladas. Not eating them, making them. But... this being Canada, it's not always easy to get Mexican components pre-made. Besides, I like making my own stuff up.

This recipe has the bare bones components of virtually every recipe I've come across. Feel free to adjust it as you see fit. Even though I give measured amounts, I play it on the fly. They're just starting points.

You'll need:

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup flour

can crushed tomatoes

1/2 can of beer

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. liquid mesquite smoke

3 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

2 tsp. oregano

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp sea salt 

1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder (if available)

pepper to taste

approx 1 tsp. hot sauce or taquera sauce, depending on taste

box of chicken stock on hand. ( To thin sauce when needed. Never use water.)

Heat oil in a pot and add flour. Whisk into a light roux. Add tomatoes and all the other spices and let simmer on low for an hour (the longer the better - allows seasonings to meld better.) If the sauce starts to get too thick, add some stock. It adds flavor and gives a usable consistency.