Dinner Party

This weekend, M and I will be entertaining a few guests in our apartment for the first time since moving here. Tentative menu:

Starter - Chips & dip
Appetizer - Tomato caprese
Appetizer - Inari
Entree 1 - Thai namya noodles
Entree 2 - Chicken enchiladas
Dessert - Boston cream pie
Dessert - Apple something

You'll notice there's no real cohesiveness to this menu...Italian to Japanese to Thai to Mexican? Unfortunately, I will be out of town the day/night preceding, so the apartment must be turned upside-down and inside-out TODAY, and the meals must be simple, fast, tried and true. However, for the enchiladas, I want to try making my own enchilada sauce. I found this fairly simple recipe, and may give it a whirl...though it may mean sacrificing the most complex item on this menu (Boston cream pie).

Ten-Minute Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons New Mexico or California chili powder (or mix. Best New Mexico chile powder is the 69 cent "Chile New Mexico Molido" in the red, white, and green package by the company "Mexico Spices Corp")
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water (or chicken stock)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
Salt to taste
Optional: 1-2 oz dark chocolate

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
2. Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt. 
3. Optional: Dip corn tortillas in sauce while still hot. Pour sauce in bottom of baking dish before placing rolled enchiladas. Sauce thickens in the oven. 

Enchiladas

There's a quote in Nichols' "One Day" that includes the word "enchilada" (but not "the whole enchilada") and I can't remember exactly what it was...it's driving me crazy!!!

Anyway, after seeing A's taco pics I was seriously craving tacos. But I refuse to pay $6 for ground turkey, so I ended up making enchiladas. Since I could only fit 8 in the baking dish, there was quite a bit of extra filling, which then of course ended up in my stomach while the enchiladas were baking... So now I haven't tasted my own enchiladas bc I'm too stuffed to even think about it!

On to the method:

In a big bowl, combine 1 can drained corn, 1 can drained diced tomatoes, 1 can drained & rinsed black beans, 1/2 can enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup salsa, 2 cups shredded chicken (cooked), and 1-2 tsp cumin. Spoon filling onto 6-8 tortillas, sprinkle shredded cheese (Mexican mix) over each, then roll and place in greased baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the rolls, then sprinkle w/ remaining cheese and bake uncovered at 375F for 20-25 min. Voila!

I think I was probably supposed to use a different type of tortilla, but then I wasn't sure when I bought them whether I'd be making tacos or enchiladas. Next time!

[UPDATE] The flour tortillas were fine -- YUM! I'm sure I could've sliced and diced and done everything freshly (including the "enchilada sauce"), but for a quick meal, this method definitely delivers.