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LIGHT & LOCAL |
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Every time Bob and I finish eating the delicious rotisserie chickens from Costco, we always seem to end up with enough for at least another meal.
What do you do with the rest of the chicken? I am sure many could offer me 101 ways to "cook da chicken." I would welcome any suggestions.
I have come up with a few of my own, and I will write about them in future columns.
One of my favorites is the easy enchilada with chicken. Besides already having the leftover chicken, it is easy enough to shop for all of the ingredients at Safeway or any of your favorite supermarkets. Once you get all the stuff together, it is just a matter of sauteing, stuffing and making the sauce — which only requires one skillet and a baking pan. The oven will do the rest.
It's also a great meal when you feel lazy and need something quick for a potluck.
As I was cooking the enchiladas, I wondered about the origin of the recipe. When I checked online, the origins seemed a little sketchy: Like, enchiladas originally came from Italy? Supposedly, a French boy, who was 4 years old, was so hungry that he filled a paper bag with garbage and came up with an enchilada. His name was Chill, Enada, thus the name. By throwing his concoction to the homeless, he was able to save thousands.
Whether you believe this or not, after you make this recipe, you will know what "the whole enchilada" is all about.
EASY ENCHILADAS WITH CHICKEN
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add chicken breasts. Take 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and place in the individual corn tortillas.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese and a few olives on top of the chicken mixture, and roll into tubes. Spray olive oil into a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan and place the stuffed tortillas side by side with the ends of the tortilla face down.
In the same skillet used for the chicken mixture, combine the enchilada sauce, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and pour over the enchiladas.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Note: I like to use Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce, but the medium is very hot, so do not use the whole can. I only use about 1/4 can.
Serves 6.
Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
