These are some of the best enchiladas I’ve made and I have tried a ton of recipes. The spice/chicken/cheese balance is just right.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbs sugar
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add chicken to the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

3. Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

4. Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro. Stir to combine.

5. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

6. Lightly grease the tops of the enchiladas with some olive oil. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

7. Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚F. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

8. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Annie’s Eats

The 2010 album ‘Catching A Tiger’, by Lissie, is another disk I picked up while in Portland.

I’m crazy about the song Record Collector. I went through a phase where I would play it a couple of times a day for weeks on end. Considering the amount of music I have, that is some solid liking on my part.

I’m not sure what it is about the song that I enjoy so much. Maybe it is the clinking beginning. The singing/ not singing. Who knows. Could be that I identify with Record Collector, in a different sense.
Lissie-Record Collector

This is another song on the disk that I think is pretty special.

“I don’t see clearly can’t feel nothing no
can’t you hear me?
And I fall on my knees and angels will call on me now everywhere I go”

Lissie-Everywhere I Go

Check out Lissie and buy her music on her website.

No cheers today. Instead: I will never forget.