Food: Stacked Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

What can I say, it seems the tuna noodle has broken my opinion about one-dish, baked-in-the-oven meals and now I'm on a casserole kick. I don't think I've told any of you how I happened to stumble over these recipes lately. I'm on a nice vacation from work (i.e. I quit my old job to take a new job and decided to take off about a month in between stints). So I've been getting caught up on things around my house that I have neglected due to massive travel over the past couple of years. And one of those things is getting rid of old magazines and combing through past articles and recipes I've torn out, trying to make some sort of organization out of them. That's how I've managed to make two casseroles in one week. I suppose the recipes and the magazine tear-outs struck me in just the right way. (I promise the photo of this one doesn't do it justice...for some reason the lighting in the kitchen wasn't allowing the camera to pick up the nice green chile bits and the juicy salsa verde.)

Stacked Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Adapted from Bon Appetit - June 2007

INGREDIENTS

• 2 poblano chiles
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 12 (5- to 6-inch-diameter) corn tortillas
• 1.5, 16 oz jars salsa verde (can be found in many Mexican food sections), divided into four equal parts
• 1 small roasted chicken, skin removed, meat shredded, divided into two equal parts
• 3/4 cup sour cream, stirred to loosen
• 6 ounces grated Chihuahua cheese (about 1 1/2 cups packed)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

• Char chiles in broiler until blackened all over. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed, then cut into 2x1/2-inch strips.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Brush tortillas with vegetable oil and set aside. Add 1 tortilla to skillet; cook until slightly softened, about 15 seconds per side, turning with tongs. Transfer tortilla to paper towels to drain off any excess oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Spread one portion of salsa over bottom of 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 4 tortillas over salsa, covering bottom of dish completely, overlapping slightly, and extending about 1 1/2 inches up sides of dish. Scatter 1/2 of the chicken over tortillas, then half of poblano strips. Spoon another portion of salsa over, spreading evenly. Spoon 1/4 cup sour cream over in small dollops. Cover with 4 tortillas, overlapping slightly. Layer with remaining chicken, remaining poblanos, another portion of salsa, and 1/4 cup sour cream. Cover with remaining 4 tortillas, remaining salsa, and remaining 1/4 cup sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake casserole until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces; divide among plates. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Food: Miguel's Fish Tacos

Most of us who like to cook know the love of preparing and enjoying dishes isn't just about our own satisfaction, it's about sharing our sweat (and sometimes tears) with others. Cooking is truly about nurturing and nourishing both the body and the soul and definitely about companionship. As a result, I can't think of a memorable dish without associating my experience with a person or group of people I care about.

When I think of food with family and friends, this is one of the first recipes that comes to mind. A couple of years ago, Jonathan and I visited our friends Miguel and Anna in Atlanta. The pair are truly the most wonderful hosts and do everything they can to ensure your comfort. Since part of this hosting responsibility involves satisfying rumbling tummies, Anna and Miguel definitely didn't let us go hungry. One unforgettable meal from the weekend involved Miguel's fabulous fish tacos (and not because one of the dogs decided to dip his nose in the guacamole on the counter and show all of us his creamy, light green beard).

I'll let you in on a secret - not only are Miguel's tacos excellent because they taste incredible, but because they're super, super simple. The concept is relativey easy - so much so, I'm not even going to prepare a formal recipe for you, just provide you with some basic instructions.

First, you're going to take fresh filets of tilapia (figure 1-1.5 per person), rinse them in some cool water and pat dry with a paper towel. Next you'll decorate the filets by seasoning them heavily with "Old Bay" brand seasoning on both sides and some freshly squeezed lime juice (just cut the lime in half and let your hands do all the dirty work - don't be afraid to get them all citrus-sticky). After you're done doing this, cover the fish in plastic wrap until you're ready to cook, placing them in the refrigerator if you don't plan to grill for a while.

When you're ready to fire it up, grease the grill ("Pam Grilling" cooking spray will do the trick) and pre-heat to medium-high heat. When it's reached the desired temperature, place the fish on the hot grate and cook for approximately five minutes, turning mid-way through and dousing with beer a couple of times during the cooking process (I generally pick a bottle of what ever we have in the fridge. This past time it was Negra Modelo).

When the fish is fully cooked, lightly shred the filets with a fork and put them in a large serving bowl. Then serve them up with some shredded red cabbage, fresh salsa, homemade guacamole (my easy proportions for "perfect guacamole" can be found here) and freshly toasted corn tortillas. And if you're wondering the trick for cantina-style tortillas, heat them on the grill while the fish is cooking and then wrap them in foil until ready to serve.

What could be easier and more delicious? I think you'll be very pleased with the results - and the smiling faces. Buen provecho!