Chicken Enchiladas with a Red Chili Sauce

Yield: 3 quarts of sauce

When I make my chicken stock, I reserve the chicken and shred it and use it to make this dish. That way I am getting about 4 meals out of one(making my weekly meal planning that much easier). A roasted chicken also works great or even a store bought roasted chicken. I use half of the sauce and freeze the rest for another meal.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 - 28 oz. + 1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
12 oz. shredded chicken
16 corn tortillas
6 oz. each shredded jack and white cheddar cheese
chopped scallions for garnish

If not using pre-cooked chicken, roast 2-3 chicken breasts with bones. Place chicken breasts in a glass baking pan. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Place chicken in a pre-heated 375°F oven and roast for about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken using two forks. Discard the bones and the skin or save them to make a batch of homemade stock.

Heat oil in a large stock pot and add the onions. Saute until slightly browned.

Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and honey and cook until you start to smell the spices, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and about 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, while sauce is cooking, spray one of your stove top burners with cooking spray. Place a tortilla on the fire for about 1 minute per side (I like mine a tiny bit charred/blackened). Set aside, wrapped in a kitchen towel. Repeat with each tortilla.

Place a wire strainer over a large glass bowl. Strain sauce through the strainer, pressing down on the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon to get as much sauce/pulp through the strainer. Discard the contents in the strainer.

Mix one cup of sauce with your shredded chicken. Cover the bottom of your ceramic baking dish with a ladle full of sauce. Set aside.

Place 1-2 tablespoons of chicken in the center of your tortilla. Sprinkle some of the shredded cheese. Roll up your tortilla and place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the rest of your tortillas.

Generously ladle a layer of sauce over your rolled tortillas and sprinkle the top with remaining cheese and top with scallions. Cover loosely with foil and bake in a pre-heated 300° oven for 20-25 minutes. Turn the oven up to broil and place your baking dish under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until your cheese starts to bubble. Serve immediately.

The leftovers make a great breakfast; scrammbled into to eggs with a bit more sauce.

 

- Recipe courtesy of Susan Salzman