Chicken Enchiladas With Roasted Tomatillo Chili Salsa

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Prep time: 55 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 10

Joan Sisler of Sacramento loves the enchiladas and sauce served at Los Altos Mexican Dining and Cantina in Truckee. She was hoping for their recipe or one similar.

This recipe comes from Janice Thornton of Merced, who says this dish is delicious.

• Ingredients:

ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILI SALSA

1 pound tomatillos, husked

1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole

4 garlic cloves

2 jalapeños

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves

½ lime, juiced

ENCHILADAS

Extra-virgin olive oil

½ medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

Chopped cilantro

1 deli roasted chicken, about 3 pounds, boned, meat shredded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 large flour tortillas

½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Chopped tomatoes, cilantro and avocado for garnish

Spicy black beans, yellow rice, sour cream

• Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Salsa: On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeños for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices to a food processor. Add cumin, salt, cilantro and lime juice and pulse until well-combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas: Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and caramelized, five to seven minutes. Add garlic and cumin, cook one minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn, then gradually add chicken broth. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens.

Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chili salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Lower temperature of oven to 350 degrees and begin assembling the dish.

Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame or put them briefly under the broiler.

Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese (save some cheese for topping). Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it.

Using a spatula, place the tortilla in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally, pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and cracked on top.

Garnish with tomato, cilantro and avocado. Serve hot with spicy black beans and yellow rice (recipes on this page), remaining tomatillo salsa and sour cream.

• Per serving: 764 calories; 39 grams protein; 51 grams carbohydrates; 44 grams fat (18 saturated, 18 monounsaturated, 6 polyunsaturated, 2 other); 121 milligrams cholesterol; 944 milligrams sodium; 4 grams fiber; 3 grams sugar; 52 percent calories from fat