Benn-chiladas

One of my relatives is studying to be a physician's assistant. He came up to learn general surgery from my father. As it happens I ended up scrubbing on quite a few cases with him.

One night he made these delicious chicken enchiladas and some stuff he calls cowboy caviar. The chicken enchiladas have a secret spice that makes them extra tasty. I waited almost a week to get these things and let me tell you, they were worth the wait. His original recipe calls for a sour cream topping but we have decided to collaborate to make this a joint project. I have contributed a chipotle cream cheese sauce.

Benn-chiladas

Serves around 16

5 chicken breasts, broiled
16 burrito-sized tortillas
1 container fresh salsa
1 can mild enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil
One package shredded Mexican cheese


Broil chicken for 5 minutes/side. Allow to completely cool. Shred chicken in
food processor. In a mixing bowl, add shredded chicken, lime juice and
pepper - mix well. In a blender or food processor, add fresh salsa, half of
the enchilada sauce, cinnamon, and blend well. Heat vegetable oil over
medium-high heat in a cast iron or non-stick pan large enough to accommodate
the tortillas. Cook tortillas for about 10-12 seconds/side.

In each tortilla, add big pinch of the shredded chicken mix and little pinch
of the shredded cheese. Roll up and place seam-down in a 13X9 baking pan
coated with a thin layer of the sauce. You should be able to fit 8
enchiladas per pan. Drizzle the sauce over the enchiladas, spread it around
with a spatula, and add a thin layer of cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25-27 minutes. Serve with cream cheese
sauce poured over each enchilada.

Chipotle Cream Cheese Sauce

8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 finely chopped chipotle pepper (the kind in the can with sauce)
a little milk
A little bit of fresh cilantro

Put the milk in a sauce pan along with the cream cheese. Heat it up gently. You need just enough milk to make a smooth sauce. Add in the chipotle and heat until warm. You can add a little salt if you want. Add in just a touch of fresh cilantro.

Cowboy Caviar

1 bag frozen corn
1 container fresh salsa
2 (15 oz) cans black beans
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Drain and rinse the black beans.  Combine all in serving bowl, mix well, serve immediately.