Chicken Enchiladas

September is every couch potato’s dream month- season and series premiere galore time!

The last two weeks have seen a season premiere everyday. It has also seen me running up and down the house with a gleam in my eye, shouting ‘XYZ show is premiering today‘.

Of course, I will not mention that I am dancing in all Glee-like performances while exclaiming that.
Nope, I won’t.
.
.
Ahmm..Moving on.

V, from the older generation, obviously does not share this enthusiasm I have for the idiot box.

So, while I am watching the one hour special of Modern Family, V is filling his Visa renewal application.

Even though (he says) he likes Modern Family, V doesn’t think it a crime to be near a television and not watch the first episode of the new season. I think it calls for boycotting the lad, but that’s just me.
Being the quintessential [sic] Indian wife that I am, I try not to be too harsh with him.

I, on the other hand, make sure all my calls to India and family are done before or after the shows. I also make sure the dinner is ready and on the table before the clock strikes “premiere time”, so that I can watch my shows uninterrupted.

So its no surprise that while I am excited about going to India, there is a part of me, the “boob tube lover” part, that is sad she will be missing out on ALL the new episodes of ALL the shows she likes. It will be tough, but I am a fighter, I will deal with it. Sigh!

And so given his stance on all things telly, V, of course, did not understand the devastation that dawned upon me when I missed the season premiere of Castle. And how I resolved that it will NOT happen with Desperate Housewives.

Well, tonight is the night- its the season premiere of Desperate Housewives!

Yup, I have cancelled all other plans to be at home tonight to catch the premiere of the last and final season of Desperate Housewives.

Nope the guy does not get it all.

He just smiles, slightly amused by my obsession with certain unreal characters.

And speaking of Desperate Housewives, today I am going to share a recipe of another self-proclaimed (I consider myself as one) desperate housewife, The Pioneer Woman.

FYI, she too started her own series on The Food Network in September- actually August 26th (or was it 27th?) to be precise, but rounded off isn’t that September?
See, that ways it fits perfectly into this post’s theme of September and season premieres, showing to one and all how well this blog post flows from one paragraph to the other (season premieres->desperate housewife-> Ree Drummond-> her TV series premiere) and thus, showing again to one and all what an immacuable writer I am.
(Yes, immacuable is a word – a slang to be precise but who got Mr. Webster to read this!)

Well, words are not enough to describe what The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, is (with my limited vocabulary I just won’t be able to do justice to describe her).

As a writer, blogger, wife, mom and now a TV show to her name, only Sarah Jessica Parker’s new movie title comes to my mind- “I don’t know how she does it?”

I mean seriously!!

She makes it look so easy, with her gorgeous red hair and peasant flowing blouses.

She makes me feel inadequate. As a woman. As a wife. And one day, I bet, even as a mother!

For now, I find solace in the fact that even though I can’t be like her and juggle so many things, I sure can make her Chicken enchilada recipe and be a winner at that!

As for Desperate Housewives, it begins in 3 hrs 45 minutes 35 seconds.
And now in 3 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds.
I know! I know! You are thinking “Boy! she types fast” (and NOT mouthing me to get a life. You won’t say that, would you?)
Anyway, I’ll go now.
Will leave you with the recipe though.

WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

I have made this recipe twice in the last 2 months and I love it.

The first time I did not have green chiles so instead used a combination of jalapeno slices and green chile guacomole in the white sauce. The second time I used fire roasted green chiles. Both versions were great.

Also, both times I only used 2 cups of cheese (monterey jack and colby mixed).

Two things I learnt while making it and which you too should keep in mind is- one, fry the corn tortillas with tongs not a slotted spoon- I speak from experience since I almost burnt my foot thanks to the splashes that slotted spoon caused!

Two, don’t rub your eyes after you have dealt with some chiles/peppers. You really don’t want to know the feeling. Ignorance is bliss in this case.

By the way, Ree Drummond has great step-by-step pictures of the whole process. So do check her post out, if you haven’t already.

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole 4 Oz Cans Fire Roasted Whole Green Chiles, Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat (I used the same by draining out any excess oil). Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process.
Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (It took me 40 minutes). Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.
Serve with picante sauce, if desired.