Dinner Last Night....Hard Boiled Egg Enchiladas, Frijoles de la Olla, Rice, Chips & Pico de Gallo

 Ready to be Rolled...

I got this enchilada recipe from my mother-in-law, she and my father-in-law lived in the San Diego area for a while and this type of enchilada was popular down there back in the 60's.  When I first heard of the ingredients I thought it was very strange, but then when my husband made it for me, I loved it!  The filling is Hard Boiled Egg, Cheese, Onions & Olives, that's it! Hubby made it for me just once and I've been making it since!  Their tradition is to use the turkey stock that they made from the leftover Thanksgiving turkey and use that for the enchilada sauce.  My husband's grandmother used to have a restaurant in Arizona called Snow's Inn in Casa Grande that closed in the '70's when she passed away. The original enchilada sauce recipe came from her.  I've changed the recipe a little like I do with most of my dishes;o)

This was another meal that took most of the day to prepare.  While I'm prepping, I think why am I going through all this, but then when I sit down to eat, I get my answer...it was worth all the extra work!

Chopped Eggs..

I love the color of the yolks in these eggs.  I get them at the Japanese market Marukai.  It's their own brand and is Cage Free Fertile eggs.  

For the Enchiladas...and other stuff...

What's nice about Mexican cooking is that many of the ingredients are used for a lot of different dishes.  For instance, the onions went in the enchiladas, salsa, beans & rice!  I chop everything by hand, so it does take a little bit of time.  I really don't like the outcome of food processor chopped veggies, it seems to tear everything apart.  I usually grate my cheese too, sometimes I'll buy pre-grated cheese to make pizza :o)

Frying Corn Tortillas...

I deep fry everything in my wok :o)

For Enchiladas...

I lightly fry the tortillas for the enchilada, so they will be pliable...

Tomatoes for Enchilada Sauce...

I don't claim that my ethnic meals are "authentic".  Hey, I grew up with Taco Bell as Mexican Food...lol  I try to get the proper ingredients, but I also put in my own twists.  For the enchilada sauce I:  saute onion, jalapeno, serrano, garlic and spices including chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, Mex oregano etc. For the chili powder I buy a bunch of different types of ground powders and mix it all together and store it for later use. I saute the seasonings with the onion, so the flavors bloom.  I also add chopped tomato and sometimes I add tomato sauce too, I didn't this time. I use Masa Harina (Corn Flour) as a thickener and add homemade chicken stock.  If it needs more flavor I add a little bit of bouillon of some sort;o)

Enchilada Sauce

After adding the chicken stock everything simmers for about 20-30 mins then I mix everything together with an Immersion Blender to get the sauce smooth and I don't need to strain it.  I love my immersion blender! The only thing is that it has a tendency to splatter, so I put the pan in the sink to blend it;o)

Ready for the refrigerator...

I like to use both red & brown onions, sliced canned olives, chopped hard boiled egg & Jack cheese.  I put a little of the sauce at the bottom of the dish.  If I'm going to bake the enchiladas right away, I dip the tortillas in the sauce too.  I sometimes make these ahead of time and refrigerate them, when I do that I don't dip in the sauce because it gets too soggy.  Then before cooking, I add more sauce and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 mins until all the cheese melts and is bubbly.  I made these in the toaster oven.

Hard Boiled Eggs, Onions, Cheese & Olive Enchiladas

Frijoles de la Olla

My favorite way to eat Pinto Beans is Frijoles de la Olla (Beans in a Pot) or I think of them as soupy beans :o)  The first time I had them was at Super Rica in Santa Barbara.  People always talk about how Super Rica was Julia Child's favorite Mexican Restaurant and we really did see her there once! It also turns out a very dear friend of ours is the one that introduced Julia to Super Rica! The place is the type where you order at the window and when they call your number you pick up your food yourself.  Julia, got table service! When I get these beans at Super Rica, I ask for extra broth...

Frying Up the Bacon...

To make the beans I start out with chopping bacon and frying it up then strain it and save the grease.  I also soak the dry pinto beans over night in cold water or if I forget to do that, I soak it in hot water for a few hours, drain it, then boil it with fresh water for over an hour.

Mashing the Beans...

While the beans are simmering I saute onions, garlic & jalapenos in the bacon fat.  When the beans have softened I add the onion mixture, bacon, more water if needed, bouillon, & seasonings.  After the flavorings have melded I use a bean masher and mash some of the beans.  This is another tool that I love.  It works better than a potato masher because it has a solid bottom.

Mexican Rice

Both my husband's brothers married Hispanic wives and I got tips on making my Mexican rice from their mothers.  I told one of them that I put corn in mine and she called it Tex-Mex;o)  The other one is from Texas and when she would visit she would bring her own rice from home!  After watching her make the rice (she only measures the rice and water ratio), I tried to make it several times and it just wouldn't turn out!  I use a measuring cup that flattens to store and I figured out that when I opened it, I didn't open it all the way, so I wasn't using a full cup of rice...lol  I thought it was the rice I was using that was causing the trouble and I looked all over for Texas rice!

Frying the Rice...

In the Rice Cooker...

I fry 1 cup of long grain rice in ALOT of oil until it browns then add onions to it in a pot on the stove.  While the rice is sauteeing, I add 1/4 cup tomato sauce or this time I used chopped fresh tomatoes then add water, so it equals less than 2 cups including the tomato, then add some corn, bouillion (I know, I use it alot;o) & seasonings.  I turn off the heat and add the liquid to the rice then throw it all into my rice cooker and cook it on the Mixed Rice setting.

Nice and Fluffy :o)

Pico de Gallo/Salsa

It has:  tomatoes, brown onions, red onions, green onions, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, serrano, lime, seasonings and a can of El Pato :o)

Draining...

After chopping the tomatoes I put it in a strainer over a bowl with salt to get the excess moisture out.  I then put all the other dry ingredients on top of it.

I used to throw out the tomato water that came out of it, but now save it to make delicious Bloody Mary's out of it.  I've been freezing and stockpiling it ;o) Hubby came up with this when I made Neoplolitan Style Pizza, post link...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-last-night-home-made-pizza.html

Homemade Chips!

Tortilla Chips Frying

Making the homemade tortilla chips tastes so much better than store bought!  No, I don't make the tortillas...lol  

I sprinkle a little aji shio on it and then it's ready to eat :o)

Aji Shio

I know most people wouldn't like this seasoning because it's a mix of MSG & salt, but I love it!  I put it in just about everything, but do use it sparingly :o)  It just adds a little bit of something...