Friday, May 6, 2011

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...



22 comments:

  1. Looks delicious! Nice explanation and photos as well!

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  2. That's okay, Kay. I'm still a secret Aji No Moto lover. I've never seen the salt/MSG mix. I'll have to look for some the next time I drive down to Marukai.

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  3. Thank, Anon, your comment is much appreciated :o)

    Janice, if you like Ajinomoto, you will really like Aji-Shio! I used to love Ajinomoto so much as a kid, I used to lick it off the palm of my hand...lol

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  4. Kay, my family has always made enchiladas this way with only egg, cheese, onion, olive. Like you said when you tell people they think its wierd but when you eat them you love them. So much better than plain cheese.

    Janice if you get some of the aji no moto pick some up for me. Maybe we will finally get together for something other than Henry.

    Kay all the sides look great!

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  5. Cyndi, or should I say Aunt Cyndi;o), How did your family start making the enchiladas w/egg...did it have anything to do with San Diego? I saw a forum on Sunset Magazine's website about it a long time ago, but now I can't find it. That's where they were talking about making these down in SD. They really are yummy :o)

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  6. The explained process. I am very familiar with the entire set-up, and have done work almost identical to the ones shown.
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  7. Thank, Danial, great minds think alike :o)

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  8. great small touches. i love the ajinomoto in small doses when cooking. very awesome japanese secret. ;) hahahaha

    corn in the mexican rice...beautiful.

    and lastly, cooking the bacon before you put it in with the beans. i love it. i usually put the bacon in to cook it with the beans.

    thanks again for all the awesome tips!

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  9. Wow! This is quite the process, but it looks sooo worth it. This is MY kind of food, through and through. I'm bookmarking this one!!!

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  10. Kish, thanks for your detailed comment :o) If you like ajinomoto, you should try aji-shio!

    Megan, thank you so much! Hope you make this sometime soon!

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  11. Wow Kay you had a FEAST! The enchiladas intrigue me, I think I would totally like the egg and onion/cheese filling. Question or I guess clarification, you lightly fry the tortillas so they bend better cause the raw verion they would break? Or is it more a texture thing?

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  12. What a great meal!! My husband has been after me to put eggs in enchiladas! Now I guess I know it works, and I have no excuse not to do it! Looks wonderful!

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  13. Hi Lindsey, I really thought putting the eggs in the enchiladas was really weird at first, but now I love them! Yes, frying the tortilla is, so they don't break when you roll them. I like the flavor of it too, I do that when I make tacos too :o)

    Thanks, Erin! Hope that you do make it for your husband soon :o)

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  14. This whole meal looks amazing! I especially love the enchiladas, I would have never thought to use hardboiled egg! Will be trying this soon!

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  15. Thanks, Amy! It's kinda of a healthier version of Enchilada since there's no meat in it;o)

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  16. Now this looks like a really wonderful dish. Great instructions.

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  17. What a dinner! You covered all the bases. The enchilada sounds delicious with the egg and the olives. Thanks for sharing! Buzzed :)

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  18. Mouthwatering pictures...I totally have cravings now for some enchiladas:))

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  19. Thanks, Mike:o)

    Thanks, Parsley!!

    Sandra, I could eat enchiladas all the time :o)

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  20. Everything here is just too delicious and so tempting! ;D
    As for your Frijoles de la Olla, only pinto beans can be used or any other beans like dried kidney beans? I just love beans so much! lol

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  21. Lyn, the Frijoles really do need to be pinto beans. I know sometimes black beans are used in Mex cooking, but I prefer pintos :o) Pintos turn creamy. I think that kidneys would be too dry & chalky, it's one of my least favorite beans...

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  22. YAAAAAAY! I found it! I found it! I found the pinto beans and I'm so so so sooo happy! xD
    I found it 'accidentally' while looking for other things in the supermarket yesterday! lol ;P
    I'll let you know how it turns out when I try it! ;)

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