Dinner Tonight...Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

We were in Santa Fe, NM a couple of years ago and I loved the Green Chiles that they had on everything!  I learned that the best chile was the Hatch Chile.  Here in LA, when the chiles are in season at the end of August  they import them from Hatch, NM and there are some grocery stores that roast them in the parking lot.  Most places sell them in only 30 lbs bags and I figured that would be way too much for me.  I heard that Bristol Farms would sell smaller batches, so I went there.  It turned out that if you wanted them freshly roasted you would have to buy 30 lbs!  I debated in my head for a couple of mins, but then decided I wanted them, so I got 30 lbs worth of Hatch Chiles!  I heard that other places people wait in line for hours at a time in the hot sun and buy a couple of bags and split it with friends.  At Bristol Farms there was no line at all, it may have cost a few dollars more, but no wait is worth the cost!  

Driving home with the chiles in my trunk smelled so good!  I couldn't wait to get them home.  My main concern was if I'd be able to fit it in my freezer, I'd forgotten that I would have to peel them all too. After  roasting the chiles they  did condense down. I peeled and seeded them before freezing and that took me 4 1/2 hours to do...I did it in intervals, so it wasn't that bad;o)  Total net weight was 13 lbs, so it easily fit in my freezer.  I still have a few packages left, so I made the enchiladas tonight. A friend was telling me that I shouldn't hoard them for too long because they will start to deteriorate...

I used the same techniques as the last time I made enchiladas...
http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-last-nightenchiladas-frijoles-de.html

Before peeling...

After roasting them at the store, they put the chiles in a plastic bag, so they slightly steamed and made it easier to peel. The guy at the store also told me that it would be easier if I dip them briefly in water before peeling them. I took a soft cooler to put the chiles in because I thought they may leak, but the guy at the store said they wouldn't...of course they did and our trunk smelled like the chiles for months!

4 1/2 hours later...all clean...

Ready for the freezer...

Today...chopping...

Frozen Tomatoes

When I have extra tomatoes that I won't be using I freeze them whole for later use.  It's easier to peel and I chop up the whole thing and use all of it including the seeds and juices.  

Sauteeing the chiles...

I sauteed onion & garlic with seasonings then added the chopped tomatoes and chiles and cooked them until softened then added homemade chicken broth and cooked for about another 20 mins.

After using the Immersion Blender

After the sauce was cooked I whirred it up with the immersion blender to make a smooth sauce.

Browning Chicken

I've been so lazy about going to the grocery store lately, so I was able to make this meal with everything that I already had in my kitchen.  I almost always have frozen chicken on hand.  As I posted before, I buy whole chickens and then cut them up and freeze them and save the bones to make stock later.  If I had gone to the grocery store I would have added cilantro and maybe tomatillos to this dish.

After browning the chicken I threw it into a stock pot w/onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf etc. and made the chicken for the enchilada and also stock.  I browned the chicken, so the stock would have a richer flavor since I didn't add any extra bones to it.  The chicken pieces were all on the bone and I cooked them for about 30 mins then took out the thighs & breasts and then continued to cook the rest for another 30 mins.  I later threw out the wings & legs.

Chicken w/enchilada sauce...

I put some of the enchilada sauce on the chicken to flavor and moisten it.

Ready for the oven...

The enchilada has cheese, chicken & onions in it. I first fried the tortilla then dipped one side of it in the sauce then rolled it up.  I topped it with more sauce and cheese and baked it in the toaster oven at 425 degrees for 20 mins.  This time I just put it on top of flat foil, so it would be easier to serve :o)

Ready!

The rice was made in the rice cooker with long grain rice, corn & water with a little bouillon.  I love corn...I can put it in just about anything ;o)

I'm ready for my close up...

Chile Rellenos w/Cheese & Onions

Since I froze all 30 lbs of the chiles, I ended up buying about 2 lbs more at a later date so I could make Chile Rellenos.  I don't mean to brag, but they were the best rellenos ever;o)  I stuffed them with cheese and onions and then made a basic red enchilada sauce and added ground beef and onions to it. It was the first time that I'd made rellenos....and the last time, I should make them again when the Hatch Chiles are in season again :o)