Chicken Tinga + Grilled Corn Enchiladas with Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce + Homemade Avocado Salsa Verde

I'll go ahead and admit it... I'm not a fan of classic Mexican food. Don't get me wrong, I could drink a bowl of queso and I quite fancy a gourmet taco. But, I am by no means a burrito, enchilada, or nacho kinda gal. However, I came across a recipe for an avocado salsa verde on Diners, Drive In's, + Dives, and I know I just had to recreate it and use it for a meal. I loved this verde salsa... it's refreshing, a little bit spicy, + has hunks of diced avocado in it. Although, this wasn't the best part of the meal; it was most certainly the chicken tinga! Most traditional recipes call for using this tinga sauce with chorizo, but I absolutely adored this sweet + spicy sauce on chicken. It is a quick and easy recipe that still packs a punch, without the hassle of finding a bunch of hard-to-find ingredients in order for it to taste delicious. Typically, chicken breasts are poached in the sauce, so it is infused with all the wonderful Mexican flavors. My solution to avoiding the poaching process... just buy a ro-to chick and pull the meat into bite-size shreds. Oh and P.S., a "ro-to chick" is just a store bought rotisserie chicken, and trust me, it cuts out a bunch of steps and it tastes just as good! This pureed sauce combines onions, garlic, oregano, cumin, fire roasted crushed tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, sorghum molasses (honey or maple syrup will be a perfectly fine substitute), chicken stock, and grated bittersweet chocolate. Most tinga recipes don't call for grated chocolate, but I loved the idea of making this a little bit sweet and a'whole'lotta heat. And by adding this element to the sauce, it gives you that Mexican mole feeling to it. Once that has been assembled and simmered, throw in your shredded ro-to chick and toss it until the chicken is extra juicy and coated in the unbelievable yumminess. As for the rest of the recipe, place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken tinga, a handful of grilled corn, and a sprinkling of Monterey Jack cheese into flour tortillas... making sure to roll them tightly and place them seam-side down in a baking dish. After the tortillas have been stuffed and place into the prepared baking dish, spread some of the avocado salsa verde and red tinga sauce over the top. The last component you have to complete is the creamy, velvety candied jalapeno sour cream sauce. This sour cream is tangy and quickly take away the burn from all of the spicy flavors. Though, I decided to add candied jalapenos for an extra kick and a wee bit of sweetness. Finish the dish by pouring the sour cream sauce over the enchilada, scattering a bunch of Monterey Jack cheese on top, and a heavy sprinkle of crumbled feta. Bake these chicken tinga + grilled corn enchiladas in the oven until the cheese has melted and the edges have begun to brown + bubble. Garnish with some leftover grilled corn and minced cilantro. Enjoy this dish while it is still hot!! Enjoy :)

For the Avocado Salsa Verde:

½lb Tomatillos

2 Bunches of Green Onion

1 Poblano 

1 Avocado

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Jalapeno, Roughly Chopped

½C Fresh Cilantro

1 Lime, Zested

Juice from Half a Lime

1T Apple Cider Vinegar

¼C Water

2-3T Hot Sauce

½t Cumin + Dried Oregano  

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Pinch of Sugar, To Taste

1 Avocado, Finely Diced

½C Sweet Vidalia Onion, Finely Diced

For the Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce:

4T Unsalted Butter

¼C AP Flour

15oz Chicken Stock

1C Sour Cream

4oz Candied Jalapeno, Finely Minced

For the Chicken Tinga:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, Pulled into Pieces

2T EVOO

2C Sweet Vidalia Onion, Diced

4 Medium Cloves of Garlic, Minced

½t Oregano

½t Cumin

2 14.5oz Can of Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

2 Chipotle Pepper + 4T Adobo Sauce

½C Sorghum Molasses

1C Chicken Stock

2 Bay Leaves

2T Finely Grated Baker’s Chocolate (bittersweet or unsweetened)

For the Chicken Tinga + Grilled Corn Enchiladas:

8 Flour Tortillas

Prepared Chicken Tinga (with some leftover sauce to top the enchiladas with)

Grilled Corn

2C Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded

4oz Crumbled Feta

Prepared Avocado Salsa Verde

Prepared Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce

Fresh Cilantro, Minced

Directions:

1. For the Avocado Salsa Verde: Char the tomatillos, green onion, and poblano on the grill until they are black and blistered. Cut off the ends of the green onion and place them into a food processor, along with the tomatillos. Put the blackened poblano into a plastic bag and let the pepper steam for 10 minutes. Peel the skin off of the poblano and toss it into the food processor as well. Add in the avocado, garlic, chopped jalapeno, cilantro, zest of a lime, juice from half of a lime, apple cider, water, hot sauce, cumin, and oregano. Pulse until blended and smooth. Pour the salsa into a medium mixing bowl and stir in salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Finish the salsa verde by folding in the diced avocado and minced onion. Keep it cold in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. 

2. For the Chicken Tinga: Add EVOO, onions, and garlic to a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat tow low and simmer for another 4 minutes. Add in the oregano and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in the tomatoes, chipotle, adobo sauce, sorghum molasses, and grated chocolate. Remove from heat. Transfer the sauce to the jar of a blended and puree until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pan, stir in the chicken stock, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Pull the rotisserie chicken into shreds, discarding the skin, fat, and bones. Stir the chicken into the sauce and cook over medium heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. For the Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook until bubbly, and then gradually in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream and minced candied jalapenos.

4. For the Chicken Tinga + Grilled Corn Enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam. Spread ¼C of the Avocado Salsa Verde in the bottom of the dish. Divide the warm chicken tinga evenly between 8 flour tortillas. Sprinkle some of the shredded cheese and grilled corn on top of the chicken. Roll the enchiladas and place seam-side down. Spoon on some of the Avocado Salsa Verde and leftover Tinga sauce on top of the enchiladas, followed by an even layer of the Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce. Top with 1C of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and some crumbled feta. Place the assembled enchiladas in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the edges of the sauce have begun to brown and bubble.

5. Garnish the hot enchiladas with some leftover grilled corn, and minced cilantro, and serve with a side of rice.

"Easy Peasy" Pizzadilla with Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Double Flour Tortilla, Homemade Brown Butter Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan, Pepperoni, Italian Herbs, + Balsamic Reduction

"Easy Peasy" Pizzadilla with Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Double Flour Tortilla, Homemade Brown
Butter Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan, Pepperoni, Italian Herbs, + Balsamic Reduction 

Raise your hand if you hate me or are mad at me. Seriously, do it. You can't see me now, but my hand is high up to the sky because I'm ashamed I left you high and dry over the last year. I think I posted less recipes in an entire year than I used to in an entire month, and I promise I'm going to change that. It has been a difficult year to say the least, one day my world was completely normal, and then I woke up and my world came crashing down. I struggled, I struggled a lot. I don't quite think struggle actually depicts on how depressed and sad I have been. Thank god for my amazing husband and the unbreakable friendships with my best friends because I was surely losing my sanity every hour that passed by. So, 2015 was a learning experience to say the least, but I think that it has made me a stronger person in the long run. I never thought in a million years that my mid-life crisis would occur at age 25, but hey, maybe that means I just got mine out of the way before everyone else goes through it. However, I do not want to make this blog post sad or kind of a drag, so the second the clock his midnight on New Years Eve, my year of hell was over. I was ready to begin the next chapter of my life and put my energy into what I love doing, starting a family, and experiencing as much as I can. So here is a list of my resolutions for 2016...

1. Be a better blogger
2. Learn how to make cute embroidery hoops
3. Bake more; Cook more
4. Try to let go of the bitterness and move onto the next chapter of my life
5. Learn how to control my stress and anxiety
6. Show how much I love my husband every single day
7. Begin a healthy lifestyle and feature some healthy recipes on the blog
8. Never EVER take my best friends for granted. They keep me sane and have been there for me during the worst year of my life. They are my family.
9. Do whatever I can to help my father through this difficult time 
10. Become a “half glass full” kind of girl AND stay positive no matter what!

The University of Alabama won the National Championship... ROLL TIDE!

With his hand in mine, I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

Meet Hercules: our brand spankin' new Blue Merle Great Dane puppy who sports an
Alabama themed bow tie on game days! How handsome is he??

fratty daddy + flower child

At the Farmer's Market with our doggie version of Biggie-Smalls

At our one year anniversary dinner party with our closest friends
celebrating where we got married, JCT Kitchen + Bar

We love our Dirty Birds!

Our wedding anniversary Celebration... fit with an amazing floral crown!

My Whole Damn Fam... Hercules, Cleetus, Eloise, + I

Okay, so now that we've caught up a little, it's finally time to move onto the first recipe post of the year, yippee!! There's a funny story behind this and it has to involve my diva of a niece, Miss Mollywood, as I like to call her because it's her world and we're all just living in it. When my husband and I babysit her, she always requests a pizza on a flour tortilla with tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. I had never heard of the concoction, but I figured if she loves them that much, then heck I should make a grown-up version. And I trust her advice because she's 4 going on 30. I started off by making my famous brown butter-fresh tomato sauce (which I will post the recipe for that tomorrow, just in case you want to make it... if not grab a your favorite jar of sauce from the store). You can buy any kind of tortilla... I use super soft flour tortillas, but surely you can make it healthy by getting whole wheat, low-carb, or gluten free! Now, moving onto the cheese, I use three different types. The first is a homemade herbed ricotta cheese that I spread on top of the bottom tortilla "crust", and then I press the second tortilla onto the ricotta, so that they stay together. Warm up a big enough skillet to low-to-medium heat and place a few tablespoons of butter in the pan until they have melted. Continue assembling the "Pizzadilla" by spreading on a few generous spoonfuls of the brown butter tomato sauce, making sure to leave an edge for a crispy crust. Generously sprinkle about 1-2 handfuls of shredded mozzarella and as much freshly grated Parmesan, as you want. But hey, the more cheese, the better... right? Spice up the pizzadilla with Italian herbs, such as dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flake, kosher salt, + fresh cracked pepper. Just a little dab of each will do ya, so it's up to you how much you use! As for the toppings, this is way you can go crazy... add ANYTHING you want :) I had pepperoni on hand and it was just a great pizza alternative with a classic pizza topping. Place the assembled pizzadilla into the skillet of the melted butter and slowly let the bottom tortilla to turn perfectly golden brown and crispy. Don't keep it on there to long because you don't want a burnt pizzadilla, y'all. You just don't. I think I kept it on there for about 5 minutes, but just keep checking occasionally until the desired crust color has been reached (and don't worry about getting the whole p'dilla done in the skillet). After your crust in perfect, slide the p'dilla onto a baking sheet, lined with a Silpat, and place it in the oven. Turn your broiler on and watch it carefully, like really, don't leave its side. You will want your cheese melted, your pepperoni slightly crisping up, and an outside crunchy ring of tortilla "crust". Remove it from the oven and slide it onto a cutting board. I recommend letting it sit for a few minutes, so that when you cut it into slices, none of the cheese oozes out and the pepperoni doesn't slide off. Finish it all off by slicing it into triangle pizza wedges and add a healthy drizzle of yummy balsamic reduction for a little bit of sweetness! I hope y'all enjoy this easy peasy recipe, y'all! I know my niece and I sure do! Enjoy :)

For the Herbed Ricotta Cheesy Yum:

8oz Whole Milk Ricotta, Strained for Excess Water

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan

¼-½C Fresh Mixed Herbs, Minced (do this to taste; we used basil, oregano, parsley, & chives)

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Pizzadillas:

2T Unsalted Butter

2 10-inch Super Soft Tortillas

Prepared Herbed Ricotta Cheesy Yum (to your liking)

¼C Homemade Brown Butter Tomato Sauce

½-1C Shredded Mozzarella (to your liking)

Freshly Grated Parmesan (to your liking)

10-15 Slices of Pepperoni

A Sprinkling of Dried Oregano, Dried Basil, & Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper

Homemade or Store-bought Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. Assembling the Pizzadilla: Place one super soft flour tortilla on a cutting board and spread on some of the herbed ricotta cheesy yum on top, following this step, press a second tortilla onto the ricotta until they have completely adhered to one another. Next, spoon on some of the brown butter tomato sauce on top of the second tortilla, making sure to leave an edge in order to achieve a crispy outer crust. Mound a big ‘ole pile of mozzarella cheese all over the tomato sauce until it is covered, and then freshly grate some parmesan to finish it off. Don’t forget those slices of pepperoni, so make sure squeeze as many of those as you can onto the pizzadilla. Lastly, sprinkle the top of the assembled pizzadilla with the dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.

2. Crisping the Tortilla: Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the unsalted butter and let it melt completely. Place the pizzadilla into the pan and cook it until the bottom tortilla is golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Watch this carefully by checking the bottom of the tortilla “crust” with a spatula… trust me, you do not want a ruined, burnt pizzadilla.

3. Preheat your oven to broil and slide the pizzadilla out of the skillet and onto a Silpat lined baking sheet. Once the oven is up to the correct temperature, it’s time to put the pizzadilla in to finish cooking.

4. Finishing the Pizzadilla: Broil the pizzadilla until the cheese has completely melted, the pepperoni has started to slightly crisp up, and the outside tortilla “crust” has reached a delightful golden brown color and is crunchy in texture. Do not leave the oven while this is broiling because it can burn quite quickly, so stay there and watch until it is perfectly done. Remove the pizzadilla from the oven and put it on a cutting board. Let the pizzadilla cool for a few minutes, just to ensure that the cheese doesn’t ooze out and the toppings don’t slide off. After cooling, cut the pizzadilla into triangle-like slices. Drizzle the top with some balsamic reduction for a touch of sweetness and devour immediately.