Friday, March 23, 2012

Nurture You Family - Chilaquiles

Chicken Chilaquiles, courtesy of Martha Stewart. 


Happy Friday everyone! Over the weekend my husband and I were reminiscing about a vacation we took a few years ago to Zihuatanejo, Mexico. In addition to the days spent reading, relaxing in the sun and exploring, I was reminded of the delicious Chilaquiles I had almost every day for lunch. I seriously couldn't get enough! The thought then occurred to me - why had I never tried to make Chilaquiles? Off to the market I went and a few hours later, we all sat down to dinner. I don't think I'll ever be able to replicate the dish we had in Z, but this recipe from Martha Stewart ( I know, I was skeptical too) is a close second and we ate every last bite. Not only is it quick and simple, it was flavorful, has just the right amount of spicy kick and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser! 

Chicken Chilaquiles

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
  • 2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon), plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can)
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 small cooked rotisserie chicken (about 1 3/4 pounds), skinned and shredded (about 4 cups), carcass discarded
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
  • 4 cups (about 3 ounces) tortilla chips
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 3/4 ounces Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup). If you can't find Queso Fresco (Whole Foods or Mexican markets carry it), you can substitute Feta. 

Directions
  1. Combine oil and garlic in a large (3 to 4 quart) saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes with their puree (breaking tomatoes up), chipotles and adobo, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.
  4. Divide chips among four shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, sour cream, and Queso Fresco. Serve.

Enjoying a beautiful sunset in Z with a belly full of Chilaquiles! 
Have a wonderful weekend (the first of Spring!). I'll be spending it spring cleaning and planting lots of flowers in my yard. What are you up to?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those look delicious. I've never tried them, so maybe I'll spend my weekend cooking. Supposed to rain anyway. Teri

ALI MODE said...

Thanks for the inspiration. Can't wait to try out this recipe!!

tina said...

I'm so glad you resorted to writing Z for the second time you named the place in Mexico. Wow! What a name!

How nice that you guys were reminiscing and then actually went and relived some of it. Good on you. It looks delicious and I hope by now (Monday) you have digested it!

Bon 'belated' apetit!!

Erin said...

You look so lovely in that picture on the beach! And no wonder, you must have been so happy! I don't cook, not well anyways, and my strong suit in the kitchen is a box of mac n cheese. I'm a good baker, though, so if it's dessert you want I'm your girl! I loooove mexican food and that recipe looks delicious. I might pass it along to Boyfriend since he is the chef in our house. You know, as a subtle hint :)

This past weekend was a total bust, it rained pretty much the whole time. I took a lot of naps :)

California Chic said...

@Teri - They are so yummy! Total comfort food!

@Ali - don't quite measure up to Ben's Tortilla soup, but close.

@Tina - it seems like having children makes us reminise a lot more than we used to:) It did prompt us to start planning an NY getaway next month!

@Erin - I am the total opposite. I would say 75% of the things I try and bake come out just okay or don't work out at all! Not sure why, but either way I find it theraputic to spend time in the kitchen. I love that your BF is a cook too!

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