Tex Mex Night!

I love Tex-Mex. Burritos, tacos, enchiladas, all of it. Unfortunately, Munich (maybe Germans in general) doesn't have the same feeling about Tex-Mex as I do. I have yet to find a good restaurant where I can indulge, so what I've done to compensate is to make it myself. I think this is one type of food that is easy to make. There are tons of ingredients that go into Tex-Mex usually, but the actual process of making it is super simple.

Tonight I made enchiladas. I've made these before and I got the recipe from Simply Recipes and I change very little about it just because it is perfect the way it is. I have to be honest and say that this is a recipe that is a bit fiddly; however, it is completely worth it. I hope you like to get your hands dirty, because you'll be diving into enchilada sauce with your hands. Try it out... I know you'll love it as much as I do.

Turkey Enchiladas
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Serves 4

Enchilada Sauce
3 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of chicken or turkey stock

Filling
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 small (or one large) turkey breasts pounded flat (to about 1/2" inch thick)
1/2 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grated cheddar, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon lime juice
salt to taste
4 flour tortillas (6")

Garnish
Red onion
cilantro
roasted red bell pepper
sour cream
avocado
lettuce

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and brown the turkey on both sides, making sure that the turkey is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the skillet.

Shred the turkey with two forks and set aside.

Next, gather all of the ingredients for the sauce. Place the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, cinnamon, chipotle, cloves, sugar, salt, and flour into a bowl. Whisk to combine. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a clean pan over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the spice mixture and whisk.

Allow the mixture to absorb all of the oil. Continue whisking and slowly pour in the broth. Break up any clumps that might have formed.

Continue whisking until it becomes thick. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside.

Begin by preparing the filling by chopping the onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Heat the pan that you cooked the turkey in on medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil.

Add the onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Transfer the onion mixture to a mixing bowl.

Add to the bowl the turkey, beans, 1/2 cup of cheddar, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce.

Stir to combine everything and taste the filling and adjust the seasoning.

Now, set up a type of 'assembly line' to assemble your enchiladas. You'll need the sauce, filling, tortillas, a small square baking dish, and a plate.

First reheat the sauce over very low heat. If it is too thick, add a little water to thin it again. Put about 1/4 cup of the sauce into the baking dish, making sure that the bottom is completely covered by the sauce.

Now, dip a tortilla in the sauce.

Make sure you cover both sides completely. Remove the tortilla and allow the excess sauce to drip back into the pan. Place the tortilla on the clean plate.

Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the filling on the tortilla, then roll up the tortilla and place it into the baking dish seam-side down. Repeat this for the remaining 3 tortillas.

Once all of the enchiladas are in the dish, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.

While the enchiladas are baking, prepare all of the garnishes.

Once the enchiladas are done, put an enchilada on a plate and pile it high with your garnishes and dig in!

I love the flavor of these. They are rich and hearty. They have enough spice, but are not too hot. You can do these in so many different ways, so feel free to experiment with them. 

By the way, if anyone in Munich knows of a good Tex-Mex place, please let me know... I would be forever grateful!

Happy Eating!