Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Spicy Valentina hot sauce marinated grilled chicken topped with Manchego cheese and served on a toasted telera or bolillo roll with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
Mexican Buffalo Chicken Sandwich - lacocinadeleslie.com

It's National Sandwich Day and I thought what better way than to share this saucy and delicious Torta de Pollo Valentina. It's like a grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, but with a slight Mexican twist by using Salsa Valentina, a staple in many Mexican kitchens. Traditionally, tortas are served on a toasted telera or bolillo roll, but any sandwich roll will work.

Torta de Pollo Valentina - lacocinadeleslie.com

This torta is super easy to put together and can be ready in less than 30 minutes. You can marinate the chicken in the morning, before walking out the door, and it'll be ready to fry or grill when you get home. Once you try this Mexican buffalo chicken sandwich, you'll see why it's one of my go-to meals for when I need to get lunch (or dinner) on the table in a hurry.

Buffalo Chicken Torta - lacocinadeleslie.com


Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Torta de Pollo Valentina (Buffalo Chicken Sandwich)

prep time: 2 hourcook time: 30 MINStotal time: 2 hours and 30 mins
Spicy Valentina marinated grilled chicken topped with Manchego cheese and served on a toasted telera or bolillo roll with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

INGREDIENTS:


  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
  • 1 cup Valentina hot sauce, divided
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded Manchego cheese
  • 6 to 8 telera or bolillo rolls
  • Mexican crema
  • Lettuce
  • Sliced tomato
  • Sliced red onion

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. Arrange chicken breast cutlets in a large bowl or baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup of bottled Valentina hot sauce, stirring to combine, until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
  2. Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the marinated chicken, 4 to 5 pieces at a time, for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Turn chicken over, brush with a little of the remaining 1/4 cup of Valentina hot sauce. Top with about 3 tablespoons of shredded Manchego cheese. Cover grill pan and let chicken cook for 3 to 5 minutes until cooked through and light golden brown. Transfer chicken pieces to a heat-proof plate.
  3. Split open the telera or bolillo rolls. Toast in the same grill pan with 1 tablespoon of butter (optional) until light golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat. Spread cut sides of toasted rolls with Mexican crema. Layer lettuce, tomato, and onion on the bottom half of the roll. Top with 2 to 3 pieces of pollo Valentina and the top half of the roll. Serve with your favorite pasta salad or chips. Enjoy!
http://www.lacocinadeleslie.com/2017/11/buffalo-chicken-torta-de-pollo-valentina.html
©La Cocina de Leslie
Created using The Recipes Generator















Torta de Pollo Valentina (Buffalo Chicken Torta) #NationalSandwichDay

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Mole Dulce is a delicious labor of love made completely from scratch with Mexican chocolate, dried ancho chiles, piloncillo, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, and more.
Mole Dulce recipe - lacocinadeleslie.com

 Mole is one of those traditional Mexican dishes in which no two recipes are alike. Every family has their own recipe on how to make each kind of mole. Yes, there are several types of mole that range from spicy to sweet, and also vary in color from Mole Amarillo to Mole Negro. One of my favorite moles, and also the first kind of mole I learned to make, is Mole Dulce. It's a sweet, velvety smooth sauce made with Mexican chocolate and a variety of ingredients.

How to make Mole Dulce from scratch - lacocinadeleslie.com

This recipe is a great starting point for those who have never made mole from scratch. Depending on my mood I sometimes add more ingredients like raisins, almonds, peanuts, or coffee, to add even more flavor to my Mole Dulce. I cook the chicken and make the broth from scratch to use in my Mole Dulce, but you can use canned chicken stock and a rotiserrie chicken to save time in la cocina. See tip below for directions on how to cook the chicken and make homemade stock from scratch.

Easy Mole Dulce with Chicken recipe - lacocinadeleslie.com


Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Mole Dulce

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 75 MINStotal time: 90 mins
Mole Dulce is a delicious labor of love made completely from scratch with Mexican chocolate, dried ancho chiles, piloncillo, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, and more.

INGREDIENTS:


  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (for frying) 
  • 1 bolillo roll, cut in 1-inch slices
  • 4 dried ancho chiles
  • 3 roma tomatoes, cut in quarters
  • 6 tomatillos, husks removed
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted pumpkin seeds
  • 1 (3-inch cinnamon stick)
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1 tablet Mexican chocolate (Ibarra or Abuelita brand)
  • 5 cups hot chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup piloncillo, grated
  • 3 lbs. cooked chicken
  • Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Fry the bolillo slices in the oil until golden brown. Transfer fried bolillo slices to a large heat-proof bowl; set aside.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to Dutch oven, if necessary. Fry the dried ancho chiles for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chiles start to plump up. Transfer chiles to heat-proof bowl with the bolillo slices.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the Dutch oven, if necessary. Fry the tomatoes and tomatillos until lightly charred and cooked through. Fry the garlic until light golden brown. Transfer to the heatproof bowl with the bolillo slices and ancho chiles.
  4. Toast the pumpkin seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and whole cloves for about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer to heat-proof bowl with the other ingredients.
  5. Add the Mexican chocolate to the bowl with all of the fried ingredients. Pour in 4 cups of the hot chicken broth. Let soak for at least 10 minutes until the chiles have softened; remove stems from chiles.
  6. Working in batches, puree the bolillo slices, ancho chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, and Mexican chocolate with the chicken broth they were soaked in until smooth.
  7. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in the Ductch oven over low heat. Strain the puree into the hot oil, stirring with a wire whisk to prevent lumps from forming.
  8. Stir in the the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and the grated piloncillo. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the piloncillo has completely dissolved. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  9. Once mole sauce starts to boil, add the cooked chicken pieces and let simmer over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes until heated through. When serving, garnish mole with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with Mexican Rice and warm corn tortillas. Buen provecho!
http://www.lacocinadeleslie.com/2009/05/mole-dulce.html
La Cocina de Leslie
Created using The Recipes Generator

*To cook the chicken and broth from scratch, bring 3lbs. of bone-in skin-on chicken pieces to a boil with 16 cups of water, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, a handful of fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Cover and reduce heat to low; let simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until chicken is tender.














Mole Dulce

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These crunchy Mexican tostadas topped with refried beans, queso fresco, and shredded chicken in a spicy homemade salsa verde topped with lettuce, pickled onions, and sliced radishes make for a simple and delicious dinner any night of the week.


Spicy Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas recipe - lacocinadeleslie.com

This week our town is celebrating las fiestas patronales in honor of St. Michael's feast day (September 29th). It's one of the busiest and most important celebrations of the year for our small town. Because I don't want to miss out on the day to day festivities of las entradas, I am relying on the quickest and easiest recipes in my repetoire to feed my family, so we can avoid ordering out which can be rather costly for a family of six. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I post daily "cook with me" videos in my Insta-stories showing the step-by-step process of the meals I prepare for my family. Today, I made these simple and delicious Spicy Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken Tostadas.


Easy shredded chicken tostada recipe with salsa verde - lacocinadeleslie.com

These Spicy Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas are so easy to make! In the time that it takes the chicken breast to cook, you have more than enough time to prepare the rest of you ingredients, including making the Spicy Serrano Chile Salsa Verde from scratch. (Recipe will be posted tomorrow.) And if you really want to save time in the kitchen, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken in place of cooking the chicken on the stovetop. See what I mean? Súper fácil! (Super easy!)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas

These crunchy Mexican tostadas topped with refried beans, queso fresco, and shredded chicken in a spicy homemade salsa verde topped with lettuce, pickled onions, and sliced radishes make for a simple and delicious dinner any night of the week.

INGREDIENTS:

For the shredded chicken filling:
  • 2 lbs. bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
  • 1/2 medium white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 6 to 8 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 medium white onion, diced
  • 1 cup Spicy Serrano Chile Salsa Verde
For the tostadas:
  • Tostada shells
  • 3 cups Refried Beans
  • 1-1/2 cups crumbled queso fresco
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Cebollas Encurtidas (pickled red onions)
  • Thinly sliced radishes
  • Spicy Serrano Chile Salsa Verde 
  • 1 cup queso cotija

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. In a 4 to 6-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, bring the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a boil with 8 to 10 cups of water over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low; let simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until chicken is tender. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
  2. Remove skin and bones from cooked chicken. Shred or roughly chop the chicken.
  3. Cook the refried beans in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Stir in the shredded or roughly chopped chicken and the salsa verde. Let simmer until heated through.
  5. To assemble the tostadas, spread 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of refried beans on each tostada shell. Top with 2 tablespoons of crumbled queso fresco and 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of the salsa verde shredded chicken. Garnish with shredded lettuce, pickled red onions, sliced radish, Spicy Serrano Chile Salsa, and queso cotija. Enjoy!
http://www.lacocinadeleslie.com/2017/09/spicy-salsa-verde-shredded-chicken.html
La Cocina de Leslie
Created using The Recipes Generator














Spicy Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken Tostadas

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Add flavor and pizazz to your chicken salad with crisp Granny Smith apples, tart dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans.


Cranberry Chicken Salad - lacocinadeleslie.com

This cranberry chicken salad has been sitting in my drafts for a few months now, but I haven't really had a chance to post anything due to a translation project that came up in the middle of my A to Z Recipe Challenge (which I will be continuing soon) and took me about a month and half to finish. And then came some technical difficulties with my laptop. Ay, ay, ay! Thankfully, the problems seem to have been resolved, so I will be back to posting recipes regularly here in my cocina, three days a week. Woo-hoo! Thank you all so much for your patience and kind emails/messages asking where I've been and when I'll be back.

And now on to the recipe...
Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries - lacocinadeleslie.com

This chicken salad is one of my all-time favorites made with tender pieces of shredded chicken, crisp Granny Smith apples, tart dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, celery, red onion, and a mixture of mayonnaise and Mexican crema. It's one of those salads that can be prepared year round. During the hot spring and summer months, we like to eat this atop cruchy tostada shells or served on a bed of romaine lettuce or baby spinach leaves. During the holiday season I like to serve it as an appetizer atop crackers or as a filling for volovanes. And for sporting events or the kiddies' graduation parties, I serve it as a filling for cute little finger sandwiches.

Ensalada de Pollo con Arandanos - lacocinadeleslie.com

No matter how or when you serve this flavorful chicken salad, it is sure to become a family favorite!

You may have noticed that I've added a new printable recipe card to my posts this week. What do you think? Do you like them?


Yield: 8 servings

Cranberry Chicken Salad

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 3 hourstotal time: 3 hours and 15 mins
Add flavor and pizazz to your chicken salad with crisp Granny Smith apples, tart dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans.

INGREDIENTS:


  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup Mexican crema
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. Whisk the mayonnaise, Mexican crema, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
  2. Mix together the chicken, apples, onion, celery, and dried cranberries in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Stir in the chopped pecans just before serving. Enjoy!
http://www.lacocinadeleslie.com/2017/07/cranberry-chicken-salad.html
©La Cocina de Leslie
Created using The Recipes Generator
















Cranberry Chicken Salad

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When you're sick, there's nothing quite as comforting than a bowl of Sopa de Fideo with chicken and vegetables in a spicy tomato broth, just like your abuelita or tías used to make.


Sopa de Fideo w/ Chicken & Veggies - lacocinadeleslie.com


Today's recipe for my A to Z Recipe Challenge is brought to you by the letter "F" and this classic Fideo Soup with chicken and vegetables that always takes me back to my childhood. I suffered from bronchitis and earaches a lot when I was a kid, and my grandmother always made me this comforting soup to help nurse me back to health. Now that I'm older I still crave this soup when I'm sick, and I also make it for my kiddies when they aren't feeling well.


Sopa de Fideo con Pollo - lacocinadeleslie.com

Chicken Vegetable Sopa de Fideo 
lacocinadeleslie.com

Ingredients:

  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium white onion 
  • 1 serrano chiles, stems removed 
  • 1 garlic clove 
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 8 oz. fideo or vermicelli pasta 
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 to 3 cups shredded chicken 
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced 
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced 
  • 2 medium zucchini or Mexican calabacitas, diced
  • 4 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional) 


Directions:
Puree the tomatoes, onion, serrano chile, garlic, and the water in a blender until smooth; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry the fideo, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Carefully pour in the tomato puree, stirring gently to combine. Stir in the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, and cilantro. Cover saucepan and let soup come to a boil. Reduce heat to low; season with salt, to taste. Continue to simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are for tender. Remove cilantro.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro leave. Serve with warm tortillas. Enjoy!

















Chicken Vegetable Sopa de Fideo #AtoZrecipechallenge

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This flavorful pizza topped with a rich mole sauce, shredded chicken, and Oaxaca cheese is sure to score a touchdown with friends and family when watching the big game.


Chicken Mole Pizza - lacocinadeleslie.com

I don't know if you've heard or not, but there's a big football game coming up in the next couple of weeks, and last night my favorite team secured their place in the main event. Woo-hoo! Go Patriots!!! To celebrate my team's big win, I'm sharing one of my game day favorites, because as much as I love watching football and rooting for my team, the thing I look forward to most is the food. My ideal game day menu includes nachos, chicken wings, tacos, guacamole, beer, and lots and lots of pizza. Like this Pizza de Mole (Chicken Mole Pizza), topped with a store-bought mole sauce, shredded chicken, Oaxaca cheese, red onion, and chopped cilantro. No matter who you're rooting for, this pizza will be the real winner!

Homemade Pizza de Mole (Chicken Mole Pizza)

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This slow cooker fajita-style shredded chicken seasoned with ancho chile powder, cumin, garlic, and bell pepper, is a flavorful filling for tacos, burritos, and/or tostadas.



Happy 4th of July, amigos! To my friends and family celebrating in the US, I hope you are having a safe and happy Independence Day. And because it's also the first Monday of a new month it's time for another installment of The Secret Recipe Club. My assignment this month is my friend Dorothy's blog, Shockingly Delicious. With 25 years of recipe writing and recipe developing under her belt, Dorothy offers great recipes, tips, and how-to's that'll transform just about anyone into a fabulous home cook. Dorothy's byline--"unbelievably drool-worthy, scrumptious, 'scary good' recipes for people who love food"--is the perfect description of her blog, I have been a fan and follower of Dorothy's blog since "meeting" her in another cooking group a few years ago.

Secret Recipe Club: Slow Cooker Fajita Chicken Tostadas

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Salpicón de Pollo is a refreshing Mexican chicken salad seasoned with cilantro, serrano chiles, lime juice, onion, tomato, and avocado.


Salpicón de Pollo - lacocinadeleslie.com

Salpicón is a classic Mexican salad traditionally made with shredded beef, but it can also be made with pork, fish, shrimp, and chicken. All versions are absolutely delicious, but my favorite is this one made with shredded chicken breast. The fresh lime juice and olive oil combined with the onion, tomato, cilantro and serrano chiles makes for a simple yet slightly tangy dressing. Chicken Salpicón is perfect for hot summer days because it's light, refreshing and super easy to make.

Shredded Chicken Salpicón

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Chicken Pozole Verde is a traditional Mexican chicken and hominy soup in a tomatillo and roasted poblano pepper broth.


Chicken Pozole Verde - lacocinadeleslie.com


For our final entry in our #SoupWeek celebration I have something very special for you... Chicken Pozole Verde AND the return of She Made/Ella Hace with my good friend Heather (aka girlichef) from the blog All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. (Pausing for a 30-second happy dance!) Heather was one of my first blogging friends and she was the mastermind behind us starting She Made/Ella Hace oh so many years ago. I've enjoyed hanging out in the cocina with Heather over the years, and I'm so happy that we'll continue to cook up wonderful dishes together in 2016.

She Made/Ella Hace: Chicken Pozole Verde #SoupWeek

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Classic BBQ Chicken Sandwiches filled with tender pieces of shredded chicken in a tangy vinegar-based North Carolina style barbecue sauce.


Happy Labor Day to my friends (and family) in the US! But that's not the only thing we're celebrating today. The first Monday of a the month means it's also time for another installment of The Secret Recipe Club. Every month I'm assigned a new food blog from which I choose a recipe or two to cook and share here in my cocina on reveal day. This month my assignment is Cupcake Muffin, written by Sara who has been blogging for 8 years. One thing that really stood out to me about Sara's well-written blog is a list of menus that she's currently cooking her way through. The list of menus was recently given to her by her mom, but they were originally written by her great-grandmother, and has been passed down from generation to generation. Isn't that incredible?!

Secret Recipe Club: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

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All the flavor of hot wings in a creamy, cheesy, and spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip made with Valentina Hot Sauce.


Buffalo Chicken Dip with Salsa Valentina - lacocinadeleslie.com

I'm so excited about this month's Secret Recipe Club because I've been a long-time admirer of my blog assignment for this month. Daily Dish Recipes is written by Nicole. Nicole is a mom of 5, writer, food blogger, and she has one heck of a green thumb. (I have major garden envy!) Because Nicole and I got to know each other through another food blogging group I have pinned and made a few of her simple, down home, feel good recipes. Like her Jolly Rancher Vodka. A must try! Other recipes I've wanted to try are Nicole's Pumpkin Donuts, Corn Cob Jelly, Crockpot Curry Chicken, and Summer Berry Cinnamon Bread Pudding.

Secret Recipe Club: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip w/ Valentina Hot Sauce

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Tender pieces of chicken in a rich, chocolate mole sauce wrapped in warm corn tortillas.

Tacos de Mole - lacocinadeleslie.com


These shredded chicken tacos are a cinch to make especially with the help of an old family friend, Doña Maria. Doña Maria is a brand of mole paste and it's the only kind of mole I ate growing up with my Mexican grandparents. Over the years I've learned to make various mole sauces from scratch, but every once in a while I crave the mole that my grandparents made.

Shredded Chicken Tacos de Mole

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It's the beginning of a new month which means it's time for another edition of The Secret Recipe Club. This month my assignment was Edesia's Notebook written by Lesa, a mid-western wife and mom with two very precious little girls. I was immediately drawn to Lesa's blog just from the title because Edesia is the name of the Roman goddess of food. (I love Greek and Roman mythology!)

As usual the kiddies and I looked through Lesa's blog trying to decide which of her mouth-watering recipes to make. Family friendly recipes like Baked Tilapia w/ Spinach & Tomatoes, Tequila Marinated Steak Quesadillas, and Strawberry Caprese Salad were just a few that caught my attention.

Ultimately we chose Lesa's Bacon Ranch Chicken Pizza because who doesn't love pizza? And with ingredients like ranch dressing and bacon, we really couldn't resist. This colorful pizza was a huge hit with everyone, including my suegro (father-in-law) and my boys who usually pick off the veggies I try to sneak on their pizza. I'm pretty sure it was the ranch dressing that got them to eat all their veggies and I'm totally okay with that.



Secret Recipe Club: Bacon Ranch Chicken Pizza

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I've shared many a recipe for enchiladas here in my cocina over the years: Potato Enchiladas, Enchiladas de Mole, Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Scrambled Egg Enchiladas, Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas, and even Swiss Chard Enchiladas. But there are still quite a few enchilada recipes that I haven't shared yet, like these Poblano Chicken Enchiladas Blancas. Creamy and cheesy enchiladas stuffed with shredded chicken, roasted poblano peppers, and golden corn kernels. They get the name Enchiladas Blancas because instead of a red or green chile enchilada sauce, they are made with sour cream.

This is a great recipe to use leftover shredded chicken, but I'm including how to cook the chicken if you'd like to make this recipe from scratch.


Poblano Chicken Enchiladas Blancas #WeekdaySupper

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This month for She Made/Ella Hace my partner-in-crime girlichef and I chose Pipian as our theme, which couldn't be more perfect for me as I've had a bit of an obsession with pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) the last couple of weeks. I can't seem to resist stirring them into everything and anything like salads, yogurt, cookies, homemade granola... The list goes on and on. But one of my favorite ways to enjoy pepitas is in Pipián.

Pipián is a traditional Mexican sauce that gets its distinct grainy texture from the pepitas. Pipián can be made in one of two ways: Pipián Verde made with tomatillos and roasted poblano peppers and Pipián Rojo made with tomatoes and dried ancho chiles. Pipián can be served over fish (girlichef made Salmon in Pipián Verde), shrimp, roasted pork, or chicken. Whether you choose to make Pipián Verde or Rojo, you'll love the nutty flavor the pepitas adds to this exquisite sauce.

Pipian Rojo Sauce made w/ Pepitas - lacocinadeleslie.com

She Made/Ella Hace: Chicken Pipián Rojo

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Chicken Pipian Verde - lacocinadeleslie.com

Have you ever said, "I feel like chicken tonight!" only to be greeted with cries of, "No, not chicken again!" from your family? Well it happens to me. Sometimes. And on those rare occasions, I turn to a recipe that I like to call my secret weapon, because my family cannot resist it's charm, nor it's deliciousness.

Pipián Verde is an exquisite traditional Mexican sauce made with roasted poblano peppers, tomatillos, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) that can be served over chicken or turkey. The pepitas are what give Pipián it's distinctive texture. There's also a Pipián Rojo made with tomatoes and dried ancho chiles, that I promise to share with you very soon. (Look for it next week.)

Chicken Pipián Verde #WeekdaySupper

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'Tis the day before Thanksgiving and we are all very busy cooking and getting ready for the big day tomorrow.  But have you thought about what you're going to eat for dinner tonight?  If not, I have a quick and easy dinner idea for you today as part of this week's #WeekdaySupper.

Chile Verde Chicken Quesadillas are one of my go-to meals when I need to get lunch (our biggest meal of the day here in Mexico) on the table in a hurry.  Whenever I cook chicken breast, I like to cook extra to help me save time later in the week.  But I've also made these quesadillas with leftover rotisserie chicken.  And for a complete meal, I like to serve these with my Chopped Salad with Garlic Mexican Crema Dressing.

lacocinadeleslie.com

Chile Verde Chicken Quesadillas
lacocinadeleslie.com

Ingredients:
  • 12 to 15 tomatillos
  • 2 serrano chiles
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or 
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • Cheese (I use queso fresco, but you can use your fave cheese)
  • Cilantro
  • Corn tortillas 
  • Mexican crema or sour cream

Directions:
Remove husks from the tomatillos, and rinse the tomatillos well with water. In a medium saucepan over medium heat cook the tomatillos and the serrano chiles in 3 cups of water until fully cooked. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Puree the cooked tomatillos and chiles with 1 cup of the water they were cooked in.  Pour into a bowl and season with salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium skillet.  Add the chopped onion and saute for about 1 minute.  Add the chicken and half of the salsa verde.  Cook until heated through.

To make the quesadillas, heat the corn tortillas on a comal or griddle until soft and pliable. Spread one side of the tortillas with Mexican crema or sour cream.  Spoon a couple of heaping tablespoons of the chicken onto one of the tortillas, and top with another tortilla, cream side down.  Heat the quesadillas on a comal and griddle over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes per side or until the cheese has completely melted. Serve with remaining salsa verde.  Enjoy!
lacocinadeleslie.com

This Week's #WeekdaySupper menu: 

Monday - Ham & Cheese Calzones from The Foodie Army Wife
Tuesday - Spaghetti Ubriachi from Crazy Foodie Stunts 
Wednesday - Chicken Chile Verde Quesadillas from La Cocina de Leslie 
Thursday - Roast Beef Rice Noodle Salad from Magnolia Days 
Friday - Slow Cooker Teriyaki Turkey from Foxes Love Lemons 



  Photobucket








Chile Verde Chicken Quesadillas #WeekdaySupper

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Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas - lacocinadeleslie.com

It taken me a while this year, thanks to my recent obsession with sweet potatoes, but pumpkin has finally made an appearance in my Cocina.  I just couldn't resist a rather large calabaza de castilla (pumpkin) I saw at el mercado (the market) a couple of weeks ago.  As soon as I got that baby home, I cut it up, set aside the seeds to make Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds), and put it on the stove to cook.  I ended up with about 12 cups of pumpkin puree to do with as my heart desired.  And my heart has been desiring all kinds of yummy pumpkin dishes ever since.

Aside from making my usual favorites like pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie, I have been stirring pumpkin puree into just about everything; smoothies, tres leches cake (stay tuned for that recipe), Arroz con Leche (rice pudding), and even enchilada sauce.  Yes, enchilada sauce!  And it was AMAZING!  It knocked all of our socks off.  My hubby said it's the best enchilada sauce I've ever made.  We loved the pumpkin enchiladas so much, I've already made them twice this month. And they'll probably make another appearance at our table before the month is through.

The pumpkin adds a luxurious velvety texture to the sauce, and the spices (cinnamon, clove, cumin, and paprika) add a hearty robust flavor to the spicy and smoky dried chilies.  And the color is absolutely gorgeous!


lacocinadeleslie.com

Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas



 Ingredients:
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion, cut in half
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Cilantro
  • 3 dried ancho chilies
  • 1 dried guajillo chile
  • 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 12 to 16 flour tortillas
  • Queso fresco, crumbled
  • Thinly sliced red onion, for garnish
  • Mexican crema

Directions:
Cook the chicken breasts with half of the onion, the garlic clove, a couple sprigs of cilantro, salt, and enough water to completely cover the chicken.  Once the chicken is completely cooked, remove from heat and let cool slightly; shred or chop the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce.  Bring the dried chilies to a boil in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies.  In a blender, puree the chilies with the water they were cooked in and the pumpkin puree until smooth.  Pour the pureed sauce into the same saucepan the chilies were cooked in.  If the sauce is too thick, add a little water, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency.  Season the sauce with salt, ground cinnamon, paprika, ground cumin, ground cloves, salt and black pepper, adding more spices (if necessary) to fit your taste; set aside.

Finely chop the remaining half of onion.  Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onion and saute for about 1 minute.  Stir in the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce, and the 1 cup of chicken broth.  Cook until heated through.

Now to make the enchiladas.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Ladle 1/3 cup of the Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce into an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish.  Heat the flour tortillas until soft and pliable.  Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken down the center of each tortilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons of queso fresco.  Roll tortilla up like a burrito and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Top first layer of enchiladas with half of the Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce and about 1/2 cup of crumbled queso fresco.  Repeat with a second layer of enchiladas.

Bake enchiladas in oven for about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven. Top enchiladas with Mexican crema and garnish with sliced red onion and finely chopped cilantro.  Serve with Refried Beans and Mexican Rice. Enjoy!

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