Chicken Enchiladas and Homemade Tomatillo Sauce

In my CSA delivery this week were a bunch of tomatillos.   Now, having grown up in NJ I didn't have a lot of exposures to tomatillos.  In fact, I don't think I ever saw one until I moved to California.  Since I've lived here, I've come to love them and the salsa verde for which they are generally the main ingredient.  So when I got this bunch of beautiful tomatillos, I decided to make some tomatillo sauce and use it for chicken enchiladas.  Since I was rushing to get out the door this evening for a meeting, I didn't get a chance to take a picture before we dug in.   But here is a lovely picture of a couple of tomatillos for your viewing pleasure!  

Tomatillo Sauce

6 tomatillos, husked and cleaned

3 chopped scallions, whites only

1 can of diced chiles or 2-3 fresh green chiles

1 clove garlic

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt

Chicken Enchiladas

makes about 6 enchiladas

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

2 cups of shredded Jack cheese

6 tortillas (I use flour, but you can use corn too)

-- Preheat oven to 350°

-- Quarter tomatillos and place in medium saucepan with scallions, chiles and garlic

-- Let tomatillos boil, then simmer until tomatillos are soft, about 20 minutes

-- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs of canola oil in saute pan over high heat.  Add onion when oil is almost smoking

-- Cook onions until soft

-- Add chicken and cook until just past pink

-- Remove tomatillos from heat, put in blender or food processor with cilantro and lime.  Blend and add salt to taste

-- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saute pan large enough to allow a tortilla to lay flat.  When oil is hot, add one tortilla to pan just long enough to soften (make sure to flip it to get both sides exposed to pan).  Remove tortilla, set aside in plate, and continue with remaining tortillas.   You may need to add more oil.

-- Spread a thin layer of tomatillo sauce over the bottom of a baking dish

-- Ladle 1-2 tablespoons of chicken into tortilla (depending on the size of your tortilla), add cheese, and fold and roll into enchilada.   Place seam-side down in baking dish

-- Continue with remaining tortillas until dish is filled with a single layer of enchiladas

-- Cover tops of enchiladas with tomatillo sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese (about 1 cup)

-- Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is just starting to brown

-- Serve immediately and enjoy!  

I've also learned that tomatillos are pretty easily frozen.  All you have to do is remove the husks, clean and dry them, and then pop them into a freezer bag.   When you're ready to use them, just remove as many as you like, and thaw.