I posted some time ago my wife was getting bored with the repetitive flavors I migrate toward. Time to mix it up and add my own twist.
I recently was inspired by a YouTube video for tamales. I used the inspiration to come up with two chili sauces, one red, one green, for braised chicken thighs. I was left with a lot of leftover sauce. Time for chilaquiles!
My own twist is adding the raisins. It adds a hint of a sweet element that is very non-traditional, but man it grows on 'ya.
Corn tortilla chips, scrambled or fried eggs, green or red sauce, sour cream, and cilatro. Cheese optional.
Anyway, here are the sauce recipes.
Green Enchilada Sauce - Ray's
Ingredients
5-6 Freshly roasted, peeled, and seeded Anaheim Peppers, chopped
½ onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
1 30 oz can tomatillos, drained
⅔ cup golden raisins (essential for me, optional for others)
½ Tbs cumin
½ tsp Mexican oregano
1 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken paste
1 cup boiling water.
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems.
1 or 2 hot peppers - jalapeños or habaneros, chopped, seeded (optional)
Directions
Preheat pan and oil over med-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and hot peppers (if using). Sauté until the onion just starts to get tender, then add the roasted chopped peppers, tomatillos, raisins, hot peppers, and seasonings. Break the tomatillos open. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer on low uncovered for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and rest for 10 minutes. Then blend into a sauce. Cover and cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Red Enchilada Sauce - Ray's
Inspired by America's Test Kitchen chicken tamale YouTube video.
I added the raisins to the recipe. Great balance. This sauce is FANTASTIC! The recipe below makes about 5-6 cups of sauce.
Ingredients
3-4 cups dried, seeded Guajillo chilies, chopped
1 onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbs oil
1 Tbs cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 cup raisins (regular and/or golden)
4 cups Better than Bouillon chicken broth
1 or 2 hot peppers - jalapeños or habaneros
Directions
Toast chopped, dried chilies over medium heat just until fragrant, about 3-6 minutes. Don't burn them. Set aside in a bowl.
Add 3 Tbs oil to pan. Add the chopped onion and hot peppers (if using). Saute over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, spices, raisins, and dried/toasted chilies. Stir to mix. Add the broth. Bring to a simmer, add cracked cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool uncovered for another 10 minutes. Spoon into blender and blend until smooth.
Use to braise chicken, pork, or beef. Serve over rice. Use with ground beef, pork, or poultry for tacos.
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