A Recipe! Just Like Pioneer Woman Without The Very Cool Pictures! And The Guilt Which Comes From Knowing How Darling Chickens Are!

So Mr. Moon is out of town and the chickens are tucked up and really, I have nothing I need to do. The frogs are tuning up for the evening concert and I feel certain that Two And A Half Men is a rerun.

SJ has asked me to give a recipe for chicken enchiladas and why not? But please understand that my "recipes" come as I cook, which means the measurements are, oh- how you say? Imprecise at best.
And as I have said, these are far from authentic Mexican enchiladas.
But they are good.

Once a girlfriend was here for the weekend and on the second day she'd been here she discovered some leftover enchiladas in the refrigerator.

"What are these?" she asked, folding the foil back on something which looked very much like the picture above and I said, "Oh, just some leftover enchiladas."
"Can I have some?" she asked.
"Well of course," I said.
She got a serving out and nuked it and tried a bite. She looked at me with a sort of pained, disbelieving expression.
"And these have been here all weekend?"

She liked them. You might too. They are great for a family and make terrific leftovers. I like them cold with hot sauce on them. I have been eating them for three days now and am not tired of them yet.

Chicken Enchiladas (AKA Mexican Lasagna)

Boil two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in enough water to cover. Add some garlic salt to the water. About a tablespoon.
When the chicken is tender, take it out of the water and allow to cool.
Save the liquid for soup if you wish.

In a medium-sized iron saucepan (if you have one, and I am sorry for you if you do not), heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and spray liberally with some sort of cooking spray. When hot, add a chopped onion, two (at least) pressed garlic cloves, and whatever peppers you desire. Right now I have cubanelles in my garden and I used those. Also I believe I used a can of chopped chilies. But whatever.
When the onion is almost translucent, add a pint of sliced fresh mushrooms. White. Baby portobellos, whatever is on sale.
Let the mixture continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are softened and then add (I almost shudder with embarrassment but still- tell the truth and fear no man) about 3/4 of a can of enchilada sauce. I use El Paso. Spice with chili powder and hot sauce to your taste. Add chicken, shredded by hand. Let cook down until almost all the liquid has either disappeared or soaked into the chicken and mushrooms. Take the pot off the stove and allow it to cool a bit.
Spray your favorite casserole dish with cooking spray. Get out a plate and a package of corn tortillas. I like corn tortillas. I think they are better for us than flour tortillas, plus they are cheaper and I like the way they taste. They remind me of Mexico.
Now here's where it gets a bit tricky. Some people claim you need to dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce or else heat them up until they are flexible. I say fine if you want to do that. Me? I just use them as they come and if they split, well, so be it.
Take one tortilla at a time and on the plate, place some of the chicken mixture (about three tablespoons?) in the middle of the tortilla and roll it up. Place the rolled-up tortilla in the casserole dish, seam down. Repeat, laying the tortillas next to each other like wrapped up babies needing to cuddle each other. Sprinkle with cheese. You may use whatever kind of cheese you like. I used that reduced fat Mexican blend in my last batch. Use whatever amount you feel good about. This is your cholesterol, not mine.
Repeat with another layer of tortillas rolled with the chicken mixture on top. Sprinkle with more cheese.

Take what is left of your chicken mixture (and hopefully, there IS some left).
Put it back on the stove and add chopped or sliced black olives- again- however many you want- and some corn. I like to just use the kernels I cut from a cob but drained canned or frozen is fine with me. Also, a can of drained chili beans. And whatever left-over salsa you might have in your refrigerator. Green taco sauce is also good. If you have any tomatoes you're not planning on using for anything else, chop those up and add them too. And the rest of the can of enchilada sauce and then another whole can. Again, add hot sauce and chili powder to your taste. And chopped jalapenos if you would like! Yum! If you want to play a trick on your children, you may add some finely chopped yellow squash or zucchini to this mixture.
Let all of this simmer for awhile. Not too long.
Pour the whole thing over your rolled tortillas. Sprinkle a few sliced black olives over the top if you wish. Or chopped cilantro. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until the whole thing is bubbling and the cheese is melted (it will be) and then uncover and let the top brown.

Serve with a salad made of bitter greens and fruit and a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette with sunflower seeds.

Enjoy yourself.
Ole!