Red Sauce Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 5 chile guajillo (dried peppers that can be purchased from any Hispanic grocery store or sold pre-packaged in Walmart)
• 4 large black peppercorns or 8 small ones
• 2 cloves (sweet, not garlic)
• Queso fresco- 10oz block (white crumbly cheese sold at Walmart and other grocery stores, including Hispanic stores)
• 8oz tub of sour cream or Mexican table cream (your preference, but Mexican cream is more authentic, can be purchased from Walmart and Hispanic grocery stores)
• Head of lettuce or bag of pre-shredded/ chopped lettuce
• 3/4 cup cooking oil of your preference
• 2 large carrots and 2 medium potatoes (quantity can be adjusted to your preference)
• Corn tortillas (homemade or store bought)
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked and shredded (can buy rotisserie chicken and shred if desired)

Cooking Steps:

1. Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes and carrots into cubes or likewise small pieces.
2. Cook carrots and potatoes in boiling water until soft (10-15 minutes). Veggies can be cooked together or in separate pots. Once cooked, drain, and place together in a bowl to cool.
3. Shred lettuce to desired shape and size. Rinse off with cold water, drain, and set aside.
4. In a pan, on medium heat with a splash of oil, add potatoes and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sautée until they start to crisp. Remove from heat and reserve in a bowl.
5. Cut chiles open, remove stems, seeds, and veins. In a preheated pan, add a bit of oil and the cleaned guajillo chiles. Stir and flip constantly so they don't burn. You just want to heat them up. Then place the chiles in a bowl with 1 cup of hot (almost boiling) water and let them steep and soften in the water for 15 minutes. Make sure the chiles are submerged in the water. Add more water if needed.
6. Place softened chiles in the blender with the peppercorns, sweet cloves, and the water used to soften the chiles (1 cup). Blend until smooth.
7. Use a wire mesh strainer to strain the blended chile mix over a bowl. This will catch chunks, seeds, and any imperfections that you don't want in your enchilada sauce. This blended and strained mix is your enchilada sauce and it should be smooth. If it is very thick, you can add a bit more water, but you don't want the sauce soupy or too watery.
8. Dip your tortillas in the red sauce (enchilada sauce) so that they are completely covered on both sides. This works best when the tortillas are warm. You don't want the tortilla sopping wet, just lightly covered. Then place your tortilla in a preheated pan with hot oil and fry for about twenty seconds on each side. The tortilla should not be hard. You want it so that it's still malleable and able to fold. Place the fried tortilla on a plate to the side. (Can line the plate with papertowels to soak up any additional oil if desired.) Continue this step to make as many tortillas as you wish or until you run out of sauce. The amount of enchiladas this yields is variable but is usually enough for three-four people.

To plate:

1. Line the chopped or shredded lettuce on the plate, essentially making a bed of lettuce
2. Place the fried tortilla flat on top of the lettuce. Place the shredded and cooked chicken inside and fold in half like a taco. Place as many as desired (or can fit) on your plate.
3. Top with the cooked potatoes and carrots. As much as you desire.
4. Drizzle with cream (if desired).
5. Add the cheese on top. Queso fresco comes as a block but is easy to crumble with your fingers. If you can't find queso fresco you can use queso panela or queso cotija (also sold at Hispanic grocery stores), shredded mozzarella or grated parmesan cheese.
6. This step is optional depending on your preference and heat level. The enchilada sauce will not be spicy because the chiles used are very mild. If you wish for more heat, you can add a hot sauce of your choice or serve it with pickled jalapeños.
7. Another optional choice is to dice some tomatoes and onions (red or white) and sprinkle on top to give it some additional flavor. If you have any extra enchilada sauce left, you can also pour it over your enchiladas if desired.