Taste of the South

Ever since Jason and I took a spring break trip to visit Gavin and Lindsay we've had a desperate craving for chile of all kinds. We are addicted to the green Anaheim chile pepper.  Commonly grown in New Mexico, it has a  fresh green vegetable taste with mild temperature (comparatively speaking of course. For my sensitive taste buds, these little things can set a tongue on fire!). Almost as good as the taste are the nutrition facts. I am delighted to say that Chiles are rich in vitamins, especially vitamin A, and have twice as much vitamin C as a single orange.  They also give the body good amounts of vitamin B, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, and potassium.  The bright color of a green chile signifies a great amount of antioxidant beta-carotene that can help keep a healthy heart, beautiful skin, keen eyesight, and a strong immune system.
So, in quest for green chile goodness, Jason and I made this delicious recipe. Cheers!

Chicken Enchiladas with Black Beans and Creamy Green Chile Sauce

If you're lazy like me, you can buy canned black beans and just add a couple teaspoons of cumin to give them extra flavor. Also, green chile sauce at the store makes this meal a cinch. To make this recipe less meat and cheese oriented, I also like to garnish with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 12 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil for pan-frying
• 3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast halves, shredded
• 10 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 1 can seasoned black beans
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup sliced olives
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas (one at a time) for 5 seconds on each side to soften and make them pliable. Add more oil to pan as needed. Drain between layers of paper towel and keep warm.
3. Divide chicken, 10 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese, black beans and onion among the 12 tortillas. Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in a greased baking pan.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until mixture begins to boil. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a whisk until thickened. Mix in the sour cream and chiles, heat thoroughly but do not boil, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over the enchiladas.
5. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions, ripe olives and cilantro.