Bwhaaa! Secret Recipe Club

I joined Amanda's Cookin' Secret Recipe Club. What you do in this club is sneak on over to someone's blog (another person in the club that Amanda picks for you) and steal (ok, recreate) a recipe that you find there. You can join too.

I was given Aiessio Recipe Taster blog. (Hi Aiessio sweetie!)



I adore Mexican food. It isn't easy to find here in New England. I grew up in California and between living in Southern California and Northern California most my life I am spoiled. So, I take as many opportunities to make it at home. That is why when I saw that Alissio had This Aint Lasagna on his website I had to give it a try. Alissio adapted his from "Fine Cooking".

I was home for the day so I decided to really get into this dish. I started off with the grill. It was a beautiful day and a perfect excuse to be outside.



I love standing out there smelling the food on the grill and making the neighbors jealous. Actually, I don't think the neighbors care or can smell it but it sounded good.



Before I put the chicken on the grill I doused it with Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Pepper. I put Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Pepper on everything. I love it. No they don't pay me for singing its praises but I wish they did. Shut up, I don't just like it because it is called Krazy pepper.



Alissio lives in Bonn, Germany and he adapted this recipe to what he could find in the way of the ingredients. I adapted this recipe from Alissio.



I used the original recipe but I added some Cumin and Garlic. I couldn't imagine Mexican food without it. I also couldn't find Anaheim peppers so I used Hungarian Waxed peppers. The dish had a kick but not too much.



Tortillas are browned just a bit.



The stacks are made. This recipe isn't hard at all but it does take some time. I also don't think that it is a dish that would hold up well if it were to have to sit for a long time. I don't think it would sit for a long time because it is so good that there will be none left after your first taste.



Thanks Recipe Taster! I love this recipe.

Alissio's This Aint Lasagna

Ingredients

1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles) 24 ounces 678 grams - roast, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely. Other green chiles (NOT bell peppers) could probably be substituted but be conscious of heat and size!) (*I* used hungarian waxed and it was fine)
7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium) 212 grams - peel, remove stems
4 cups Chicken broth (32 ounces/920 grams)
1 clove Garlic , minced
2 teaspoons yellow onion , minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste)
¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)
Hot sauce , your favorite, optional
2 Boneless chicken breasts (you can also use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs)
3 tablespoons Olive oi l or other neutral vegetable oil (use more as needed)
Kosher salt and pepper
12 Small Corn tortillas (5-6 inch/13-15 cm). (you can also use wheat tortillas or other wraps)
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack , 170 grams (other cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cheeses) can be used. Just be sure they melt well and complement the filling)
Cilantro for garnish , chopped and sprinkled optional
** I added about 1 Tbl of Cumin and 1Tbl of minced garlic to Tomatillo sauce)


Directions:
Roasting Fresh Chiles

1. Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster.
2. Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.
3. As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.
4. Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.
5. DO NOT RINSE! (I rinsed. I always do...I am such a rebel.)

Green Chile Sauce
1. Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.
2. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.
3. Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
6. Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

Stacked Green Chile and Grilled Chicken Enchiladas

1. Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts.
3. Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.
4. In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
5. Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.
8. In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas, ladle a thin layer of sauce.
9. Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup (4 ounces/112 grams) of sauce over the tortillas.
10. Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.
11. Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.
12. Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.
13. Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
14. To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes.