TSM Homemade Recipe: Enchilada

 

Admit it or not, nowadays, most of us Mummies don’t really have the time or the patience to cook. I am definitely one of them! But lately, since the “cooking bug” has bitten me again, I promised myself and the kids that I will try (yes, the word is “try”) to cook dinner for them at least twice a week.

So I will be starting a series here on the blog called TSM Homemade Recipes to share with you some of the simplest and easiest recipes I have done at home. Because really, I like it plain and simple.

But before I begin… let me tell you that first, I don’t follow the exact measurements of any recipe to a T. Yes, I am a rebel in that sense – which explains why I can cook but cannot bake! 🙂 Most of the dishes I cook at home are based on my approximation of a recipe. This also tells you that you are free to do the same with the recipes I will be posting here.

Second, I base everything on my family’s own tastes and preferences. Because to me – and I guess to all Mummies out there who cook for the family, that’s all that really matters, doesn’t it? So cook what you and your kids love and just add or deduct ingredients according to your own liking. Don’t be afraid to experiment because even the best of cooks went through several trials and errors before finding that one perfect recipe.

So yes, I am not a professional chef nor a well-trained cook, so these TSM Homemade Recipes are really just that – my own homemade recipes. A compilation of recipes that I have accumulated through the years — from cookbooks, magazines, websites and friends. These are recipes that I have modified and simplified to make our life — a Mummy’s life waaay easier.

The goal here is to show that anyone — yes just about anyone can cook! If I can cook, so can you. Cooking is fun and therapeutic. The kitchen is your playground. The recipe is your guide and you are the master! 🙂

Sharing with you one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite chefs, Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Bouchon) :

So let’s cook!

ENCHILADA

This was a dish I did just the other night when I saw that we still have a packet of tortilla wrappers left in the freezer. And the first thing that came to my mind upon seeing this was to make Enchilada! I searched what else was in the fridge and pantry and decided to use whatever ingredients I have on hand and try to make it work together. There are really no hard and fast rules here. With Enchilada, you can have as many kinds of filling and as varied as you want as possible. For the purposes of this recipe, I chose to make a Pork Enchilada.

Ingredients :

1 packet whole wheat flour tortilla

½ kilo pork tenderloin (*you can also replace this with chicken breast or ground beef or turkey)

1- 2 tbsps chopped garlic and onions

2 cans of whole peeled or crushed tomatoes

(*if not available, any tomato sauce you have lying in the pantry!)

2 cups water

fresh herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, bay leaf

(*if you don’t have time to buy fresh herbs, you may use their counterpart dried herbs)

soft cheeses – as many kinds as you want (mozzarella, gruyere, fontina, ricotta, cottage cheese etc)

Optional : corn, chia seeds, flax seeds

Procedure :

Step 1 : Make your enchilada sauce. In a pot, combine peeled or crushed tomatoes, water, fresh or dried herbs, chopped onions and garlic.

Step 2 : Add your preferred meat : pork, chicken, beef or turkey (One or two kinds of meat for an enchilada is good but don’t mix all 4 together — too confusing for the palate, lol!) I used pork tenderloin here.

Step 3 : Simmer and slow cook everything in medium heat until the meat are soft and tender.

Step 4 : Once the meat are tender, separate the sauce and meat with a strainer and shred the meat. Add corn and fresh herbs to the shredded meat, mix and set them aside.

Step 5 : Prepare your tortilla wrappers. Add your softest cheese as base – I chose cottage cheese here because it is low in fat and high in protein. Place your meat on top of your cottage cheese. Then I added a sprinkling of chia and flax seeds here too – for added nutrients like omega and fiber. This is optional of course, but since they are tasteless anyway, they won’t exactly ruin the flavor… just my way of getting the kids more nutrition – without them knowing! 🙂

Step 6 : Fold your tortilla and place them in a baking pan.

Step 7 : Pour your simmered tomato sauce on top of the tortilla. Top it with your preferred cheese. I used mozzarella here, because it melts easily.

Step 8 : Bake in the oven at 350C for only 10 minutes and that’s it! You’re done, Mummy!

Step 10 : Serve while hot, while cheese is melting and oozing… and don’t forget to smile! (Kids can tell if you enjoyed cooking it or not! 🙂 )