Chicken Enchilada Using Crepes

The two main spices for this recipe, along with Adam's Reserve and the new Culinary Tonight spices

Steaming flour or corn tortillas makes them fairly easily to handle, but it won’t make your man any happier with the taste of the enchiladas. My husband does not like flour tortillas and complains if I use them, so I make crepes. Crepes are not, at all, difficult to make even if the hype says they are and especially when you realize that they are really just a thin pancake. There are several recipes across the internet that work great and then there is the simple way; use a pancake mix and thin it to the right consistency. I don’t have precise measurements for the crepes I make; its 3-eggs, approximately 1/3 cup of margarine or butter (mine are not weight watchers friendly), milk and flour until the mixture meets my satisfaction. There are, also, egg crepes that require no flour—we’re not fond of this type.

When my children were younger, I would make enough crepe batter to produce 20-beautifully golden super-thin pieces and end up with 10 by the time the meat was finished. There were no mistakes, but there was a lot of sneaking into the kitchen while mom wasn’t looking, to grab a crepe or two. There would be a third or fourth before they got caught, literally, with their hands in the crepe stack.

The only “real secret” to crepes is in the pan, the pan must be hot, hot, hot…not hot enough to burn, but fairly hot so that the mixture begins to cook on contact. I use a ladle to dip the mixture from the bowl and pour into the pan while rolling to coat the bottom evenly. It’s easy-peasy and use a spatula to flip them…tossing crepes into the air when your vent-a-hood is too low, will only cause a disaster that Mr. Clean frowns upon.  

Crepes

Chicken Filling:

Boil and bone 3-leg quarters, or use 3-boneless, skinless breast, shredding the pieces with a fork

3 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

½ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cumin or 1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cilantro (if using fresh cilantro, the measurements will vary)

1/3 cup water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/3 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

In 10-inch sauté/fry pan, over medium-high heat, add 3 tbsp oil and onions. When onions become transparent, add chicken, nutmeg, cumin, cilantro and water. Allow mixture to begin to bubble, add bouillon cubes. Heat mixture through, reduce heat to low, add cheese and allow cheese to melt. Reduce heat to warm and cover.

White Sauce:

1-8 oz. container sour cream or 1-8 oz. cream cheese

2 tsp lemon juice

1/3 cup milk

½ cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

½ tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

In 2-quart sauce pan, over medium-heat, add sour cream, lemon juice, and milk. Allow mixture to heat through, but do not burn. Reduce heat and add cheese, paprika, salt, and pepper. When using cream cheese, it is necessary to add a little more milk to make it a creamy consistency—similar to gravy. Do not forget the lemon juice, as it helps to break down the sour cream or the cream cheese.

Note: This recipe will feed 4 easily. To stretch the mixture, it’s always a great recipe to use those extra peppers from the garden. For a spicier sauce, use ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Using Adam’s Diced Onions will alleviate some of the time spent on prep. There is no oven baking to melt the cheese, all portions of the recipe are made on the stove top. While making the crepes, keep your eyes peeled for marauding children with big eyes and little sticky fingers.