Salsa - Home Cooked Recipe 61

Who doesn't love salsa??? You can get it in any form of heat, from no spice at all to blow your head off hot.  It is fresh, low in fat and calories, and a great condiment for many things.  Plus add some chips and you have a great snack.  
I have never made my own salsa before.  There are so many great jarred varieties out there that I never really thought about it.  I have made my own pico de gallo before, but it is different than a salsa.  So now that I decided it was time, I looked up some recipes online, got inspired, and made my own.  You can adjust the heat level to your specific taste.  I made this version at a medium heat level.

Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz can diced petite tomatoes
• 2 jalapenos, 1 deseeded
• 3 garlic cloves (preferably minced)
• 1/4 of a red onion, diced
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
• pinch of sugar

***All of these ingredients can be adjusted to taste

Directions:
In a food processor or mini chopper combine all ingredients (I had to do it in two batches in my mini food processor).  Pulse for a minute then let stay on for another 30 seconds.  Refrigerate for an hour to let flavors blend.  Serve with tortilla chips.
Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas With Green Chile Sauce - Home Cooked Recipe 3

I have always made beef enchiladas with red sauce and cheddar cheese.  But as I was perusing through recipes on a few food sites and blogs, I thought it would be interesting to try my hand at chicken enchiladas.  Here is how I made them:

2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded - I will be posting my chicken poaching recipe soon!

2 small cans of Old El Paso Mild Green Chile sauce

8 oz block of monterey jack cheese

8 corn tortillas (plus oil for frying if you make them the way I did)

Scallions, chopped

Sour cream

Fresh salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fry each tortilla for 2 seconds per side in oil that is preheated to 350 degrees.  You can use a pan to do it, but we have a deep fryer at home so that's how I fry mine.  Make sure to drain on plenty of paper towels. 

Shred your block of monterey jack cheese (you can buy this pre-shredded if you prefer to save time).  Pour half a can of the chile sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.  Mix a handful of cheese, all the chicken, and the other half of the can of sauce together. Put a tablespoon or two of the filling in each tortilla and roll.  Place seam side down in baking dish.  After all tortillas are rolled and in the pan, cover with the remaining can of green chile sauce.  Top with remaining shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Before removing from oven, you can broil on high for 1-2 minutes to get the yummy browned cheese that you see in my picture.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.  Top each serving with some chopped scallions, and put a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa on the side.  Enjoy!