Browsing the Farmer’s Market over the weekend I found a stand with Jalapeno peppers and fresh cilantro. I remembered these two recipes I found recently and had been wanting to try.
The chimichanga recipe was adapted from Food Network.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 White Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
1 ½ tsp Chili Powder
½ tsp Ground Cumin
¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Kosher Salt
1 small Tomato, chopped, plus more for topping
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
Sriracha Sauce to taste
2 ½ cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
¼ cup Sour Cream
Black beans-slightly smashed with a fork
4 10- Inch Flour Tortillas
1 cup Shredded Mexican blend, plus more for topping
Salsa, for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet; transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt; toast 30 seconds. Add the tomato, cilantro and Sriracha sauce and cook until slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream and warm through. Remove from the heat.
Brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the butter-oil mixture. Spread 2 tablespoons black beans down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on both ends. Top with 1 cup chicken mixture and ¼ cup cheese. Fold in the ends and roll up.
Put the chimichangas seam-side down on the baking sheet; brush with the butter-oil mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes per side, brushing again after you flip. Top with the salsa, more cheese, lettuce and tomato.
* I feared disaster when the time came to flip it halfway through baking, but it stayed together perfectly. I used 8 inch shells as that is what I had available so they were sort of mini-chimichangas; but it was a good portion size.
I don’t keep Rotisserie chicken lying around, so I baked boneless skinless breasts with a little fresh ground pepper and olive oil.
Cilantro-Lime Rice
Cooked White Rice
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice, 4-6 limes for about 4 servings or rice
Coarse Salt, to taste
Cook or re-warm white rice. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool briefly. Begin by adding the juice of one lime to the warm rice, stir to combine and taste. Continue adding fresh lime juice until rice is tangy enough. Repeat with the cilantro, add a few tablespoons at a time until the flavor comes through. Repeat again with the salt (do salt last because the acidity of the lime juice will brighten up the flavors a lot and you may not need as much salt as you normally would), just adding a few pinches at a time and stirring well then tasting. Taste dish again and adjust flavors as needed.
*This was a great accompaniment to the chimichangas. The lime and cilantro made a great fresh, light taste.