Enchiladas Verdes

To re-create the enchiladas verdes recipes found in good Mexican restaurants, we needed a recipe for moist, tender chicken with fresh, citrusy flavors wrapped in soft corn tortillas and topped with just the right amount of cheese. Poaching the breasts kept the meat moist, while dark green poblano chiles and fresh (as opposed to canned) tomatillos gave us the flavors we were looking for. Pepper Jack cheese both in the filling and on top gave our enchiladas gooeyness and a spicy kick, and spraying the tortillas with vegetable oil kept them pliable.

You can substitute three 11-ounce cans of tomatillos, drained and rinsed, for the fresh ones in this recipe. Halve large tomatillos (more than 2 inches in diameter) and place them skin-side up for broiling in step 2 to ensure even cooking and charring. If you can’t find poblanos, substitute 4 large jalapeño chiles (with seeds and ribs removed). To increase the spiciness of the sauce, reserve some of the chiles’ ribs and seeds and add them to the food processor in step 3. 

4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves , minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks and stems removed
3 medium poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces pepper or Monterey jack, grated
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
radishes, thinly sliced
sour cream

1. Adjust oven racks to middle and highest positions and heat broiler. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering; add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Decrease heat to low and stir in broth. Add chicken, cover, and simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large bowl; place in refrigerator to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup liquid from saucepan and set aside; discard remaining liquid.
 
2. Meanwhile, toss tomatillos and poblanos with remaining 2 teaspoons oil; arrange on rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, with poblanos skin-side up. Broil until vegetables blacken and start to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Cool 10 minutes, then remove skin from poblanos (leave tomatillo skins intact). Transfer tomatillos and chiles to food processor. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees. Discard foil from baking sheet and set baking sheet aside for warming tortillas.
 
3. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining teaspoon garlic, and reserved cooking liquid to food processor; process until sauce is somewhat chunky, about eight 1-second pulses. Taste sauce; season with salt and pepper and adjust tartness by stirring in remaining sugar, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce aside (you should have about 3 cups).
 
4. When chicken is cool, pull into shreds using hands or 2 forks, then chop into small bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken with cilantro and 11/2 cups cheese; season with salt.

5. Smear bottom of 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 3/4 cup tomatillo sauce. Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Spray both sides of tortillas lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place warm tortillas on counter-top and spread 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place in baking dish, seam-side down. Pour remaining tomatillo sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so that it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and cover baking dish with foil.
 
6. Bake enchiladas on middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately, passing radishes and sour cream separately.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice Pilaf

Our goal was to develop a simple chicken masala recipe with readily available ingredients. To get there, we rubbed the chicken with a mixture of salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne, then dipped it in yogurt mixed with oil, garlic, and ginger. For a year-round tikka masala recipe, we chose the broiler rather than the grill and cooked the chicken in large pieces to prevent it from drying out.

This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice pilaf.
 
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

FOR THE MASALA:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 serrano chilif, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream 
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. FOR THE MASALA: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve with basmati rice pilaf.

Basmati Rice Pilaf 
For a basmati rice pilaf recipe that produced light, fluffy, aromatic rice, we first rinsed the rice to remove excess starch. Adding water and then cooking the rice over low heat before removing it from the heat and allowing it to steam gave our basmati rice the fluffy texture we were looking for in our basmati rice recipe.

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed through a fine mesh strainer
2 1/4 cups water
 
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, stirring often, until the edges of the rice begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Chicken & White Bean Panzanella Salad

The quality of the bread was fundamental to the success of Chicken and White Bean Panzanella Salad recipe, and after trying several varieties, we settled on a high-quality rustic loaf or baguette. Toasting the bread in a skillet with the browned chicken ensured that the chicken cooked through and the bread toasted nicely while absorbing the chicken’s juices. We used a Mediterranean-flavored vinaigrette to add moisture and flavor to our Chicken and White Bean Panzanella Salad recipe. We also used the dressing to marinate our recipe’s tomatoes and beans for even more flavor.
 

Be sure to use high-quality bread here—it is important for both flavor and texture in the salad. Do not discard the seeds or juice as you chop the tomatoes because they add important moisture to the recipe. 

6 ounces French or Italian bread cut into 1/2 to 1/4 inch cubes (4 cups)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and lightly pounded to uniform thickness

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped medium, seeds and juice reserved

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

3 ounces baby arugula (3 cups)

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved (1/2 cup)

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss bread with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper.

2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon more oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay chicken in skillet and brown lightly on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, and then transfer to plate.

3. Off heat, spread bread cubes evenly in skillet. Lay chicken on top of bread and transfer to oven. Bake until breasts register 160 degrees and bread in browned in spots, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whisk reamining 6 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Stir in tomatoes with their seeds and juice, beans, onion, ans basil and set aside to allow flavors to develop.

5. Transfer chicken to carving board, let cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Gently fold chicken, toasted bread cubes, and arugula into tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with Parmesan, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.