Xinilani Chicken Enchiladas and Fresh Guacamole

Chef Mario

On virtually every retreat Green Lotus leads, we arrange a cooking lesson. Cooking together in distant lands or other parts of this country creates bonds and breaks down barriers. People who chop together say together! This recipe - from Chef Mario at Xinalani, a spectacular, tucked-away paradise north of Puerto Vallarta, GL retreat to Mexico - pleased everyone.

Ingredients

• 2 cups precooked, shredded chicken (try this easy, slow-cooker chicken recipe)

• 1 1/2 large onion

• 3 cloves garlic – chopped

• 4-5 tomatoes – diced (or 1 can diced tomato)

• 1 cup tomato puree

• 1 red chili pepper – diced

• Cooking oil

• Salt & pepper

• Tortillas (corn tortillas are traditional, but you can use flour or any other type

• of tortilla - see our easy recipe for fresh corn tortillas)

• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder

• ½ cup sour cream

• Shredded cheese or queso fresco

• Optional toppings: diced cilantro, diced red onion, scallions

Instructions

Chicken enchiladas are even better with fresh guac!

• Preheat oven to 400°

• In a large pan warm 2 tablespoons cooking oil on medium heat

• Sauté onion until soft

• Add garlic, cook another 3 minutes

• Add diced tomatoes, cook 5 minutes

• Add chili pepper, salt, and water until covered

• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes

• Remove from heat and let cool

• While sauce ingredients are cooling, sauté chicken with oil, onion, garlic, and

• tomato puree

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Move sauce to blender or food processor and blend until liquified

To assemble

• Lightly coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce

• Wrap chicken and cheese in tortilla with place seam side down in baking dish

• Spoon sauce over the enchiladas, covering them completely

• Sprinkle cheese over the top Cover and bake for 10 – 15 minutes

Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients

• Avocado

• Serrano pepper

• Red or white onion

• Fresh lime juice

• Tomatillos

• Cilantro

Instructions

From Green Lotus retreat to Xinalani, Mexico. We wanted this every day. Fresh and flavorful.

• Finely chop pepper – remove seeds and stems. Use caution in how much pepper

• you use. Set aside.

• Cut avocado in half and pop out the seed

• Slice avocado in peel and scoop pieces into bowl

• Add salt (sea or rock) to taste

• Add 3 tablespoons lime juice per 2 avocados. Squeeze juice by cutting off end of

• a lime and cutting a deep X into the end with a knife. Then squeeze. Add juice to

• bowl

• Mash juice and avocado together with a “Mexican masher” – the bottom of a

• glass – to your desired smoothness or chunkiness

• Add finely chopped onion to taste

• Add tomatillos and chopped pepper and stir

• Finely chop cilantro

• Stir in and add more cilantro, pepper, and tomatillos to taste

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