Smoked Chicken Enchiladas - Perfect Fare for a Girls Weekend

Why are these women smiling? It could be partly due to the Prickly Pear Margaritas, that did not make their way into the photo. But more to the point, the smiles mark the first meal shared during our annual Walkers Retreat in Ellicottville. Thank-you Andrea!

As is our custom, Kris, Bev and Andrea started the weekend early with a marathon shopping trip through Buffalo -Wegmans, Premier Wine Store, Target -you get the picture! The truck was so full of food, wine, videos, etc., that there was hardly room for the 3 patient(but extremely blessed) dogs, Briar, Pluto and Pepper. At each stop, they would gaze at us balefully, wondering when they were ever going to be let out of the truck and left to run through the woods, chasing deer and squirrels.
We had to fortify ourselves with a hearty meal before the shopping extravaganza, so our first stop was at Charlie the Butcher, in Buffalo, where we enjoyed his famous  Beef on Weck sandwich. Not to mention the sweet potato fries, dill pickles, bread pudding - still groaning just thinking about it!

We finally made it to Wegmans, where we blasted through the store with our list of groceries needed to feed 7 women for the weekend. 

Our menu for Friday was totally dictated by our choice of Margaritas as our cocktail.  We turned to The Elote Cafe Cookbook by Jeff Smedstad for inspiration for a Southwest flare.  His restaurant in Sedona is a favourite, and he was totally charming when I bought his book last year. 

Prickly Pear Margaritas

Spicy Pepitas

Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Guacamole

Smoked Chicken Enchiladas

Tomato and Oaxacan Cheese Salad

Jicama and Orange Salad

Spicy Pepitas

These were delicious as a little snack and were a great addition to our squash soup the next day. We will use any leftovers in the next salad that we make. Winners!

2 cups raw green pumpkinseeds

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce

In a medium bowl combine the spices and stir in the hot sauce to form a paste.  Add the pumpkinseeds and stir well to coat.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the prepared seeds in an even layer.  Bake in a preheated oven or barbecue for 8-10 minutes, or until the pumpkinseeds are lightly toasted and puffed.  Let cool, then place in a tightly sealed container. 

Smoked Chicken Enchiladas

In a pinch you could use a grocery store rotisserie chicken, but we love the flavour of a home-smoked chicken.

1 chicken, smoked  (follow our link for smoking instructions)  and shredded

For the Tomatillo Sauce:

½ cup chopped yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 poblano chile, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

Olive oil

4 cups tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems

To Complete the Enchiladas:

16 thick corn tortillas

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Drizzle olive oil to coat a saucepan set over a medium flame, and add the onion, garlic, poblano and jalapeno until lightly browned.  Add the prepared tomatillos and chicken stock and simmer until soft.  Let cool, then puree with the cilantro and reserve. 

Warm the corn tortillas in a dry cast iron skillet and dip them one at a time into the sauce.  Fill each one with about ½ cup of the shredded chicken and a tablespoon of shredded cheese.  Roll them up, and place them in an oiled baking dish.  Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375°F and serve.

Tomato and Oaxacan Cheese Salad

Sadly we could not find Oaxacan Cheese, so we substituted Buffalo Mozzarella.  It was like a Mexican Caprese Salad. 

8 small tomatoes, sliced

2 cups Oaxacan or Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese, sliced

½ cup diced red onion

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

4 radished, halved and thinly sliced

4 pickled jalapeno peppers, sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

On a platter, arrange sliced tomatoes.  Layer the cheese on top of the tomatoes, and scatter the remaining vegetables overtop.  Whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar and salt, and drizzle over everything.

Jicama and Orange Salad

1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

2 oranges, peeled and cut into thick slices

¼ cup diced onion

3 radishes, halved and sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

For the Lime Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar.

For the Garnish

Lime wedges and chile powder

Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss.  Combine the dressing ingredients, pour over enough to coats, then toss again.  Serve on salad plates and garnish with a lime wedge and a sprinkle of chile powder.  

We did manage to get outside, a lot! We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day of down-hill skiing, even finding a few runs with a bit of powder left from a hefty snowfall Thursday night. For the rest of the weekend, we enjoyed snowshoeing and hiking in the woods with the dogs. Throw in some knitting, some zesty conversation,  and some relaxing moments in the hot tub, and you have our recipe for a perfect girls get-away weekend!!
Look for another menu from the Walkers Retreat on the blog next week!