Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Pumpkin Mole Enchiladas


I would consider myself a pretty humble person who doesn't boast often or enjoy a lot of attention. Sigh, middle child syndrome. But holy mole (har har) this dish is freaking fantastic. I am tooting my own horn all the way back to the kitchen to get seconds. It was a pretty laborious recipe, but all the careful details really made a difference in the final product. As usual, I didn't measure any of my dry seasonings so I'll try to guesstimate. Yay for fall + pumpkin + smoky Aztec-inspired flavors!


Pumpkin Mole Enchiladas Recipe:
  • 1 large split chicken breast (bone-in and skin removed)
  • salt, black pepper, Oregano, smoked Spanish paprika, cumin, roasted garlic powder
  • 1 tomato
  • 2 jalapenos
  • 3 green onion bulbs + stalks
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • handful of mushrooms
  • 1/2 can pumpkin puree
  • chicken broth (didn't measure but about 1/4-1/2 cup)
  • salt, black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp allspice
  • 2 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin mole sauce
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 cup grated mozzerella and Asiago cheese blend
  • corn tortillas



Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your chicken breast in a casserole dish and season generously with first set of spices. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit covered to retain all the juices.

Crank up the oven to broil. Place the next set of veggies on a baking tray and roast in 2 minute increments, checking and rotating often to prevent burning. Took about 6-8 minutes total.

Remove veggies and let cool for a couple minutes. Turn oven back to 350 degrees. Slice up the roasted garlic, remove the onion bulbs (save stalks for later) and de-stem the jalapenos. Add all the trimmed roasted veggies (except for mushrooms) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and chicken broth and blend. Finally add all of the dry seasonings, blend and pour into a bowl when you have your desired taste and texture.

By this time your chicken should be well-rested. Hand pull the meat off of the bone (laborious, right?). Combine in a bowl with spinach, chopped roasted mushrooms, diced roasted green onion stalk, cumin, Greek yogurt and 1 tbsp of pumpkin sauce. 

Warm tortillas in damp paper towel in microwave for about 45 seconds. Pour a little chicken broth and pumpkin sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish (I used the same one I roasted the chicken in so all the little chicken bits and gravy were in there too). Now start rolling enchiladas! Fill tortilla with chicken mixture and cheese and place in dish. Cover everything with the heavenly pumpkin mole sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove foil, grate some fresh nutmeg on top and bake again for 5 minutes. BAM! Done. Enjoy these perfect fall enchiladas and smile :)

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