Shredded Chicken and Mayocoba Bean Enchiladas

By garciamoss

Ingredients

• For the Beans:
• 1 package (16 oz.) dry Mayocoba beans (also known as Peruvian beans or Canary beans)
• 8 cups water
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 tsp. salt
• For the Chicken:
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 medium onions, preferably white or yellow
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 tbsp. minced green chili of your choice (like jalapeno or pasilla)
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For the enchilada sauce:
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
• For the assembly:
• 8 flour tortillas
• cooking spray or melted butter
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro to garnish.

Details

Adapted from hispanickitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the Beans:
The first thing to do, is wash the beans to remove any twigs or debris. Next transfer the beans to a pressure cooker with the water and salt. Close the lid and turn up the heat to high. Once the steam begins to come out of the pressure cooker, lower the heat to medium. Let the beans cook for 30 minutes before turning off the heat. I hate waiting for the pressure to release, so what I do is run cold water over the pressure cooker in the sink. Remove the lid and check to make sure the beans are tender. If not put the lid back on and cook for another 5-10 minutes, but they should be done within 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a food processor bowl. Add about 3 tbsp. of the bean water from the pot, a little salt and grate the garlic clove into the bowl. Blend the beans until you have a smooth consistency. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the enchiladas.

To make this dish a little easier, you could just mash the beans with a potato masher, but that will yield a more chunky consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, you could soak the beans overnight and then just boil them in a pot with the same amount of water for about one hour.



For the Chicken:
First boil the chicken breasts in a large pot of water.seasoned liberally with salt. Once the chicken breasts are cooked through, transfer them to a cutting board and allow them to cool. While the chicken is cooking, begin mincing your green pepper, garlic and green chilies. Dice the onion finely and add the olive oil into a large non-stick skillet. Turn the heat up to medium high and add in the chilies, onions and garlic to the pan. Saute for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the veggies cook, take two forks and begin shredding the chicken breasts. Transfer the chicken to the skillet and season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Allow the chicken and veggies to cook together for about 3-4 minutes before turning off the heat. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sour cream and cheese and add it into the skillet, making sure to combine everything really well.


For the enchilada sauce:
First add the butter to a non-stick sauce pan. Next add in the flour and make a roux. To that, add the chicken stock and whisk vigorously, breaking any clumps of flour that may have formed. Next add in the sour cream and the cheese and blend well. Season with a little salt. Set the sauce aside until assembling the enchiladas.


For the assembly:
First pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

Next, take a scoop of the beans and spread if evenly over one side of the tortilla. Next add in a scoop of the chicken mixture and roll the tortillas. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with a little cooking spray and place the enchiladas, seam down in the pan. Repeat this step until you have filled the entire pan with the enchiladas. Spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray, or brush with melted butter. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the tortillas are slightly crisp. Next, remove the tray from the oven and pour the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and place the pan back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro and serve.