Fried Okra and Chicken Enchiladas
This was my first time making the fried okra and second time making this enchiladas only this time I used wheat tortillas. Steve really wanted the fried okra and he said he doesn't care if the meal didn't really go together. I also made sautéed red bell peppers as well.
The first time I had the chicken enchiladas was when I lived with my Aunt Angela in Gloucester, VA. They were so good I asked how she made them. She said "It's a family recipe." I had a feeling that it was not a family recipe/secret. I kept asking her and she laughed and said "No, it isn't but thats what I tell people who ask. I got off the back of the Old El Paso Green Enchilada Sauce." I started cracking up. That's my aunt for ya! She's great.
Fried Okra:
10-14 pods of okra
1 egg beaten
Milk
1/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Cut off each end of okra pods and then cut into about 1/4 inch pieces. I wasn't that precise though. I combined the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Then add egg to bowl and beat. Add okra to egg. I then poured some milk in to help cover the okra more and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil to skillet and heat. Drop in okra and let cook one side until golden brown and then flip over. They only take a few minutes to cook. Use tongs to place to paper towel covered plate.
Notes:
I feel that for 10-14 pods of okra, the 1 cup of dry mix was too much. I don't like to waste. You could use more pods with the same amount of dry mix. I bought a pint of okra at the farmers market and knew that would be too much for this meal, but the whole pint could have been used for this dry mix. I also think that I could have added more spice to the dry mix. Maybe more pepper and salt or an herb mixture. Lightly salting the okra with a sea salt after they have cooked is better too.
Chicken Enchiladas:
1 lb uncooked chicken breast strips (I use 3 large chicken breasts)
1 pkg 8oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 can (4.5oz) Old El Paso chopped green chiles
1 pkg of flour tortillas for soft tacos and fajitas (6 inches)
2 cans (10oz each) Old El Paso green chile enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I never measure, I just sprinkle. I have used the mexican cheese mix and have also used sharp cheddar too)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cube chicken and place in skillet. Cook until no longer pink in center and remove from heat. Cube cream cheese and add to chicken along with the can of green chiles. Bring back to medium heat and mix until cream cheese had melted. Add chicken mixture to tortillas and roll up. Place seam down in baking dish. I don't have a glass pan large enough for all the tortillas so I use two smaller glass pans. I use one can of enchilada sauce for each pan and then cover with cheese. Put in oven until cheese is melted which is about 15 minutes.
Notes:
We usually use the whole bag of tortillas for this dish. We will eat one dish for dinner with Steve eating most of it (hahaha). We save the leftovers for the next day's dinner. Just put foil or saran wrap over the dish and put in fridge. Just heat at 400 the next day. The first time I did this, I was afraid the sauce would make the tortillas soggy, but it didn't! They tasted just as great.
Steve Rating for Fried Okra: 7.8 out of 10. He states that a 5 out of 10 in his book of food is a C and that he only needs a 5 to eat it and be satisfied. So I guess a 7.8 is pretty good.
Steve Rating for Chicken Enchiladas: 78 out of 10 (yes, 78.. no decimal)
I hope y'all try these two great dishes! If you know of any good spices to add to the fried okra then let me know! I am going to make it this weekend for friends coming into town. Also making them fried green tomatoes. They will be getting schooled in southern cooking. All we need is the sweet tea (which I am actually not a fan of. I like my tea unsweetened or just a tad sweet so I can get the full tea flavor. I also like to add a bit of lemonade too.)
xoxo