Light Chicken Enchilada and Wine

Who ever said no to a stunning stash of bottles of wine?? I recently received three lovely bottles from the Wine Bar and I was just so excited to show them off them. The also asked me to create a recipe so the best way of course to show them off would be to have a few glasses over dinner. Since I was given the opportunity to choose three different wines,? I knew right off that I wanted to select something we’ve never tried before but at the same time choosing a Moscato was definitely one of my choices.

I think I made some really good choices and my next question was, what should I serve with them?

• Dynamite Merlot ? This juicy wine has hints of cherries and blackberries. Its soft tannins mingle well with strong flavors. It goes well with roasted vegetables, rich seafood and red meat.
• Butterfly Kiss Moscato – It is light and sweet with a floral and fruity aroma blend of melon, apricot, orange blossom and candied pineapple. Having a light bubbly fizz, it goes well with soft and hard cheeses, strong cured meat flavor and dessert.
• Girl Go Lightly Moscato ? This wine is made refreshing with the scents of papaya, pineapple, orange peel and jasmine. It?s very light with only 11% alcohol. Though it goes well with sweets, it also tastes good with cheese.

The Dynamite Merlot is my preference since it complements well with most of the dishes I cook. But since cooking momma wants to have fun, I prefer to have a bit of the Girl Go Lightly Moscato for those dessert breaks once the kids are home and there?s nothing left in our itinerary during the day. Remember moms, can?t drink and drive.

So how should I show off these wines? I know the Merlot pairs well with meat or seafood while the Moscato is pairs well with a lighter meal. I thought of having chicken because it can provide some flexibility. It?s light enough for the Moscato but the bold flavors I will be adding to it can carry the Merlot very well.

This chicken recipe is on the spicy side so I suggest that moms can half the recipe. One part can have the jalapeno while the other half can be the kids? share. My kids definitely can?t tolerate dishes that are too spicy.

I like this dish because it has the comfort food feel but I modified it to add corn kernels and some diced carrots. Feel free to replace it with any of the vegetables that you have in your refrigerator. Improvisation makes home cooking more exciting. Plus, it?s ready in just 40 minutes.

Light Chicken Enchilada

 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, set some aside for brushing

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

or 1 1/2 tsps. fresh thyme

1 medium white onion, diced

1 8oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 medium carrot, diced

1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, halved lengthwise

Kosher salt

3 to 4 tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.), cored and chopped

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

8 pcs. corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded muenster cheese (about 6 ozs.)

1 cup mixed fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped

?Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add jalapeno, garlic, thyme and half of the onion. Cook, until soft. Approximately 3 minutes.

Add the corn, carrot, chicken, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until the chicken is tender. Approximately 6 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the cooking liquid and vegetables in a blender. Puree with tomato and allspice.

Wipe the skillet then add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Mix in the puree and cook until reduced for about 6 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish.

Brush tortillas with oil and put on another baking dish for 5 minutes.

Shred chicken. Put together the chicken and cheese on top of the tortillas. Roll them up and arrange in the baking dish with the edge of the roll on the dish. Put some of the tomato sauce on top, bake, and wait for the cheese to melt. Approximately 4 minutes.

Sprinkle the herbs, onion, and salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

**The Wine Bar provided me with compensation to participate in creating a recipe.