This month we feature Global Pediatric Alliance and their impactful work in our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Our support goes toward improving access to quality, equitable and respectful maternal health services for marginalized Mayan women in Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula.

Mexican cuisine evokes a certain familiarity, it is after all one of the top three cuisines in the USA, and Taco Tuesday is, if not a weekly celebration, at least a frequent observance by many. While we may see dishes like tacos being popular as a result of their simplicity, yet infinitely customizable and incredibly delicious variations, Mexican cuisine is a complex and ancient cuisine. It was hard to narrow down just one dish to share. With summer approaching and temperatures beginning to trend upward, it seemed like the time to share dishes that were bright, tangy and refreshing – something familiar but which included staple ingredients of the culture yet wasn’t too daunting to make, or too challenging to source ingredients.

Enter Enchiladas Verde de Pollo: chicken enchiladas that are smothered in a creamy, tangy, vibrant green sauce that tastes luxurious yet is refreshing and bright. Tomatillos, poblanos, serrano, and cilantro provide a complex layered flavor to the verde sauce. If challenging to source, the Mexican crema can be substituted with crème fraiche. The Oaxaca can be substituted with monterey or mozzarella cheese. Using corn tortillas (and not flour) is, however, a non-negotiable. The corn tortillas have a sweetness and a pliable texture that makes this dish. Pair this hot entrée with Horchata de arroz, a rice, cinnamon, and milk blend cold beverage that tastes like cozy indulgence and could easily count as dessert. Think rice pudding in drink form!

Enchiladas Verde de Pollo
Servings: 18 enchiladas
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
20 Corn tortillas
1 cup Queso Oaxaca, shredded

For the filling
1 small rotiserrie chicken, shredded, about 3 cups
3 teaspoons Garlic powder
3 teaspoons onion powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

For the verde sauce
4 poblano peppers
½ onion
3 garlic cloves
6 small tomatillos
1 serrano chile
1 bunch cilantro
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup Mexican crema
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup broth
2 tablespoons lime juice
Oil
1 teaspoon butter

Equipment:
Sauce Pan
Fry pan
Blender
Foil lined Sheet pan
Baking dish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.
Shred the rotisserie chicken and add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. This is the enchilada filling. Set aside and prep the verde sauce.

De-seed and de-vein the poblano pepper and serrano pepper. Peel the onion. Remove husk from tomatillos and wash.

On a foil-lined sheet pan, place the the poblano peppers, serrano pepper, tomatillos, onion half, and garlic cloves and drizzle lightly with oil. Place in the preheated oven. At the 10 minute mark, remove onion, garlic, serrano, and poblano peppers. When the poblano peppers are cool, remove the charred peel. At the 20 minute mark remove the tomatillos.

In a blender add all the roasted ingredients (tomatillos, poblanos, serrano, onion, and garlic), cilantro, and 1 cup of broth and blend. Add 1 cup of Mexican crema and 4 ounces of cream cheese and blend until smooth. Mix in the lime juice.

Set a sauce pan on the stove at medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter and the blended sauce to the pan. Add in the chicken bouillon cube and stir until mixed in. The verde sauce is ready, set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a fry pan. When the oil is hot, flash fry the tortillas, about 2 seconds per side. The goal is not to get the tortillas crispy but to merely get the tortillas coated slightly so they do not turn to mush when smothered in sauce. Drain on paper towels.

On to assembling the enchiladas…
Reduce oven heat to 350F.

Add enough of the verde sauce to coat the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the chicken filling, roll, and place in the baking dish seam side down. Spoon the verde sauce over the enchiladas in the baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded Oaxaca cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot!

Horchata de Arroz
Prep time: 2 hours to overnight
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked rice
3 cinnamon sticks
4 cups water + 4 cups water
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Equipment:
Large bowl
Blender
Fine Strainer
Pitcher

Directions:
In a large bowl, add the 2 cups of rice and rinse rice until the water runs clear. Add 4 cups of water. Add the 3 cinnamon sticks. Cover and set aside to soak for 2 hours up to overnight.

Blend the rice, water and cinnamon sticks mixture to as smooth a consistency as possible. Strain the blended concoction. Return to blender. Add condensed milk and pulse to blend. Then add evaporated mik and vanilla extract and blend.
Pour into a pitcher and chill or serve over ice.

Recipe and photo credits: Vinola V. Munyon