Enchiladas

I believe it’s the small things in life which bring the most joy; things such as having a steaming hot cup of tea ready for someone coming in from the cold, taking the time to search out a small gift you know is going to make a loved one smile.  These things give life a richer quality, but because they are so small, they are often missed in our hectic lives, making it even more special when one if focused on. Planning and cooking a favourite meal has to fall into this category surely.  Which is why, following my mum’s discharge from hospital yesterday I set about planning/shopping for/cooking one of her favourite meals – enchiladas.

Enchilada’s are a traditional Mexican dish, although there are many varieties available.  Enchilada comes from the verb enchilar (= “to add chili pepper to”). Enchilada literally means “in chili”. The traditional enchilada sauce is just that—dried red chili peppers soaked and ground into a sauce with other seasonings. However, enchilada sauce may also be tomato-based with red chiles.

Despite owning a vast collection of cook books I do not yet own one specifically about Mexican food and having searched through many tomes, I decided just to give up with the recipe hunt and concoct something myself.

Dinner was very tasty but I would have preferred a little more chili bite to it, the subduing of the heat was intentional however, to make it suitable for my mum.  The mozzarella despite not being at all authentic really added to the dish, but, then again, how could oozing molten mozzarella not improve a meal?

Both the filling and the sauce could be prepared the day ahead and then the bake would just need assembling before being placed in the oven for 30 minutes or so.  Resulting in a quick midweek supper that feels like you’ve had all day to play at being a domestic goddess, perfect.