Enchiladas Hondureñas

This has to be my favourite Honduran dish. I don't really know why but what they call enchiladas in Honduras is quite different from what they call enchiladas in Mexico. I recently found a place where they sell real corn tortillas here and since then I'm just enjoying the original flavors of Honduras and of my youth. It does take some time to prepare but it is all worth it!

Ingredients and steps:

For the meat

- 300gr minced meat (ground beef)
- 1/2 an onion, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- about 4 tbsp cumin
- salt and pepper

Mix all well, cover and leave it for a few hours.

For the sauce

There are different ways of doing the sauce, I like this version the most

- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp sweet chili powder
- 1 cup chicken broth
- pepper, salt if needed

Fry the red pepper for 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and fry at medium-high heat for again 5 minutes. Add the sugar, cumin, chili powder, and half of the chicken broth.

Put the mixture in a blender. When ready, strain the mixture into to the pan. Let it cook at medium-low heat for a few minutes.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients:

- 2 potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cabbage
- dry cheese (queso seco). If you cannot find any, Parmesan will do.
- corn tortillas
- oil

Cook the potatoes and the eggs. When ready, cut the potatoes and slice the eggs.

Finely shred the cabbage.

Shred the cheese.

Fry the corn tortillas until crispy and set them aside.

In a large pan, fry now the meat at high heat until cooked through.

Putting all together:

Take a tortilla. Add the meat, some potatoes. Add the shredded cabbage, the egg and then the sauce. Cover with queso seo (or Parmesan cheese).

Guacamole

Ingredients and steps:

- 2 avocados
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 1/2 a red chili
- 1 (small) ripe tomatoe finely chopped
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 a lime or lemon juice (I like both)
- salt/ pepper to taste

Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the onion, chili, lemon juice, coriander, salt & pepper and tomatoes. Mix everything and done! Always nice to serve with tortilla chips.

Much of the guacamole has to be done to taste, so try and adjust the amounts to your preferences.

Enchiladas

I love mexican food and having lived many years in Central America I just couldn't get used to the mexican products from the supermarket and was missing the more authentic flavors I was used to.  After a lot of searching online a came up with this simple recipe, it is delicious and with all the right flavors!

Ingredients and steps:

For the chicken:
- chicken
- chicken broth
- 1 onion (2 halves)
- 2 garlic cloves

Cook the chicken in the chicken broth with the onion and garlic cloves for about 10 minutes. Take it out and shred it. Keep the broth as we will be using it for the sauce.

For the sauce:
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 red peppers
- 2 onions, minced
- 2 tbsp sweet chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 or 2 cups chicken broth
- oil

Even though I love spicy food, my children wouldn't eat anything spicy, that's why I use red peppers and sweet chili powder. If you like it hot, replace the red peppers by chili and the sweet chili powder by hot chili powder.

In a pan with some oil, fry the red peppers for about 5 minutes, add the onions and fry for another 10 minutes (till soft). Add the tomatoes and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the sugar, cumin and chili powder. Put the mix in a blender with a bit of the chicken broth and blend.

Filter the sauce in a strainer and return the mixture to the pan, add more chicken broth and let it softly cook for another 10 minutes.

For the enchilada:
- tortillas, ideally home made corn tortillas
- vegetable oil

Spread some of the sauce on the tortillas, add the chicken and wrap them. Heat a pan of vegetable oil and fry them for a few minutes in a pan with oil (till nice crispy).

To sprinkle on top:
- shred dry cheese (queso seco o queso cotijo, if you cannot find it than Parmesan cheese will do)
- cream
- coriander leaves
- red chilis
- finely chopped onion
- tabasco to taste

Serve with guacamole (recipe will follow!)