Whenever asked the question, "what's your favorite food?" my immediate answer has always been "Mexican": tacos, burritos, empanadas, margaritas, queso, pico de gallo, guacamole. So, you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a Pinterest recipe for chicken enchiladas that required minimal effort and came out of the oven looking EXACTLY like the picture (if not better). The rich green parsley, the deep red sauce, and the bright yellow cheese creates a platter so visually appealing it leaves you wondering if you should even bother cutting it up and eating it. A word to the wise: eat the enchiladas. They are so worth it.
Despite the faint feeling of sadness during the initial cut of the baked tortilla (all of that hard work just for it all to be eaten in a matter of minutes), that momentary wave of emotion vanished when the combined smells of chicken, onion, sour cream, enchilada sauce, cheese, and parsley danced around my nose. It was a smell that vaguely reminded of being back in Arizona, where I had the very best Mexican food I have ever consumed, which to put it lightly, is saying a lot because I have eaten too many burritos, empanadas, and bowls of chips and queso to even begin to count. And when the scent of these enchiladas filled the kitchen of my apartment, my memory of the restaurant closer than 10 miles from the U.S./Mexico border would be challenged.
The cheese melted just enough to seep between each rolled tortilla, making it so that the long gooey strands couldn't detach when I was transferring my portion from the baking pan to my plate. The parsley that was sprinkled across the dish almost tricked my tongue into thinking what I was eating was much healthier because of the tiny leafy greens that sat on top. The enchilada sauce painted over the tortillas gave the dish a smokey taste that was flawlessly balanced by the distinct flavors of chopped white onions and sour cream.
Before long, my plate was clean and I found myself cutting off another portion size to stow in a container to pack for lunch tomorrow. Today I told one of my coworkers that I would bring a plate for him, but now I'm thinking of just keeping all the enchiladas for myself. But then again, I believe everyone should be able to experience the savory taste of this homemade dish that will linger on your taste buds, silently screaming at you for just one more bite.
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