Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Chuck E. Cheese pizza and pre-ballpit McDonald’s Happy Meals. Bright red popsicles (that didn’t get on ANY couches, Mom and Dad). Girl Scout cookies. All the after-school snacks and buttery popcorn during many a movies at Potomac Mills. Family meals at Bar J’s. Sesame Place fare in the ’90s.
Fast-forward to six fat fries for $5. Happy hours. Ohhh, the happiest of hours we had. Half-price pitchers of sangria and the alcohol-soaked fruit after. The no-we’re-not-drunk-just-tired Peruvian meal in Philly. Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the Mall on the Fourth. Mike versus Modern Pastry cannolis wrapped up in perfect packages tied together with string. Cupcakes. Lots and lots of cupcakes. Will travel out of state and out of country for cupcakes. Out-of-this-world tapas in Dublin. Pints of Guinness in Ireland and pub food in England. 27 years of birthday cakes. Birthday cocktails and crab claws.
I’ve never shared more meals with a friend as I have with Josalyn. Since we haven’t permanently lived in the same town since we were in middle school, we’ve traveled to see each other often. NM, MA, GA, AL, VA, FL, PA, MD … the list goes on and CO and OR shouldn’t be far behind.
Joss and Jess. The J Girls will do if you’re as confused as our preschool teachers were.
On one visit a year after we graduated from college, I visited Joss during her AmeriCorps time in New Mexico and we played tourist in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We browsed shops filled with turquoise trinkets, found a piano bar – and may have participated – and even trekked 10,000 feet up (though I physically can’t take any credit. Thank you, tram).
Now that we don’t eat like children (hey, cupcakes are for grownups, too) or college students, we sought out good eats like The Shed. It was here that Joss explained to me that in New Mexico you’ll get asked “red or green?” when ordering food. This question is New Mexico’s state question (No lie), asked to see whether one prefers red or green chile. Well-versed in all things wild wild west, Joss answered confidently while I’m sure I ordered a quesadilla, shying away from chile. Great meal, great trip, period.
Skip ahead to 2015. I didn’t see Joss last year. And I’ve been missing her lately. So I found a recipe for a dish that would transport me from my little kitchen in NC to a table full of strawberry margaritas, the humid heat of Santa Fe and my best friend. This time, my answer was a resounding “green.”
Here goes nothing.
First time cooking with scallions… Check!
The final product.
Adapted from “Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas” from The Chew by Michael Symon.
GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- salt
- 1 rotisserie chicken (meat pulled, about 3 cups)
- 10 white corn tortillas
- 3 cups green chile sauce, divided (You could be take the extra step and make this, but I just bought the Herdez jarred kind below)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (I bought a block of Monterey jack and shredded it myself which meant I used a lot less than the 16 oz.)
- diced white onion (to garnish)
- cilantro (to garnish)
jessicastringer.com 