Enchiladas have long been one of my favorite items at Mexican restaurants. These are really simple to throw together, as long as you have time to let them bake in the oven. The poblano salsa has really nice flavor and can be made several days in advance.

Roasted Poblano Salsa (makes about 3 cups)

• 4 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 fresh poblano peppers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Salt to taste (~1 tbsp.)

Warm a caste iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic in the skillet, rotating frequently until the onions soften and the tomatoes feel warmed through (8-10 minutes). Seed the poblanos by slicing around the seeds and stem, and core the roma tomatoes. Place ingredients in a blender or food processor (I use a blender for this one) and pulse until smooth. Add the black pepper and salt to taste.

Chicken Enchiladas (serves 4-6)

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Colby jack or Monterrey jack cheese
• 3 cups of the roasted poblano salsa above

Place the raw chicken on a greased sheet pan, season with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken at 350° for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (I usually prepare the salsa while the chicken is baking.) When chicken is baked, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes (this helps keeps the meat moist and brings the temperature down so you can handle the meat). Using two forks, pull the chicken apart into small clumps. This works best if you pull against the grain.

Once all the chicken has been pulled, it is time to prepare the enchiladas. In an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish, pour a layer of poblano salsa, just enough to thinnly coat the bottom of the dish. Layer 3-4 tortillas so they cover the entire dish. Sprinkle a cup of cheese over the tortillas and place about half the chicken on top. Pour about 3/4 cup of poblano salsa over the chicken. Repeat the process, placing tortillas, 1 cup cheese, remaining chicken and 3/4 cup salsa. Make one final layer of tortillas and top with remaining cheese.

With the oven still heated to 350°, bake the enchiladas for around 40 minutes, or until the cheese on top is browning and the sauce is bubbling at the sides. Remove and let stand for five minutes. Serve with the remaining poblano salsa and sour cream. We also serve it with this simple refried beans recipe from the Food Network.

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Crystal and I love hummus, and we always try to incorporate high-fiber foods in our diet. This hummus tastes great and makes the perfect snack or appetizer!

Black Bean Hummus (makes about 3 cups)

• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice (juice the whole lime)
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• Salt to taste (about a tablespoon)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve with corn chips, Blue Diamond Nut-Thins, or our new favorite hummus dipper, Falafel Chips (pictured).

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For as long as I can remember, I have loved salsas (which may be evident if you’re a regular reader of this blog!). Fruit salsas are particularly refreshing, as the sweet fruit balances perfectly with the spicy peppers. This fruit salsa recipe is simple to make at home, and should be very easy to replicate (many fruit salsa recipes I have found include obscure ingredients or hard-to-measure quantities). We serve this salsa over fish or chicken, and tomorrow I will post about how we serve this salsa with grill tuna fillets. Yum!

Pineapple & Mango Fruit Salsa (makes about 4 cups)

• 2 cups pineapple (about half a pineapple, peeled and cored), diced
• 1 cup mango (one hole mango), diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper (about half a red pepper), diced
• 1/4 cup scallion (include green and white parts), minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 or 1 tsp. (mild or hot) habañero pepper, seeded and minced*
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice (juice a whole lime)
• 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• Salt to taste (2-4 tablespoons)

In a large mixing bowl, combine pineapple, mango, red pepper, scallions, garlic, and habañero. Stir in lime juice, brown sugar and vinegar. Salt to taste. Just before serving, stir in cilantro. The salsa can be made up to six hours in advance. Store in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature with corn chips or over fish or chicken.

* Be very careful when chopping habañero peppers, as they have very high levels of capsascin (a chemical that causes a burning sensation). Please consider using latex or vinyl gloves when chopping habañeros, and wash your hands, knife and cutting surface immediately after handling. Do not touch your hands to your face or anything else when handling these spicy peppers!

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Guacamole has been one of my favorite dips for many years. This particular recipe got its start after Crystal and I visited her friend in New York City a few years ago (pre-gluten free). Crystal had always hated avocados, and I told her it was because she had never had them prepared the correct way. While in NYC, we ate at a restaurant that is famous for mixing guacamole right at your table. Once she tried the guacamole, she instantly realized that I was right, and that avocados are awesome!

Upon our return to Iowa City, Crystal requested that I make guacamole all the time, giving me the chance to perfect this recipe. We usually make it alongside our gluten-free fajitas and salsa. This recipe is all about flavor, and the consistency is a bit thinner than other guac recipes. If you’d like to make a thicker version of this, seed the tomatoes, cut the lime juice in half, and leave out the vinegar. Just know that you’ll be missing out on some great flavor!

An added bonus to this recipe is that it is a great source of dietary fiber!

Drew’s Semi-Famous Guacamole (makes about 2 cups)

• 2 Avocados, pealed and seeded
• 1 Ripe Tomato or 2 Roma Tomatoes diced
• 1/4 Onion diced
• 1, 2 or 3 jalapeños (mild, medium, hot), seeded and diced (leave seeds in one of the peppers for added heat)
• 1 Clove Garlic minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice (juice the whole lime)
• A splash of vinegar
• Salt to taste

Mash avocados with a lava rock mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can do what I did for many years, and mash the avocado with a potato masher (just make sure you get all the lumps out). Place diced tomato in a colander and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over them, mixing the tomatoes by hand while sprinkling the salt (this helps remove excess water). Gently combine all ingredients with a spoon. Salt to taste.

This guacamole can be made up to 6 hours in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature with corn chips.

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This multi-purpose salsa is great for almost any occasion as a side dish, or as a topping on Mexican foods. The gluten free blue corn chips shown in the picture are our personal favorite.

Gluten-Free Salsa (makes about 2 cups)

• 4 large greenhouse tomatoes or 6 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 large onion or 1 smaller onion, diced
• 1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1, 2, or 3 jalapeños (mild, medium, hot), seeded and minced
  (if you love the heat, leave the seeds in one of the jalapeños)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice (juice the whole lime)
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. white distilled vinegar
• Salt to taste (2-4 tablespoons)

First, dice the tomatoes and place them in a sieve or fine colander to drain most of the juice (otherwise your salsa will be runny). Tip: save the juice and use it instead of water to cook your rice—delicious! Once drained, place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and gently combine remaining ingredients.

This salsa can be made up to two days in advance if kept tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Note, the garlic flavors and spice from the jalapeños will intensify over time.

This salsa also goes great with our Gluten-free chicken fajitas.

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