Enchiladas & Agua Fresca with Jose, Leslie, & their siblings

Jose and Leslie, who are cousins, not only shared two recipes, but are also members of the PARTY team as youth researchers. When deciding which recipe to share for this project, they described being torn between green chile and red chile enchiladas. Their moms are sisters and each has a speciality. Jose’s mom makes the green chile and Leslie’s mom makes red.

Both types of enchiladas have been in the family since Jose can remember and connect them to their Chicanx heritage. The cousins have all grown up together, often being watched by each other’s parents and eating dinner together. Jose has memories of coming inside hungry after a day of playing outside together and sitting down to a meal of enchiladas. Leslie describes a “sensation of calmness” and “being safe” as her memories related to food. She says the most comforting dishes are “anything Mexican, any dish my mom makes.” And Noelia, Jose’s step sister, says many of her food memories have to do with family and celebration. She talks about “endless meals” on birthdays and holidays.

The cousins note that they are still learning the enchilada recipes and others. Jose wants to get even more confident with them so that when he leaves home, he can make them himself. He has already started to turn his agua fresca recipe into a business though, and is teaching his younger cousins his craft.

Papaya Agua Fresca Recipe

Servings: 15-20
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large papaya
• 2 cups of sugar
• water
• ice

Instructions:

• Wash the papaya, then pat dry.
• Cut papaya in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds.
• Slice papaya, with skin on, into half inch thick slices. Then cut off the skin.
• Add equal parts papaya and water to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to do multiple batches of blending depending on the size of the blender and the papaya.
• Pour the blended liquid through a strainer to remove pulp, and into a large pitcher or serving jar.
• Add sugar gradually to taste (about 2 cups depending on preference). The sugar can also be skipped.
• Add ice or refrigerate the agua fresca until chilled.
• Serve cold!

Enchiladas Recipe

Servings: 8-10
Time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12-15 tomatillos
• 1 yellow onion
• 10 chicken wings
• 1 bouillon cube
• 1 package of small corn tortillas
• 6 jalapeños
• 3 bay leaf
• 7 cloves of garlic
• salt to taste
• natural oil such as vegetable or corn

To Serve:

• 1/2 a bunch of cilantro
• 3 avocados
• queso campesino
• sour cream (optional)
• toothpicks

Instructions:

• First cook the chicken:
  • Rinse the wings.
  • Fill a pot with water and add two of the bay leaves, three cloves of garlic, bouillon cube, and oregano to the pot.
  • Bring it to a boil, then add the chicken.
  • Boil until chicken is cooked through, and easily falls off the bone.
  • Remove the chicken from the water and let cool slightly until it can be touched. Use your fingers or two forks to shred the chicken.
• At the same time, make the green chile: Start a pot of water boiling.
  • While it heats up, wash and stem the jalapeños; wash, peel and cut out the stems of the tomatillos, and peel the garlic.
  • Once the water is boiling, add peppers, tomatillos, garlic, bay leaf, and a few shakes of salt to it and let the vegetables cook for about 15-20 minutes or until soft.
  • When the chile ingredients are cooked through, use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove the tomatillos and peppers from the pot and place them in a blender.
  • Add a few cups of the hot water and blend until smooth. This is your green chile salsa.
• While both the chicken and chile are boiling, prepare the other ingredients:
  • Dice half of the onion.
  • Chop the cilantro into small pieces for garnish.
  • Shred the cheese.
  • Slice the avocados.
• Once the chicken and green chile are both ready, it’s time to assemble the enchiladas.
  • Heat a tablespoon of corn oil in a pan.
  • Add the chile from the blender, and (optional) the diced onion if you would like some sweetness.
  • Simmer the salsa on low heat.
  • In a separate pan, heat enough oil to coat the pan.
  • Fry each tortilla in the hot oil for 30-45 seconds on each side. You want to heat them without crisping them so much that they cannot be rolled.
  • Using tongs, dip a warm tortilla into the simmering green sauce until it coated, then lay it on a plate.
  • Place a couple of spoonfuls of chicken onto the tortilla, then roll it up and use a toothpick to hold it closed.
• Repeat with each tortilla until all of the chicken and sauce have been used.
• Garnish/serve with cheese, cilantro, avocado, and/or sour cream according to the preferences of whoever is eating.