Super Easy Red Enchilada Sauce

Continuing on the Mexican theme, I came across a fantastic recipe for Red Enchilada sauce.  It is super easy and incredibly delicious.  Giving credit where it is due, this recipe originally came from

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/

Since this blog has turned into a repository of my favorite recipes, here it is for my easy reference.  The amount this recipe makes is never enough, so I usually double it.

Red Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. AP flour
• 4 Tbsp. Chili powder (not cayenne!!)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 2 cups chicken stock

Directions

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings(chili powder through oregano). Then, gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove the lumps.  reduce heat and simmer 10 - 15 minutes until thick

Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

This sauce is so good that it is all I can do to use it for enchiladas instead of just eating it with a spoon.

Fajita Seasoning - or as i like to call it, Mexican Chinese

Mexican Chinese food - also known as Fajitas

I recently discovered a great recipe for fajita seasoning mix.  I would cite it here, but I honestly don't remember where it came from.  I have discovered a remarkable similarity in my Chinese stir-fry and my fajitas.  Both are cooked in my carbon steel wok.  Both are made with a protein which is cooked first and then set aside, and then both get their veggies stir-fried followed by adding the meat back in and finishing with the sauce or seasoning.  Indeed, both meals prominently feature onions and green peppers as primary vegetables.  Thus around my house, I refer to fajitas as Mexican Chinese food.

This recipe produces a wonderfully savory flavor that has all of the hallmark flavors that you expect from Mexican food.  The following is a single-serving recipe, but I like to double or 4x the seasoning recipe and then keep some in a jar for the next time.

Fajita Seasoning

• 1T     Cornstarch
• 1t      Chili Powder
• 1t      Anjo Chili Powder
• 1t      Salt
• 1t      Paprika
• 1/2t   Onion Powder
• 1/2t   Garlic Powder
• 1/2t   Cumin
• 1/4t   Cayenne Pepper

Note - If you have other chili powders or only one kind, feel free to mix and match to equal 2 teaspoons.  Cooking is an art, after all.