GCC: Rick Bayless' Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style

After a summer hiatus our Gutsy Cooks Cooking Club is back in the kitchen. Our format is going to be a bit different now, not just cooking from one cookbook. We for one are very excited about our new format that our cooking leader Monica from Sweetbites has designed for us and were super psyched to see that one of our VERY favorite chefs who just also happens to be from Chicago would be our muse this month.

Yes, Rick Bayless. Anyone who knows G knows Mr. Bayless is by far one of his  most favorite cooking heroes. Above are just a few of his cookbooks we have in our home and use regularly. Our blog has a specific category dedicated to some of his recipes we've prepared since we've had this blog up and going.

We've been following his PBS series on Mexican cooking for years. We've eaten at all 3 of his downtown Chicago restaurants. Haven't been to his eateries yet @ O'Hare but hopefully when we fly in or out this year at Christmas we can check them out too.

In short we think Rick is a cooking genius.

We chose his recipe for Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style this week. Enchiladas sounded good, and it appeared to be a recipe that we could pull off midweek. Can't fully find out what the "Tacuba Style" refers to but these are definitely a GREEN sauce style enchilada.

Rick is very generous with his recipes many of his recipes can be used for free posted on rickbayless.com.

Sadly G has been on the Tacoma striking teachers picket line this past week so he made it home earlier than I and actually pulled off this meal on his own for our Gutsy Cooks Club. It was kinda of nice after one of the worst week's of my life as a principal to come home to this meal waiting for me.

He started off with the sauce roasting the poblano chiles on the grill.

He added the skinned and chopped chiles to spinach.

He then put together the rich, creamy sauce very much like a white bechamel sauce. 

He then shredded the chicken.

First he spread some sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish

He used some fresh blue corn tortillas for rolling the enchiladas.

 and then added the remainder of the sauce.

They came out of the oven looking saucy, delicious and obviously very GREEN.

We added some Mexican crema & cilantro to garnish.

I walked in coming from very my depressing district principal's meeting to this lovely plate of YUM before me.

It fully was the only highlight of my day, (oh yeah, with exception of those 2 incredibly strong Lemondrops consumed immediately after that depressing meeting with some fellow principals.) But still these enchiladas were fully the BEST highlight of the day hands down. The sauce flavorful & fresh. Very, very good!

Link to Rick Bayless' recipe for:  Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style

Give it a Try!