A Boom Boom Blog-i-versary

A Blogiversary seemed like a great occasion to ponder the past four years and roll out another meal featuring Boom Boom Enchiladas at the Texas to Mexico house.

I'm reflecting this week as I celebrate my 4 year Blogiversary of Texas to Mexico. Thanks to leaving Texas in 2006 & heading off to the arid, dusty desert of Mexico I can now look back at a 4 year Blogging adventure. Back then I desperately needed a way of letting friends & family know about our life south of the border. (That was also shortly before we had a voice over phone & were speaking on a daily basis to everyone back in the states) Little did I know back then posting photos, yammering on about things I saw on my daily travels I would truly broaden my horizons. In truth, taking photos & blogging exposed me to a whole new adventure which extended far beyond Texas & certainly Mexico. I was soon speaking with people in Europe, South Africa & the Middle East. It seemed I had more in common with those people than I had differences. In 4 years I have heard countless times from people who sought advice on making a cultural change or traveling through Mexico. Regardless of the Expatriate Assignment, the lifestyle is certain to change the way of viewing life. My viewpoint was forever changed. Back then as now as I toured the blogging world, I sought to broaden my horizons & expand my world. In 2006 I added a recipe here & there mostly discussing the life or people around me. My blog followers have been with me through astounding shopping experiences, visa & passport photo mishaps (exhibit below, yikes!! Those {bad hair, señora ninguna sonrisa} FM3 photos were awful.), dangerous border crossing incidents & horrifying hair coloring disasters which one can only appreciate fully once cyber friends say they understand it will all work out. For these things I want to say thank you. You have fed my soul & spirit from Mexico & back to Texas. In turn I hope I have done the same in Texas to Mexico.




To celebrate my 4 year Blogiversary I thought I would make a slight variation on one of my favorite Tex-Mex Enchiladas I have eaten many times at Chuy's. Chuy's is an Austin original restaurant which celebrates 2 things I can both appreciate & enjoy. Each year they celebrate Elvis Presley's Birthday (January 9) & Green Chile Festival. Not only do they celebrate but they do it in wonderful style with an array of menu items on both occasions to make everyone a follower of either Green Chilis or Elvis (for any of those non fans...seriously??) I hope all the Texas to Mexico fans will be sure to try this recipe or drop into a Chuy's location near you to taste the original Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas. One taste of that Boom Boom sauce & even non believers will be Green Chili fans.



Boom Boom Blogiversary enchiladas were great with Golden Corn Salad with Fresh Basil from Sept. 2010 Cooking Light check the recipe out here:








My variation on the familiar "Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom Recipe" involves little more than using jalapenos versus serranos & I made more of a filliing for the tortillas rather than using the chopped roasted chicken. The filling adds a little more moisture to this version.










Boom Boom Chicken Enchiladas (slight variation**)

12 white corn tortillas
1 1/4 lb chicken cooked, roasted, fork shredded
1/4 c. diced yellow onion
8 oz. cream cheese or queso panela (Mexican cheese)
1/4 tsp. ground cumino salt, pepper to taste

Boom Boom Sauce ingredients
1/2 c vegetable broth
1/4 c water
1/4 T each salt and pepper
3/4 lb roasted Hatch Green Chilies
2 oz tomatillos
1 1/2 oz cilantro
1 oz green onions
3/4 oz minced jalapeno peppers
1/2 oz lime juice
1 1/4 lb American cheese

additional mixed shredded cheese for topping

In a saucepan, add vegetable broth, water and spices and place over a medium to high flame. Using a food processor, puree roasted green chilies, tomatillos, cilantro, green onions, jalapenos and lime juice. (This entire mixture also works well with an immersion blender or standard blender)

Add to saucepan, stirring in well. Bring mixture to a slow boil. Lower flame and slowly add American cheese, whipping as needed to remove clumps and make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When the cheese is melted and mixed, remove from heat. Yields 1 Quart.

Prepare mixture for enchiladas filling: Roasted chicken, fork shredded, mix with queso panela (or cream cheese), 1/4 cup of onion, diced. To make enchiladas, fill a corn tortilla* with 3 Tbsp of cooked, roasted chicken mixture. Roll up and place in a lightly oiled baking dish (9X15). Top with mixed cheese, as needed. Warm in a hot oven for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. *I steam the tortillas briefly so they will easily roll. Top with Boom-Boom Sauce.

**First published as SAL HERNANDEZ / CHUY'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT here:

***On a very personal note, our first assignment in Mexico seemed to be at the epicenter of extortion, kidnappings & gunfights following the election of President Calderon & his declaration of war on the drug cartels. While these things were gripping we never felt more at home or cared for among an entire group of warm & friendly people. We continue to miss & pray for our friends in Mexico each and every day.

And last it is with a well known quote that I leave a thought for my friends & family in Mexico:

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson