One entree I enjoy ordering at Mexican restaurants is the Seafood Enchiladas. Usually a combination of shrimp, scallops, crab, octopus and/or squid with mild seasonings, rolled in a flour tortilla and baked in a creamy tomato sauce; it's just lusciously delicious. However, we don't always have the time to travel to find a Mexican restaurant, and lack of funds is a huge drawback, especially nowadays. Solution? Homemade of course.
Being able to cook homemade takes compromise and a bit of ingenuity. Utah is a landlocked state and getting fresh fish is not easy, so keeping packages of different frozen seafood available is a must in the home freezer. It used to be that I could only find quality products, that we enjoyed, at supermarkets, or bulk stores, in other cities. This year though I tried another supplier and have been very happy with the products; that supplier is Good Chop.
Good Chop is a meat and seafood subscription service that delivers U.S.-sourced, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free protein to your door, via Federal Express 2-day service.
U.S. Sourcing: All meat is born, raised, and harvested in the United States, and seafood is wild-caught or responsibly raised off American coasts.
No Added Hormones: Products contain no added antibiotics, hormones, or artificial preservatives.
Convenience: Boxes ship free to the continental U.S. with dry ice, and you can easily pause or cancel your subscription online.
Value: Prices average about $3.74 to $4.14 per serving depending on the box size you select.
Yes, there have been customer complaints, but this company is ranked #2 for this type of service. Personally, I have only had one issue, and immediately received a replacement box, so the company is still in positive standing.
Cost and Portion Size: Reviewers note that red meat portions like flank steaks can feel smaller than standard grocery store cuts for the price.
Inconsistent Quality: Some customers report receiving thin or mislabeled cuts.
Packaging Issues: A few users have complained about vacuum-sealed plastic tearing or leaking during the thaw process.
Basically, they provide products that we want and prefer, so very little compromise.
Now for a seafood enchilada recipe that I came up with, and find to be very satisfying indeed. When I first made it, I used Mahi Mahi. Mahi Mahi is a popular, lean saltwater fish with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a firm, meaty texture. Mahi-mahi means "very strong" in the Hawaiian language, named for the fish's fast and vigorous swimming abilities. When vacationing in Hawaii, back in the 1980s, this is when I first tasted this fish, and oh, it was amazing in texture and flavor. So, while my recipe centers on this fish, any other type of seafood can be substituted, or a combination as well.
To give myself an idea on how to prepare these enchiladas, I did a little research on various cooking sites. Frustration! Recipes were too complicated, relied on canned and processed foods only, or used a store-bought enchilada sauce. I wanted homemade, easy and as close to the restaurant taste as possible. From all the Mexican/Southwest cooking I've been doing, I sort of knew what spices, herbs and such to play around with.
Result? Roy raved on and on about them, and I agree, they were fantastic!!! Well, I'll let you be the judge for yourself once you try this recipe. Enjoy!
Mahi Mahi Enchiladas
Ingredients:
Mahi Mahi
2 lbs. filets, skinned and deboned
1 Tbsp. each salt, ground black pepper, New Mexico chili powder, crushed dried oregano; mixed together.
Set broiler on high; spray jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray. Season both sides of fish with seasoning mix; place on pan and broil for 7 minutes. Remove fish to large bowl and chop into small pieces.
Filling
1 cup each diced onion and red bell pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 and ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese mix
In a medium skillet, medium-high heat, sauté onion and bell pepper in oil until softened.
Mix veggies, fish and cheese together.
Sauce
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 and ½ cups half n’ half
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
½ cup shredded Mexican cheese mix
In a large saucepan, medium heat, mix together all ingredients and let cook for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally to keep from boiling and over thickening.
Final Preparation:
10 (8”) flour tortillas
Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 4 qt baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Spoon filling down center of each tortilla; leaving 1 inch space from top to bottom. Fold top and bottom of tortilla just over filling; fold one side over filling and begin rolling; place in baking dish with crease side down. Continue until all 10 are completed; rolled tortillas will all fit together snuggly. Pour sauce over all and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes; let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Rather go to a restaurant than do the cooking, definitely recommend Tequila’s in Cortez, CO. Overall, the dishes there are outstanding, not once have we been disappointed. …and don’t forget that we have Gustavo’s in Monticello; seafood enchiladas are not on the menu, but they have a menu variety you will find appealing.
Mary Cokenour
