Shelly's Recipe

CRACKED CRAB ENCHILADAS

Category: Fish and Seafood

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
4 cups Chipotle-Cream Cheese Sauce, divided use (recipe follows)
8 oz fresh Dungeness crab meat
Salt and pepper (to taste)
8 to12 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated Queso Fresco

Filling: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until clear. Add the garlic, red peppers, and green onions and saute for 30 seconds, until soft. Add 1/2 cup of the Chipotle-Cream Cheese Sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and fold in the crabmeat. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

ENCHILADAS PREPARATION: Preheat the oven to 375. Lay 4 to 6 of the tortillas on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes to warm and soften (or 30 seconds in a microwave).

Set a tortilla on the work surface and spoon about 1/3 cup of filling in a line down the center of the tortilla. Loosely roll up the tortilla and place in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Warm and fill the remaining tortillas filling the baking pan.

Cover the enchiladas with the remaining 3 1/2 cups of the Chipotle-Cream Cheese sauce, and sprinkle the remaining grated Queso Fresco over the top. Bake the enchiladas in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the enchiladas are warm throughout.

Chipotle-Cream Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, minced
1 tsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Chipotle Puree (recipe follows)
1 tsp canned chipotle adobo (pureed in blender)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 of an 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the jalapeno, garlic, and bell pepper and saute until soft. Add the oregano, salt, cumin, and Chipotle Puree. Decrease the heat to low, add the cream cheese, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the jack cheese, stirring until melted and well incorporated. Keep warm over the lowest heat till used. Combine all in saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Decrease heat to medium low and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Chipotle Puree
6 cups water
4 oz dried chipotle chilies, stems removed
2 tbsp achiote paste
1 cup tomato paste
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Puree the ingredients for the Chipotle puree in a blender or food processor until smooth and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until used or up to 3 days.