Sweet Sabbath

"A single meal does not community make, but it has the potential to remind us we're not solo wanderers in the wilderness.  An invitation is a slight opening in the window of relationship, granting intimacy permission to drift in like a breeze into a stuffy room."  

~Leslie Verner, "Invited:  The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness"

If you give a mama a precious can of green chilis, she's going to want some chicken enchiladas to go with it.  When she looks up the recipe in the cookbook given to her by her kindergarten teacher as a wedding present, she'll realize she doesn't have any ground coriander.

So she'll call a friend nearby and be rescued by the friend's spice pantry.  Then she'll burn her fingers while deboning the chicken and listening to her stomach growl.  So she'll think about how many people it took to make this meal possible and how amazing it is that God has provided so many relationships over the years.

Chicken Enchiladas

(with apologies to "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie")

adapted from "Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook"

4 10-inch flour tortillas

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream

2 cups chicken broth

1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

optional garnish:

sliced pitted ripe olives

chopped tomatoes

sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For sauce, in a saucepan cook onion, garlic, coriander and pepper in butter till onion is tender.  Stir flour into sour cream; add to onion mixture.  Stir in broth and chili peppers all at once.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.

For filling, stir 1/2 cup of the sauce into chicken.  Place about 1/2 cup filling atop each tortilla; roll up.  Arrange rolls, seam side down, in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  Top with remaining sauce.  Bake uncovered about 35 minutes or until heated through.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or till cheese melts.  If desired, sprinkle with olives, tomatoes, and green onions.  Let stand 10 minutes (if you can stand it).  Makes 4 servings.