Loyola University Chicago Archives

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

May 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! I am having an all Mexican food themed appetizer, dinner, and dessert meal this evening. Our neighbors will join us, in addition to, bringing some Mexican themed beverages and side dishes. In the spirit of today I figured I would share what I am making for dinner, tonight, as well as one of my favorite Mexican dishes to make and eat. That dish would have to be, Verde Enchiladas. To be more specific, the “verde enchiladas con pollo” from La Unica, on the north-side of Chicago. The first time I went to La Unica, was for my friend, Brittany’s birthday, I believe sophomore year of college. It was a surprise when we arrived at the location, I knew it was a grocery store, but had no clue there was a restaurant in the back. A restaurant that serves multiple Hispanic culture types of food. And you know the food is legit when the entire menu is in Spanish too.

Unfortunately, living in Montana means in order to get my authentic Mexican food fix, I had to figure out how to make it myself. I’ve searched for months to find a decent verde enchilada recipe, and thankfully taking a little piece of each recipe, in addition to adding my own ingredients, I have come up with a recipe that is pretty close to La Unica’s. To make this recipe you will need:

1 lbs tomatillos

2-3 chicken breasts

12 corn tortillas

1/2 white onion split into 1/4ths

1/2 block queso fresco shredded

1 tsp garlic (2 cloves)

1/2 jalapeno pepper

1/2 cilantro

3/4 cup corn oil (1 Tbsp per tortilla)

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil (or oil of your choice)

Seasonings for chicken

Mexican creme (to drizzle on top of finished meal)

In a bowl, clean your chicken with vinegar, rinse and drain all liquid. You will now season your chicken with your desired seasonings. I don’t measure my seasonings for the most part, but if I had to estimate how much of each to use, I would say use at least one teaspoon of each seasoning on your chicken breasts. I highly recommend using Adobo as one of your seasonings.

Now, you will heat your 2 Tbsps of grapeseed oil, in a pan over medium high heat, and brown your chicken breasts on both sides until both sides are golden brown. Once both sides have been browned, turn the heat down to medium-low heat and let the chicken breasts cook on the lower heat for about 20 minutes.

While your chicken is cooking, peel the husks off of your tomatillos and clean them in a bowl with warm water and vinegar until all of the stickiness from the husks has been cleaned off. Fill a medium sized pot a little over half way full with water, add your teaspoon of garlic to the water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is bubbling up to begin to boil, add your tomatillos to the water and let them boil until they are a pale green color. I usually let them cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Once the tomatillos are finished cooking add them to a blender along with half of your white onion, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro. Blend all of these ingredients together until they are smooth like a verde sauce. If you want your sauce to be a little thinner, add some of the water from the pot you boiled your tomatillos in to the blender. Add salt and/or pepper to taste. I prefer to use sea salt for my verde sauce.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Your chicken should be done cooking by now. Take the chicken breasts out of the pan and put them on a large plate. Since they are still hot, take two forks or a fork and a knife, and shred the chicken on the plate until all chicken breast pieces have been shredded. Sit your shredded chicken to the side and let it cool off a little bit. While you are waiting for the chicken to cool off, in a separate pan on medium high heat, put a tablespoon of the corn oil in the pan, and let it heat up. Once the oil is hot, you are going to quickly put your tortilla in the oil on both sides for about 10-15 seconds. You want to be sure you aren’t cooking them until they are hard, because you won’t be able to roll the tortillas up without them breaking them if you do.

After you have done this for all 12 tortillas, stack them on a plate and set to the side next to your chicken. You will not shred your queso fresco, and cut your remaining white onion into pieces. Place both items in separate bowls and place next to your shredded chicken and shredded queso freso.

Get a 9×9 baking dish and wipe the inside of it with corn oil using a paper towel to help prevent any unnecessary sticking. Take a tortilla, place the desired amount of shredded chicken inside, roll it tightly, and lay the enchilada in the baking dish with the open end of the tortilla face down. Repeat and do the same for all of the tortillas. If your 9×9 baking dish is like mine, you will need to cut your last enchilada in half and place the two pieces in the corner of the baking dish.

Now that all of your enchiladas are rolled and placed in the baking dish, pour your verde sauce over them. I like my enchiladas with plenty of sauce so I use all of the sauce prepared. If you don’t like yours as “saucy” I would gradually add the verde sauce until you have the desired amount covering your enchiladas. Put your enchilada dish in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are over, take the dish out of the oven and add your shredded cheese on top of the enchiladas. Place the dish back in the over for 5 more minutes, or until all of the cheese has been melted. When the dish is done take it out of the oven, sprinkle your chopped up onions on top of the dish, and enjoy! 🙂

Brie <3

[05.05.15]

All Posts, Dear Diary

Wisdom Wednesday: Morgan Smith

March 25, 2015 Leave a Comment

I’m about two weeks late on my March Wisdom Wednesday person, but it’s been a crazy month, and better late than never, right? I decided for this month’s Wisdom Wednesday person I would ask her direct questions and do a sort of question and answer session. However, I will fill in with a few personal feelings in between. I met this month’s Wisdom Wednesday pick, Morgan Smith, my freshman year of college at, Loyola University Chicago. I don’t quite remember when we met exactly, but I want to say it was in one of my sociology classes. Although I can’t remember the exact time and place where we met, I remember thinking she was a sweetheart. Every once in a while we meet people who give us genuinely positive vibes, and she was one of those people for me. As I explain a little bit more about who she is, what she does, and what she stands for, you will soon see how my general instinct of Morgan couldn’t have been more correct.

Question 1: What made you want to be a teacher?

Answer: “I’ve wanted to be a teacher my whole life. Teaching is in my blood. My great-grandmother used to teach kindergarten through 8th grade in a one room school-house in rural west Virginia. My grandmother and mother are both educators as well. It was something that I just fell into, and always knew I would end up doing it. If you were to ask my younger brother, he’d probably say that I just like bossing people around.”

I would say teaching is in her blood as well. This is a picture of Ms. Smith during Christmas time. I don’t know about you, but she would’ve been my favorite teacher, ever, simply for dressing up as Miss Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch. And she did pretty good if I must say so myself!

Question 2: What is your favorite moment so far since being a teacher?

Answer: “I’ve had lots of favorite moments as a teacher…it’s hard to pin point one. So many of them are seemingly insignificant moments that others would deem ordinary. A few of my favorites have been watching my students’ faces as they got to look out at their beautiful city from the Willis Tower after the entire field trip had been funded by friends of mine. Every single third grader in my school was able to go on a field trip that would have otherwise been too expensive for them to go on. Watching them witness the sights from 103 stories up was incredible. Another favorite moment of mine (more funny than anything) has to be when I was sitting in the rocking chair during a reading lesson, and a student right at my feet kept interrupting saying it smelled like Ruffles (chips). I asked him to be quiet, but you could tell he was trying to figure out where it was coming from. He kept leaning towards my feet (I was wearing leather flats) and sniffing and saying, “Mmmm! I want some Ruffles!” It took me a minute to realize he was smelling my shoes and I tried not to laugh. I felt so bad that this boy was salivating over the smell of my shoes that the next day I brought him a bag of Ruffles and put it in his mailbox. He came up and gave me a hug. I honestly could find a moment in every single day that could be considered a favorite!”
One of my personal favorite Facebook moments of Ms. Smith’s class was seeing her buy all of the fleece fabric on Black Friday last year, to make each student a personal blanket for their Christmas gifts. Seeing someone take that much time to do what would be such a simple gesture to others, I’m sure meant the world to those kids. The cover photo is a picture of Ms. Smith posing with the class as they’re wrapped up in their new Christmas present blankets.

Question 3: What has been your most challenging moment?

Answer: “There are so many moments in teaching that challenge you. Moments that challenge your patience, emotions, and physical body. When I first began teaching I had one of the toughest behavior challenges in my class. A cute little girl, who at the flip of a switch could lash out violently against me or other students. It got so bad several times that desks would be overturned, and I would end up with handprints on my arms. I was so physically and emotionally exhausted from not only being a first year teacher, but trying to figure out how to teach 25 other kids with this girl in my class, that I began to get sick. I was throwing up before school every day, getting hives all over my body…I didn’t think I was cut out to be a teacher any more. Then my mom sent me a quote, “Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn. And students who aren’t come to school to be loved.” That quote changed my outlook on teaching students with behavior issues. So many of them are going through unimaginable situations at home, and I have to remind myself that they are acting out because they need extra doses of love throughout the day.”

Another Facebook moment of Ms. Smith’s shows no matter how hard these kids may have it in life, and no matter if they may not say out loud to their teachers that they’re changing their lives, they will always express it in some way. Here is an example of a note Ms. Smith confiscated from a student who was passing it to their friend during class. I remember her captioning it and saying she couldn’t even be mad when the note says something as amazing as this..

Question 4: What is the most important lesson you want your students to take away from your class?

Answer: “They are special. They are loved. They are capable. They are smart. Despite the backgrounds, home lives, socioeconomic statuses, and zip codes of my students…I believe 110% that I’ve taught at least one future president, neurosurgeon, Broadway actor, and entrepreneur. My students amaze me daily at their resiliency and drive to do better than the day before. I honestly don’t care if my students remember their multiplication facts (although I believe it’s a necessary skill), I don’t care if they learn to spell perfectly. I want them to remember me the same way that I remember my favorite teachers…that they were loved, and that they were pushed to be better versions of themselves. I want them to walk away from my class knowing that they are capable of anything as long as they put in hard work…even though they might have to work 10 times as hard (as unfair as it may be) than their suburban, white, counterparts.”

Morgan’s answer to the last question is what made me want to make her my March Wisdom Wednesday, person. If the world had more people who cared about other’s well-being as much as she does, it would be a much better place. We need a Ms. Smith (soon to be Mrs. Shah) in every classroom around the world.

I have been abundantly blessed to know many amazing people in my only 26 years of life, and I’m happy Morgan Smith is one of them 🙂

Brie <3

[03.25.15]

All Posts, Dear Diary

Operation Home(less)ness

December 7, 2014 Comments : 4

Homeless (adjective): (of a person) without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets.

Homeness (noun): The condition of being a home; homeliness, domesticity.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (NLT)” -Matthew 20:28

I have always wanted to help people. It’s something I’ve known I have been called to do for many years, now. For a long time I fought a losing battle of trying to find my passion vs. my purpose. There are many things we can feel passionately about, but feeling something due to passion doesn’t always mean it is the best option for us. Passion has gotten a lot of folks in unwanted trouble. However, when we find and serve our purpose, there is no greater way to honor The Lord. By fulfilling our purpose, we are doing exactly what God has individually created us to do. I know my purpose, in this lifetime, is to serve as many less fortunate people as possible.

For about five years I have had major aspirations and plans of creating a homelessness non-profit organization that eventually goes well beyond just clothing and feeding the homeless. The way I feel knowing so many people go without basic necessities hurts my heart. I don’t understand how we can live in a world where there are more than enough resources to go around, and take care of everyone, especially the children…but we don’t. I really don’t understand how we can live in the United States of America, and so many people here go without. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe everyone should be living the high life, but I do feel everyone should have clean water to drink, food to eat, clothes on their back, shoes on their feet, and a roof over their head. I don’t think anyone is undeserving of those basic living conditions. I believe I feel even more moved about homelessness, because of the verse that opened this post. How can Jesus, the Son of God, the only perfect man to ever walk this Earth, see fit that He serve others when it was He we should be serving? It really puts into perspective how nobody is ever too high and mighty to serve others.

This really all started my sophomore year of college. I was walking back to my dorm when I passed a homeless man in a wheelchair, outside of the CVS on Sheridan Road. Anyone who attended Loyola University Chicago probably remembers this same man. I was doing my usual routine of walking home after class to go get ready for work when I heard a man say “It’s a beautiful day today young lady. You should always smile!” I was a little confused and asked him if he was talking to me. He confirmed he was, I smiled, and told him to enjoy the beautiful day. It wasn’t until I got home that it really sunk in of what took place in the mini exchange I had with the homeless man. Here I was- a privileged young person who had the opportunity to be in college. But even more so a privileged human being who had clean clothes to wear, food to eat, water to drink, and a roof over my head…and a homeless man had to remind me to smile. It still blows my mind to this day how ungrateful I never knew I had been. How could I not be smiling when I had everything in the world to smile about? Why did it take a man who had practically nothing, to remind me I had everything and more? It was at that moment I recognized I needed to be a better person for myself. Even when I thought I was a nice and giving person, I realized I could be even nicer and give even more. I didn’t really know how I was going to go about this “new me” but I knew I had to start somewhere. The upcoming school year I signed up for a mentoring program called “GirlPOWER” through Loyola. The group aimed at encouraging elementary school girls, in underprivileged Chicago communities, to continue on the path of the importance of education. It was almost like having a little sister you mentored once a week on everything from academics to personal life. I enjoyed the program, and I really enjoyed hanging out with my little. After doing a semester of the program, many of the girls signed up for extracurricular activities, and we had to dismantle the group. It was bittersweet, because we wouldn’t get to see the little ones anymore, but it was a proud moment of knowing we encouraged them to sign up for the activities to keep themselves out of trouble. When this program ended, I once again was looking for somewhere or someone to lend a helping hand to.

I started attending Second Baptist Church downtown Evanston, IL in the Spring of my Junior year of college. It was while attending this church I learned of their Tuesday soup kitchen in the basement of the church. I decided to volunteer on a random Tuesday afternoon, since I was done with class early on Tuesdays, and only worked on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I showed up early and I was able to help prepare the food. We made spaghetti, with dinner rolls, and salad for the meal. There was bottle water to drink, and hot chocolate as a dessert/a way to warm everyone up because it was the middle of February. When they opened the door, I was so shocked and so sad at how many people I saw enter the basement. I couldn’t believe so many homeless people lived in the area, or needed to travel to this church to have a hot meal that day. Some of the people were just parents that had fallen on hard times and needed the help to feed their children and themselves. I met so many awesome people that day. I learned how so many of us are just a paycheck away from being in the same position. I think it is a common stereotype that the homeless have made a bad decision somewhere in their lives that has landed them where they are. Thus, giving many the entitled attitudes of them deserving to be where they are. The more I made my way around the room after serving food, the more I wanted to break down and cry. The more I wanted to cry, the more I realized I had found what I wanted to change about the world. In all of the volunteer work I had done over the years, this one really hit me hard. I’m pretty sure it was at this exact moment I realized what I wanted to do with my life, but like a typical selfish young 20 something year old, I convinced myself that I didn’t have enough to give. It’s funny how we equate everything to money, not realizing that all we need to give is our time.

Fast forward a year and a half, and I was working as an IRA Administrator in Montana. I graduated with a degree in Sociology, and somehow ended up working in the financial world. I knew the job I was doing was strictly for a paycheck and not because I enjoyed it. However, I loved the company I worked for, I loved my coworkers, and the paycheck was paying the bills and student loans. I can’t express how long I had been job searching while working in this position for something that would put my degree to use. As much as I tried to avoid it being about the money, it seemed this was the first thing I looked for while job searching. It’s funny how hindsight is 20/20, because I now get why I never found what I was looking for. Searching for empty reasons will always bring up empty results. Fast forward two and a half years, here I am, a stay at home Mom, making “nothing” (monetary wise), but finally deciding to not make any more excuses and figure out how I can help others. I have started working on my business plan for this homelessness organization, and am praying to have it up in going within the next year or less.

The name of the organization will be “Operation Home(less)ness”. If you refer to the definitions in the beginning of the post, you will see the difference between the words “homeless” and “homeness” and the goal is to rid many of the word “less” in the middle. My current, simplified plan, is to start off with finding and collecting the basic necessities. Clothes, shoes, food, water, etc. I will plan to make “care packages” of these items so that I am able to pull them out and hand them out to people as I see them on the street. The long-term goal of this organization is to help people physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially. I want to eventually have something along the lines of a shelter that will teach people how to care for themselves in all aspects of a healthy life. I want them to leave the organization with more than just new clothes and food to eat for a few days. I want them to leave with spiritual guidance, a way to make money to get back on their feet, and at peace with themselves. For now, I will work on finding family, friends, and local companies that would like to help contribute to the cause. I know many people do not trust donating money to organizations because they do not know where it goes, and I am perfectly OK with people buying specific necessities to give. I am working on the mission statement, and once I have it figured out, I will create a web page, and social network accounts specifically for, Operation Home(less)ness, to start spreading the word of what people can do to help me get this organization up and going. I know this will take a lot of time, and dedication, but the time will pass anyway, so I might as well spend it helping others.

It is even more important to me for my daughter to grow up learning how important it is to serve others. If she learns anything from me, I want her to understand the amount of money she makes, will never define her as a person, but what she does with her time does. Of course I want her to be successful, but I also want her to put her success to use by redefining what we consider to be “successful” in this world. I want her to be thankful for everything she has been blessed with before she ever opens her mouth to complain about what she doesn’t have.

Above all, I want her to learn and understand at an early age, what took her mother 26 years to figure out: if Jesus Christ can serve the needy, there isn’t anything in the world that should make her ever look down on the less fortunate, or make excuses of how she is unable to help them herself.

-Brie <3

[12.07.14]