POMEGRANATE THAI CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

My cooking repertoire consists of Southern classics and family recipes. These enchiladas are a step outside my classic American recipe box. I enjoyed experimenting with ethnic flavors to create a warm, crowd-pleasing dish that is a pleasant departure from my more traditional go-tos. Serve with saffron rice, skinny margaritas (recipe on page 31), chips, and guacamole.

SAUCE

1½ cups sweet Thai chili sauce

½ cup soy sauce

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon tomato paste

¾ cup pomegranate juice

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon fish sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

ENCHILADAS

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (about 1 pound)

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided

8 to 10 flour tortillas

Diced avocado, pomegranate arils, chopped cilantro, green onions, and queso fresco for garnish

Makes 6 servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. To make the sauce, in a medium sauce pan, whisk together the Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, tomato paste, pomegranate juice, rice vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. In the meantime, in a medium bowl add the shredded chicken, sliced bell peppers, cilantro, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. When the sauce has cooled slightly, pour in about ¾ cup, or just enough to coat the chicken. Toss well to coat.

4. To assemble the enchiladas, spoon a little of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla, tuck and roll the tortilla, then place the enchilada seam side down into the baking dish. Pour and spread the remainder of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas, and top with the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella.

5. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and serve with diced avocado, pomegranate arils, cilantro, green onions, and queso fresco.

MAKE IT AHEAD: Assemble the enchiladas the day before (do not bake). Be sure the enchiladas are room temperature before you cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bake per the directions.