Sunday, May 10, 2020

Easy Green Chilli Enchiladas from Guest Author Iona Whishaw with Giveaway!


Vicki Delany here today with Canadian author Iona Whishaw. 

I met Iona last year when she was a guest at Women Killing It, the Canadian crime writer’s festival I am co-organizer of.  She was hugely popular with festival guests, and I was excited to be introduced to her series of historical mysteries.  The newest book has just been released and I’m excited to have this chance to introduce her to you also. 


Hi! I’m Iona Whishaw, author of the best selling Lane Winslow mysteries.  These are set in the immediate post war period of 1946/47 in a tiny community in the interior of BC near Nelson.  Lane Winslow is a 27 year-old retired British spy, who seeks to get away from it all by moving to the remotest place she can find.  Not as peaceful as she hoped, she finds her previous life follows her, but she also finds she is useful, yet annoying, to the local police because of her skills, and while she finds espionage and murder, she also finds love, and a delightful community in King’s Cove.  A Match Made For Murder, released in April, is the 7th book.


When Lane Winslow and Inspector Darling go to Tucson for their romantic November honeymoon, in A Match Made For Murder, besides the usual mayhem that seems to follow her around, Lane encounters Mexican food for the first time.  In honour of this I’m delighted to share one of my favourite Mexican dishes, Green Chilli Enchiladas made easy for a stressed out world!  I spent much of my childhood in Mexico, and have made green tomatillo salsa from scratch, but these bottled salsas are perfect for an easy substitute.  This recipe feeds two, with leftovers for lunch the next day.





Easy Green Chilli Enchiladas 


-1 ½ - 2 or so cups shredded left over chicken, (from a roast, for example)

-roughly 2 cups freshly grated cheese, whatever you have: I used a combination of Havarti and Cheddar here,

7 or 8 corn tortillas (don’t substitute flour tortillas…everything depends on the corn flavour.)

-container of Green salsa.  Several companies make this and it is in the Mexican food section of your grocery.



Line a square (or if you’re scaling up, rectangular) baking dish lined with soaked and then wrung out parchment paper.  (thank you Jamie Oliver for this idea!) Turn oven on to 375.



Tortillas are notoriously brittle unless you’ve got them fresh the same day, so I soak and then wring out a tea towel, pile the tortillas in it and let them whir around in the microwave for one minute.  That makes them pliable and easy to use.  Keep them covered in the damp cloth as you use them one at a time.







Empty your container of green sauce into a separate pan, line up your ingredients for the assembly line: container of salsa, chicken, cheese and baking dish.   Soak each tortilla in the salsa, and, holding it in the palm of your hand, lay a row of shredded chicken down the middle, followed by some cheese.  Roll it into a sausage and place it in baking dish.  Continue till you run out of things.







Pour green salsa out of soaking dish onto enchiladas, top with a cup of cheese and slide into the oven for 40 minutes or so, till the cheese is melted and golden.  


Serve with either sour cream, or eat them as we do, with a fresh avocado and tomato salsa made with the addition of finely chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.  These are absolutely delicious!

 


You can of course fill them with beef or pork, instead of chicken, or for a vegetarian version, they are delicious with refried black beans mashed and lightly fried with onion, garlic, with a little crushed cumin and coriander seed.

Iona is offering TWO copies of A Match Made for Murder to Mystery Lovers Kitchen readers. Please leave a comment below to enter. Don't forget your email address so we can contact the winner.  US and Canada entries. Contest closes Wednesday May 13

41 comments:

  1. This looks like a yummy recipe. I would love to try it. mgshepherd2003

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  2. This is a very easy recipe if I can find the green salsa. I’ve seen green enchilada sauce but I don’t recall green salsa. Thank you for the opportunity to win. suefoster109 at gmail dot com

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  3. I like enchiladas but I’ve always had them with red sauce.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  4. Thank you for the delicious sounding recipe for Easy Green Chilli Enchiladas. I love easy and yummy - a great combination! We love Mexican food and this will be tried soon.

    Sorry to say, this is a new author to me. However, I hope to rectify that in the present and future. The Lane Winslow mysteries series sounds wonderful. I'd love the opportunity to get to know Lane Winslow and Inspector Darling with the opportunity to read "Match Made For Murder". Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy! Shared and hoping ti be one of the very fortunate ones selected.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  5. I was just thinking about what I wanted to make for meals this upcoming weekend. We have chicken in the freezer and this recipe sounds easy and delicious, so Thank You!!!
    And Iona Wishaw is a new author to me, so that is always fun.
    kimheniadis at gmail dot com

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  6. These enchiladas look delicious, and I appreciate the step by step photos. Thanks for sharing your recipe and your books with Mystery Lovers' Kitchen ~ bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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  7. The look simple and delicious! I immensely enjoy enchiladas and completely agree with you on the corn tortillas. Thank you for the chance to win!
    magicgirl2357@yahoo.com

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  8. We make some enchilada type meals without the shell. Guacamole and salsa are our best accomplishments.
    A retired spy at 27 is intriguing.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  9. My mom and I love green chili dish and am going to give this one a try, maybe even too for Mother’s Day.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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  10. Thanks for the recipe...it looks easy enough for even me. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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  11. These enchiladas sound delicious and easy to make. Yum!
    clugston.kathy@yahoo.com

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  12. I like Mexican food but cannot eat red salsa so this green chili enchiladas dish sounds like a good choice to try.
    grace dot koshida at gmail dot com

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  13. This recipe sounds delicious. Thank you for the chance!
    maceoindo at yahoo dot com

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  14. A Match Made for Murder sounds captivating and intriguing. The Canadian setting makes it come alive for me since I am Canadian and enjoy novels where I can recognize the locale. Thanks for this wonderful feature and the yummy recipe. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. This mystery set in small town B.C. interests me greatly. The story and characters come alive and the book is a real treasure for me to enjoy again and again. Many thanks for your great book giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  16. Yum. I've never made my own enchiladas. Thanks for the recipe & tips!
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  17. I appreciate the details you give, like moistening the tortillas.
    I'm jealous of the lovely avocado you show. It's always the great unknown with them. Will they be pretty and tasty or will they have lots of nasty spots?
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    Replies
    1. As they say, avocado's are perfect for about twenty minutes.

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  18. Welcome to the Kitchen, Iona! We love exploring the Nelson area, not far across the border from us, and Lane sounds like a terrific character!

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  19. "A Match Made For Murder" sounds like an interesting book. I like the 1946/47 timeliness and I'm looking forward to reading the book.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  20. Thanks for the recipe - love enchiladas.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  21. Sounds really good! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  22. Thanks for introducing a new author and series to me. I love that time period and this book sounds really interesting. And of course who doesn't love any kind of enchilada?
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  23. Thank you for sharing this recipe, and for the chance to win! areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  24. My brother she moved back here from New Mexico a couple years ago. Their whole family loves green chilli enchiladas. Thanks for the recipe they look wonderful. Happy Mother's Day to all of them today! tWarner419@aol.com

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  25. I like that time period to read about in books. The recipe sounds delicious. Thank you for the chance😊

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  26. These sound great. I've been looking for good enchilada recipes lately. You must have read my mind! Thank you!
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  27. I actually remember when I encountered enchiladas for the first time. My family didn't eat out much and so Mexican food was completely new to me in high school. It was delightful and I have since been able to indulge relatively often.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  28. I haven't read from this series yet. The time period and usual location is interesting. I am especially intrigued with this one since I lived in Tucson for a few years. I don't remember when I had enchiladas for the first time. My husband makes an enchilada casserole that is great. jeaniedannheim (at)ymail (dot)com

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  29. This recipe is a great way to make good use of leftover chicken. We love Mexican food! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of A Match Made for Murder. I love discovering book series that are new to me.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  30. Awesome post! Thanks for the chance! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  31. Karen
    Looks good. Have to try. Thanks for a chance to win.
    khalsey(at)Rochester(dot)rr(dot)com

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  32. mmm. sounds good. both the book and the recipe. wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  33. thank you for sharing this recipe. looks yummy
    quilting lady 2 at comcast dot net

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  34. Thank you for both the recipe and the giveaway. Both sound really good!
    I adore Mexican food and have a can of green chili sauce at home.
    madamhawk at gmail dot com

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  35. Hi Iona. You are new to me. I love historical cozies/fiction and especially that time period. Making a note of this book. Oh this enchilada recipe looks so good. I can make this easy. Midwest transplant living in Texas for 33 years.

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  36. I recently read the first book in the series, A Killer in King’s Cove, and enjoyed it so much that I ordered the rest of the series. Now I am impatiently waiting for the mailman to deliver the books. Thanks for an interesting female character set in a Canadian small town.

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