I absolutely love Mexican food. It's unpretentious and bold in flavour. It's like a party in your mouth! The ingredient that is essential to chicken enchiladas is chipotle paste which is widely available in the larger supermarkets. I wish I had discovered chipotle before – the flavour is so unique and delicious! It not only adds heat but it gives that authentic Mexican flavour that makes this dish stand out.

Ingredients

 For the chicken seasoning 

2 large chicken breasts (about 14 oz.), cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. chilli powder

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

For the sauce

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ onion, finely chopped

½ mild chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. chipotle chilli paste

12 fl. oz. tomato passata

1 can black beans

Salt and pepper, to taste

Additional ingredients

½ lime, juiced

½ mild chilli pepper, sliced (optional)

6 oz. grated mozzarella

5-6 plain flour tortillas (use the large ones)

3 oz. mature Cheddar cheese

Palmful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Place the chicken and peppers in a large baking dish. Sprinkle over the remaining ingredients and then thoroughly mix together so that the chicken and peppers are evenly coated with the seasoning. Cover and set aside.
2. Make the sauce. Place a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the oil, then cook the onion and chilli together, stirring frequently, until the onions become soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Next, stir in add chipotle paste then add the passata. Stir thoroughly, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and leave to cook for 10 minutes. 
3. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180º Celsius.
4. Next add the whole can of beans. Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the lid back on the pot and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Return your attention to the seasoned chicken and peppers. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked, but it shouldn’t be pink in the middle. Remove from the oven (but keep it on) and then pour over the lime juice, sprinkle over the chillies if using, then add two ladle-spoonful’s of the sauce and half of the mozzarella. Mix well.
6. To assemble the enchiladas, equally portion the chicken mixture down the centre of each tortilla. Roll up and put in a 12inch x 9 ½inch baking dish (or roughly that size), placing them side by side so they don’t unravel. Pour the remaining sauce on over top, then sprinkle over the Cheddar and the remaining mozzarella. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and started to brown. Scatter with the coriander to serve.