Enchiladas From La Villa Taxco

DEAR SOS: About 15 years ago, SOS printed a recipe for enchilada sauce that contained Mexican chocolate. I’ve lost my copy and wondered if you would print it again.

MARTYNN RAFFERTY

Coventry, England

DEAR MARTYNN: This recipe ran in 1989. These enchiladas--and their sauce--were from the restaurant La Villa Taxco in Hollywood.

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Cheese Enchiladas Acapulco

Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

Mexican chocolate and mole sauce are available at most Latino grocery stores and well-stocked supermarkets.

ENCHILADA SAUCE

5 cups chicken broth or water

3 tablespoons chile powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons grated Mexican chocolate

1 1/2 teaspoons canned mole sauce

Salt

1/4 cup lard

5 tablespoons flour

Combine the broth, chile powder, garlic powder, oregano and cumin in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Combine the chocolate, mole sauce and about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid from the saucepan in a blender and liquefy. Return to the spice mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt.

Melt the lard in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth and cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in a small amount of the liquid from the spice mixture until smooth.

Return to the spice mixture and mix well. Bring again to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors meld, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps from forming.

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ENCHILADAS

2 tablespoons lard, shortening or vegetable oil, plus more as needed

8 corn tortillas

1/2 pound Jack cheese or Cheddar, shredded

Enchilada Sauce

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 (3.8-ounce) can sliced black olives

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the lard in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas to soften slightly, about 15 seconds a side. Add more oil or lard if the skillet becomes dry. Drain the tortillas on paper towels.

Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the cheese down the center of each tortilla and roll. Place seam-side-down in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Finish with the remaining tortillas.

Cover the enchiladas with Enchilada Sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is hot and bubbly, 15 to 25 minutes. Garnish with the green onions and olives. Pass the leftover sauce when serving.

8 servings. Each serving: 316 calories; 393 mg sodium; 30 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 3.64 grams fiber.

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Bake Your Own Panini

DEAR SOS: I am hoping that you can obtain the panini bread recipe from Basix Cafe in West Hollywood. My husband loves it so.

BELINDA MASOTTA

Los Angeles

DEAR BELINDA: Here it is.

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Basix Panini

Active Work Time: 20 minutes

Total Preparation Time: 2 1/2 hours

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt

6 cups flour, plus more if necessary

1/4 cup olive oil

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the yeast in a large bowl and add the warm water. Mix on slow speed until combined. Add the honey and mix well.

In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the salt and flour. Slowly add to the yeast mixture, mixing well to form a dough.

Remove the dough from the bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Knead by hand for 10 minutes. The dough should not be sticky; if it is, add more flour by the tablespoon.

Divide the dough into 10 pieces and gently roll each piece into a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheets and let rise in a dry, warm place until about double in size, 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the bread until golden brown, 35 minutes.

10 panini. Each panini: 358 calories; 711 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 2.89 grams fiber.

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Send requests to Culinary SOS, Food Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or e-mail to: [email protected]. Please include your last name and city of residence for publication. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants.