Meal-planning is always a great way to start a week in order to prevent last minute grocery shopping or last minute take-out meals from restaurants. Budget-conscious folks resort to planning in order to prevent extra costs.
As I discovered local markets in Exton, I found that many of the markets had better priced ingredients for meals than in chain grocery stores. Herbs, spices, veggies, and even dairy were more reasonably priced. Exotic spices or ethnic ingredients were more accessible too! I decided to make three meals with low-cost ingredients found at local markets without breaking the budget.
Yesterday I explored cooking Indian at home affordably, and today, I’m diving into authentic Mexican cooking at home!
Featured Meal: Chicken Flautas with Tomatillo Sauce
Where to Shop: Buhos Authentic Mexican, 115 E. Swedesford Rd. in Exton; Produce Junction, 260 N. Pottstown Pike, Ste. 15, Exton
One of my favorite cuisines to prepare often is Mexican food but, when I moved to the Exton area, it was hard to find one place to have all the authentic ingredients to make sauces or even meals in general other than quesadillas and nachos, which are more Tex-Mex than anything else.
Authentic Mexican food is surprisingly inexpensive when it comes to buying ingredients. One of the meals our family enjoys are baked flautas (instead of fried, like in restaurants)—they are just as crunchy and delicious and can be prepared in 30-45 minutes.
One of the key ingredients in this recipe are the fresh tomatillos (green tomatoes in husks) that are purchased at Produce Junction for $2 for a 2-pound bag. Produce Junction definitely carries many fresh ingredients for Latin dishes that are very economical. The tortillas, authentic cream and cheese are all purchased at Buho’s, which not only houses a restaurant but also has a little market. The authentic cheese is a bit pricy at $7 a pound, but it lasts a long time. The tortillas are fresh and do not have preservatives like all the area chain stores.
Recipe: Chicken Flautas with Tomatillo Sauce
Chicken Flautas
Ingredients:
- 20 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- toothpicks
Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos (green tomatoes with husks)
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste (1 tsp)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warm 5 tortillas at a time in microwave for 45 seconds. Once removed, add 2 Tablespoons of shredded chicken in the center of tortilla and roll in an almost tight manner. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. (The tortillas must be warmed and softened for this step to work)
Place prepared flautas on a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown. (Traditionally these are fried, but these are healthier)
Serve 4 to 5 flautas per person.
Tomatillo Salsa Method:
Rinse tomatillos under warm water and cut in quarters. Slice and partially seed jalapeño. In a food processor, liquefy tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño, and green chiles.
Heat olive oil on medium skillet. Add sauce to hot oil and add lime juice, water, salt, sugar, vinegar and cumin. Boil the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes minutes. Add cilantro at the end and set aside.
Assembly:
Place 4 to 5 flautas on plate and pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of tomatillo salsa over flautas. Mix 1 cup of crema or sour cream with cotija cheese or if not found, crumbled feta cheese. Add 2-3 Tablespoons on top of the flautas.
