Chicken Chili Enchiladas

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a small pot, combine the rice, spice blend, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water; heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff with a fork.

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the stem end of the poblano peppers; remove and discard the cores, then medium dice. Drain and rinse the beans. Zest the lime to get 1 teaspoon (if you don’t have a zester, use a peeler to remove the green rind, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind). Quarter the lime. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Grate the cheddar cheese on the large side of a box grater. Roughly chop the jalapeño pepper. Thoroughly wash your hands and cutting board immediately after handling.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken in an even layer and cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the diced poblano peppers; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened and the chicken is cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked rice, beans, crema, lime zest, and the juice of 3 lime wedges; season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond; heat on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced white bottoms of the scallions and as much of the chopped jalapeño pepper as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Add the broth (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and 1/4 cup of water. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone cheese and the juice of the remaining lime wedge. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the tortillas on a work surface. Evenly spread about 2 cups of filling into the bottom of a baking dish. Divide the remaining filling among the tortillas. Tightly roll up each tortilla around the filling. Carefully transfer to the baking dish in a single layer, seam side down. Evenly top with the sauce and grated cheddar cheese; season with salt and pepper. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 2 minutes before serving. Serve the baked enchiladas garnished with the sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!