No Ordinary Seafood Enchilada

The Holidays are behind us, Advent and Christmas over. It’s now Ordinary Times. From a Catholic perspective, there is little that is ordinary (as in uneventful or unimportant) about Ordinary Times.

It simply means the orderly times of spiritual growth and understanding within the circle of life that is the liturgical calendar. The Catholic year begins with the Advent Season, immediately followed by the Christmas Season. The first of two “Ordinary Times” begins with the Baptism of the Lord, as that is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. During Ordinary Times, the faithful  focus on the life of Christ during his three years of public ministry.

The color for this liturgical season is green to reflect a time of conversion, maturation, and quiet growth. This is a time of orderly understanding, of progression in our spiritual journey toward “home”.

In our house, Fridays are still observed in the traditional sense of abstaining from meats. It allows us as a family to focus on the sacrifice on the Cross for forgiveness and the victory of salvation. Besides, who doesn’t like a seafood supper? And let’s face it, you don’t have to be a practicing Catholic or even a person of faith to enjoy Seafood Enchiladas.

Seafood Enchiladas
8 oz small (45-50 count) cooked Shrimp
3 (6 oz) cans Crabmeat
1/2 Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoons Flour
1-3/4 cups Chicken Stock
8 oz Sour Cream
2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend
1 (4.5 oz) can dice Hatch Green Chilies
8 Burrito-size Flour Tortillas
1 firm Roma Tomato
3 tablespoons Cilantro
1 Avocado
2 tablespoons Lime Juice

Heat oven to 350.

Thaw shrimp if frozen. Set aside. rain crabmeat, rinse and set aside. Cut onion in half from tip to root. Reserve half the onion for another purpose, peel remaining half. Dice and set aside. Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Sprinkle in flour one tablespoon at a time until all flour is blended with butter. Add chicken stock and sour cream, stir until smooth. Heat to boiling; cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Dumb in chiles, stir and set aside.

In 13-inch by 9-inch (3-quart) glass casserole dish, spread 1 cup of the cheese sauce over bottom, set aside.

Flake crabmeat into a mixing bowl. Toss with shrimp. Pour 1 cup of cheese sauce over seafood mixture, set aside.

On a flat surface working with 1 tortilla at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup of the seafood mixture down the center of the tortilla. Tuck one end of the tortilla over the filling, roll tight. Place tortilla, seam sides down, on sauce in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.

Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas in the heated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

While the enchiladas bake, finely dice tomato. Place in a mixing bowl. Snip cilantro over the tomato. Peel, pit and chop the avocado. Sprinkle lime juice over the mixture, toss to blend.

Just before serving, garnish enchiladas with avocado mixture.

Great with Spanish Rice as a spicy side. And remember, it’s Friday Night, so enjoy those Margaritas!