Chicken Chimichangas for Second Sunday San Antonio

This month's selection for Second Sunday San Antonio was chosen by yours truly! What is Second Sunday San Antonio you ask? Well, do you remember that giveaway that wrapped up less than a week ago...well, the grand prize was a cookbook by Gloria Chadwick...by the same name as her yummy blog, Foods & Flavors of San Antonio. Each month a different recipe from her cookbook is chosen and you make it, either as written or with your own twist/take on the recipe. The first person to post the chosen recipe for that month gets to choose which recipe to make the following month. Not to worry if you don't already own a copy of this book (or don't rush over to Amazon to buy one immediately), Gloria will type out the recipe at the start of each month on her blog (if it's your turn to choose...well, email her or one of the others with the book and we'll throw some recipes back at ya to choose from). But, back to my selection. There is a great Mexican restaurant in my area (actually there are lots of them) where I often order a chimichanga. I've always loved them, but never even attempted to make them at home. After perusing the book (backwards, as I always seem to end up doing)...I found a recipe, at the front of the book, of course...for chicken chimichangas. DING DING DING DING...WE HAVE A WINNER. I actually ended up changing the recipe considerably...just the actually chimi filling, not the method. I was kind of, how shall I put it delicately, low on funds so I used what I had around the house instead of going out and spending more money. Which is hard for me. I love to spend money. I tend to go a bit overboard even at the grocery, so. Chicken Chimichangas ...by girlichef- inspired, influenced and adapted from Chicken Chimichangas by Gloria Chadwick's Foods & Flavors of San Antonio (click here for original recipe) For the chicken: 10 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on) dried, minced onion-good sprinkling 3 garlic cloves, peel & smash black peppercorns- ~1 Tbs bay leaves-2 sea salt-couple pinches Place everything in a large pot. Cover by 1" with cold water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and poach chicken gently. Turn off heat after about 10 minutes or so, cover and let chicken cool in broth. When cool enough to handle, slide off skin and remove from bone. Shred chicken with your fingers and set aside. vegetable oil- ~1 Tbs. small onion, chopped- 3 garlic cloves, crushed- 5 cumin- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano- 1 tsp. Fire Roasted diced tomato- 1(14.5 oz) can Chicken Broth- 1/2 c. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices and cook down, smashing to break up chunks, ~10 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and broth and simmer until it is hot throughout and a few juices still remain. For the chimis: refried beans- 1-2 c. sea salt black pepper shredded cheese- your favorite kind 20 flour tortillas vegetable oil- for frying Pour vegetable oil to about 1" in deep-sided skillet. Heat until shimmering. Wrap tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and microwave for a couple of minutes, until hot and pliable. Lay tortillas out on work surface. Spoon some refried beans into the center of the tortilla. Add some cheese. Last, put a heaping spoonful of the chicken mixture on top of it all. Be sure to leave room, because now you will fold in two sides of the tortilla, then fold the top and bottom over the sides to form a square packet. Using long tongs, hold the packet together and lower it into the hot oil, folded side down. I sort of held it until the edges fried in place. Watch closely and flip over once it is golden on the first side, just a minute or so. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain and repeat with remaining chimis.To serve, garnish with your favorite toppings. I used shredded romaine, salsa, sour cream and some simple guacamole (avocado, lime and salt). Yes, I know this made a huge recipe...we had alot of people eating. The nice thing is, this makes a beautiful seasoned chicken. Use half of the prepared chicken (and half of the tortillas...or however many you wish)...and refrigerate the rest of the chicken for another use. We warmed up some tortillas the next day and filled it with the chicken mixture warmed back up...bonus tacos!! Another great recipe idea from the Foods & Flavors of San Antonio! You still have until the second Sunday of the month to make and post this if you want to join in. Just click on the original recipe and get started!