Healthy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

[deangreenhoe]

This one is for those of us who are watching fat and calories. Amounts are estimated since I adapted this from method (various recipes) and just throw it together for myself, but one can adjust to suit their own tastes.

However, this zippy treat is more filling and satisfying the more you season it up. I tend to cook at the blowtorch level for heat. If you don't know what to skip in order to cool it down, you shouldn't be playing in the kitchen. This makes a small batch of 4 enchiladas. Double up for more.

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (or light/healthy oil of your choice)
1 tbs (rounded) all purpose flour
1 large boneless/skinless chicken breast, trimmed of all fat, precooked
1/2 small onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic crushed (or to taste)
1 tsp (or slightly less) ground cumin
1 cup or more low sodium chicken stock (just open the whole can)
1 7 oz can salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
chopped cilantro
1 lime
1/2 cup (or less to taste) chopped or sliced fresh jalapeno*
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 corn tortillas**
shredded Mexican blend cheese for non dieters

*use poblano for less heat, green bell pepper if you are a wuss. Jalapenos from the jar work as well.
**I often make my own which is best, but not usually practical for a quick meal

Cook the chicken breast how you like. I find marinating in lime juice and seasoning, then grilling adds the most flavor without adding fat. Chop into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. This is a good recipe to use most types of leftover chicken as well.

Heat saute pan with 1 tsp oil (yes, that's all it takes) then saute onions and peppers until softened and onions begin to caramelize, about 7 minutes, then add garlic and cumin, saute for 1 minute longer, add chicken pieces and saute until just reheated through.

(You can just do this one pan, double the oil and saute uncooked chicken pieces, then introduce onions and peppers, if in a hurry.)

Sprinkle in flour and stir until incorporated. Slowly add chicken stock while stirring until the sauce is desired consistency. Add chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point I usually zest some of the lime into the mixture, then squeeze in the juice until it has that bright flavor at the level I enjoy. I also dump in a shot of the salsa verde because I always have more than enough of that around.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grab a small baking dish (glass is best), smear some of the salsa verde on the bottom.

If using homemade corn tortillas they will be pliable so need to heat. If using store bought, preheat briefly in a hot dry pan until the puff a little and get brown marks. Don't worry if they crack during stuffing; you won't know the difference when all is said and done.***

Take an open corn tortilla, spread liberally with more salsa verde (a spoon works fine), fill with about 1/4 of the chicken mixture, roll it as best you can and slap it into the baking dish. Repeat with the other three tortillas. They should fit tightly together or will fall apart while baking.

If you have leftover chicken/sauce mixture, just pour that on top - or give it to the dog. LOL. Pour the rest of the salsa verde over the top and spread evenly. The enchiladas should be well covered with salsa.

If you are opting in on the cheese, spread a little of that on the inside of each enchilada, then top the completed dish to your heart's desire before baking.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly. It serves almost like a casserole so it's best to let it cool down just a bit before plating.

Here's the stats as close as I can figure them for the health conscious. One serving is one enchilada or 1/4 of the baking dish. I generally have two which makes quite a filling meal. Per serving:

145 calories
4g of fat
13g of carbs
22mg of cholesterol

No transfat in this at all.

Even adding a bit of cheese, about 1/2 cup for the whole dish (which I do on occasion) only adds per serving:

30 calories
2 1/2g of fat
17mg of cholesterol
Less than 2mg of saturated fat

Non dieters will probably want to load on some sour cream. I like to serve this on a bed of my lime cilantro rice, cooked in lowfat chicken stock.

***Had to edit a bit. I made this last night for supper (got hungry for it typing up the recipe) and threw the store bought corn tortillas in a hot dry pan until they puffed and browned a bit. Not a single tortilla cracked during stuffing or rolling. So I guess that's the way to go.

[wrp96]

Originally Posted by deangreenhoe

I like to serve this on a bed of my lime cilantro rice, cooked in lowfat chicken stock.

And where is the recipe for that?

Oh, and thanks for the non-dairy enchilada recipe. I'm not a dieter per se, I just have to avoid milk products.

[mtp51]

Change your avatar, Deano. Have someone take your photo with a chef's hat. (Mr. Gourmet)

[deangreenhoe]

Originally Posted by wrp96

And where is the recipe for that?

There isn't one. LOL. I just read recipes and then come up with weird things on my own.

It's an adapted technique that goes something like this:

Lime Cilantro Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 14.5 oz can of canned chicken stock plus 1.5 oz water
1 lime
chopped cilantro

Optional:

finely diced onion
diced jalapeño pepper
jalapeño hot sauce
dash of olive oil (or other cooking oil)
salt

If doing the basic recipe, put rice and chicken stock in a saucepan (adding a bit of water to bring the correct ratio up to 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice), add the chopped cilantro, zest of one lime and the juice to taste. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat to a simmer and cook according the directions on your rice package, usually 15-20 minutes. Fluff and serve. At that point you may wish to adjust lime and cilantro content to taste.

You can add any of the optional elements to zip it up to suite your own taste. I generally finely mince a bit of onion and jalapeño, add a dash of oil to the pan and sauté those with the rice until it just begins to brown, then proceed with the liquid and add a good shake of green jalapeño hot sauce.

You can also dress it up by adding kernels of corn, diced nopalito, ripe olives, a bit of tomatillo salsa verde...whatever blows your hair back. The chicken broth makes it rich without adding fat and few calories. The bright flavor of the lime and cilantro is a great accompaniment to a number of dishes. Up the recipe to include the juice and flesh of canned tomatoes with a dash of cumin and you have a more traditional Mexican rice. It's darned near impossible to wreck this in any incarnation.

[wpbagent]

You are like my son, He takes the Mexican recipes from me and amends them. I am going to try your fish. The only thing I don't care for is cilantro. Too strong a flavor for me.
Have you tried using chipolte seasoning in your Mexican recipes?

[deangreenhoe]

Originally Posted by wpbagent

You are like my son, He takes the Mexican recipes from me and amends them. I am going to try your fish. The only thing I don't care for is cilantro. Too strong a flavor for me.
Have you tried using chipolte seasoning in your Mexican recipes?

I always have a bag of chipotle in my freezer. You'd have to be a maniac to use a whole can in one dish. LOL. I use what I need and freeze the rest, then break off chunks as needed. I especially like the flavor in homemade tortilla soup - smoky and hot.

Regional Mexican is my favorite cuisine with which to experiment but we don't fling tacos and burritos around this house. ;-) I go through more masa than wheat flour. Empanadas are my downfall, especially stuffed with wild mushrooms in a creamy sauce. And once you start making your own tortillas, it's hard to go back to the product you can buy in the store.

I'm lucky in that my region has a robust Hispanic community so I can get the good stuff (especially cheeses and chorizo) in local markets.

I think you'll enjoy the fish. Note that there isn't any cilantro in that, and if you make the rice I bet it would be just as good for your tastes if you simply substituted flat leaf parsley for the cilantro. The lime and chicken flavor is what steals the show.

BTW, I absolutely hated cilantro the first time I had it. I wasn't raised with exposure to any specialty or ethnic foods so didn't have a clue what it was. On my first trip to Mexico as a young pup I about gagged the first time I was served salsa that was heavily laced with cilantro. The taste had me assuming that the kitchen forgot to rinse the soap out of the dish in which it was prepared.

Now I can't get enough of it.

[wpbagent]

I grew up on chorizo. chorizo with eggs, chorizo with rice, chorizo with onions and tomatoes. LOL

I have to wait to try your recipes until I am no longer in treatment. My taste buds are all screwy.

[wrp96]

Originally Posted by deangreenhoe

There isn't one. LOL. I just read recipes and then come up with weird things on my own.

That's okay. My family claims I've never met a recipe that I didn't alter.

It's darned near impossible to wreck this in any incarnation.

I see you haven't met certain members of my family. Most of us are pretty decent cooks, but there are a few whose dishes you learned really quickly to avoid as a child.

[ARTraveler]

Okay, Deano, WPB and WPR:

1. When is the cookbook coming out?

2. How much?

3. Where do I send the check?

Ann