Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

I have posted about my love for chicken enchiladas before, but I've had some trouble finding a replacement for the use of cream of chicken soup used in the original recipe. When I started to make this recipe for avodaco chicken enchiladas, I realized it would be much better as a combination of the two recipes. I loathe avocados...I've tried to like them but just hate them, but this recipe was really quite excellent.

Ingredients:
white corn tortillas*
4-5 chicken breasts
2-3 cups grated cheese*
2 avocados
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
3-5 jalapenos*
2-3 tsp lime juice
2 Tlbs butter
2 Tlbs whole wheat flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

*I prefer white corn tortillas. The original recipe called for small flour tortillas, but I think the corn ones are better here. However, corn tortillas are a bit brittle, so you might need to treat them differently. In college we dipped them in hot oil for 10-15 seconds before using them. I used pepper jack cheese because that's what the recipe called for, but it is really your choice. We used to use the bags of Mexican mix cheese in college. The number of jalapenos are totally dependent on the jalapenos and your heat preference. Jalapenos vary in heat, so I have put in as many as 6 and it was bland, and I have put in 4 and it was almost too hot. Just taste as you go. In addition, cumin gives me severe heartburn, so I always cut that in half.

Directions:
Bake, cool, and then shred the chicken. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a food processor, process the avocado, jalapenos,  cilantro and lime juice until smooth (the jalapenos can be tossed in whole, just cut off the stems). In a large saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add in the chicken broth slowly, whisking constantly, then bring the mixture to a mild boil, whisking frequently. Turn the heat down to low, then add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until smooth. Add the spices and stir again. Then add the avocado mixture and stir again, until it is totally smooth. Keep the heat on low throughout the assembly process to keep the sauce from stiffening up.

Assembly Process:
Preheat the oven to 375. Spread a thin layer of avocado sauce over the bottom of the pan. Take a corn tortilla, and dip it in the avocado sauce to coat it. Take about 1/8 cup of chicken and 1/8 cup of cheese and make a line down the center of the tortilla, then roll it up and put it in the pan with the folded edge on the bottom. Repeat the process, pushing the rolled enchiladas together and filling the side space with enchiladas placed vertically. When the pan is full, sprinkle cheese on top, then bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and browning slightly. Take them out and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I only made a half recipe because I only had 8 tortillas, but this made an estimated 4-5 cups of sauce. I would estimate a full recipe (this one is a full one) would make an entire 9x13 pan of enchiladas. If you have any extra sauce, just toss it on top of the enchiladas before you add the cheese. I ended up freezing my extra sauce.

Rating 5/5
Why? Hello awesomesauce. Despite the fact that I do not like avocados at all, I do like this recipe. The avocado taste is very mild, almost unnoticeable, and they are incredibly silky smooth when they are processed. I have heard of using avocado in place of butter in cookie recipes before and based on the texture and feel of the processed avocado in this recipe, I am definitely going to try it.

Crispy Chicken Quesadilla

Recently, a friend of mine got me hooked on Pinterest, and poof...there went several hours. One of the things I pinned recently was a recipe that looked delicious and consisted of ingredients I already had in my fridge. Those are the best kinds of recipes, in my opinion. I didn't change much, and I found the original recipe here.

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup cooked rice
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 chopped green onions
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 Tlbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
shredded Monterey Jack
shredded cheddar
white corn tortillas

Mix the rice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder together (Alternatively, cook the rice with the spices). Stir in the remainder of the ingredients, except the cheese. Warm up a cast iron skillet over medium or medium low heat. Spray one of the tortillas with olive oil and put it oil side down in the pan. Sprinkle some of the Monterey Jack on the tortilla (not too much or it will melt out the sides). Spoon the rice/chicken mixture on the tortilla out to about 1/2 an inch from the edges all the way around. Then sprinkle a small amount of cheddar on top, and put the other tortilla on top. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, until it is toasted, then spray the top tortilla with olive oil, flip the entire thing over and toast the other side. Cut and serve.

A note here...In the original recipe, she rolled a larger tortilla into a burrito style shape and toasted it closed. When I did that, everything fell out. And then I ran out of whole wheat tortillas, which is what I usually use. However, I had some white corn tortillas left over from the green enchiladas last week, so I used those instead and it turned out pretty good. To flip them without spilling out all the ingredients, I lifted the quesadilla off the pan and onto a small plate, then flipped another small plate over and put it on top, then flipped the entire thing, took the top plate off, and used the spatula to put the whole thing back on the pan. No mess. In the original recipe, she used garlic salt and a fresh lime, but I didn't have either one of those. I think I would add corn next time, just because I like it, but this is pretty good as is. This recipe makes a fairly large amount, about 3 cups of mixture total, but it would be really easy to cut it down. In the original recipe, she said she served 6 people.

Rating 5/5
Why? This is super easy to make, and I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand. I like that it will make a relatively large amount that will sit in the fridge for several days and I can use when I want a quick snack.

Green Enchiladas

My friend's mom came up with this recipe, and Kathleen introduced it to us in college. It is now something that we make every time we get together. This is a somewhat healthier variation on the original. This picture is pretty bad, but it will do. It's hard to photograph these.

Ingredients:
** NOTE: all amounts are approximate. Each time I make this it turns out slightly differently, so I add a little of this or that to make it the right consistency or flavor.
2-3 chicken breasts
4-5 cups shredded cheese (Mexican or fiesta mix)
16 oz Greek yogurt (2ish cups), divided
1/8-1/4 cup chicken broth
5-6 jalapenos (or more)
1-2 poblano peppers (sometimes called ancho)
3-4 Tlbs flour
1 tsp salt
white corn tortillas (smallest package has about 25-30)

First, boil or bake the chicken. You could season it if you want, I don't. Let it cool, then shred it and put it in the fridge until you are ready for it. Prep the peppers by cutting the tops off and if you want to, removing the seeds and membranes. In a food processor or blender, put 1 cup or so of the Greek yogurt, 1/8 cup of chicken broth, and all the peppers. Process until smooth. It should be quite green due to the peppers. Pour the pepper mixture into a cast iron frying pan, and turn it onto medium or medium low. As it is heating, add the rest of the Greek yogurt and the salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle the flour in, a tablespoon full at a time, until the sauce is just a little thick (so it will stick to the tortillas). Continue to whisk the flour through until it is smooth each time before you add more. If it gets too thick, add chicken broth a tablespoon at a time. When the mixture feels right, turn the burner to low, and let it simmer for a while (15-20 minutes, or until you are ready for the next step).

The tortillas need to be slightly softened before using, so unless you made your own fresh ones, you need to put them in the microwave between damp cloths and microwave 30-40 seconds. Also spray a 9x13 pan with olive oil and set up a construction line with the green sauce next to the pan, and the chicken and cheese close by. Take a tortilla, dip it in the sauce, then flip it over to get both sides with the sauce. Lay it in the 9x13 pan, then put a SMALL amount of shredded chicken down the center, then top with a slightly larger amount of cheese. Roll the tortilla, then shove it to one end of the pan. Repeat the process, shoving the enchiladas close together until the pan is full. If your sauce appears to be running low, add a little more chicken broth and Greek yogurt to the cast iron pan while you still have enough green sauce to mix. When your 9x13 pan is full, pour any remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, then top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is totally melted and the edges are starting to crisp. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so before serving or it will be a hot mess.

This is a dish that is easier to construct with someone helping you with the assembly line portion. It is so good, and is very easy to make all kinds of variations - more jalapenos for more heat, beans instead of chicken for vegetarian, fewer jalapenos for less heat. As far as the cheese goes, you can buy the fiesta mix, or I mixed monterey jack, cheddar, and mozzarella together myself. I have also made quite a lot of changes from the original recipe in the interests of making it healthier. However, the original recipe called for:
* the tortillas to be quick fried (dipped in hot oil for 5-10 seconds, then drained on a paper towel). I chose not to do this because I was trying to make them healthier, but if you do this, you will not need to soften the tortillas in the microwave and you shouldn't have any problems with them tearing when you roll them.
* 2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup instead of the Greek yogurt. Again, I was trying to make them healthier and Campbell's has a ridiculous amount of salt in their soup. If you use this, leave out the salt and the flour, and you won't need as much chicken broth.

One final note. These get hotter the longer they are refrigerated and are really good as leftovers.

Rating? 4/5
Why? The original, full-fat, unhealthy version is really amazing, so it is hard to make it healthier and still as tasty. But this comes pretty close...close enough for me, anyway. I think the jalapenos I used were WEAK because it was not hot at all, so that's why in this recipe it is pretty important to taste as you go. I put in 6 jalapenos and should have doubled it, and I am not a person who loves ridiculously spicy/hot food.

Lime Tortilla Soup

Normally, I prefer thick, chowder-like soups, but something about this one really appealed to me when I saw it in Clean Eating last month, and the fact that it came together quickly was a big selling point. It was totally worth it! This soup is completely delightful and super easy! I did change the recipe slightly as I was out of some ingredients and didn't realize it until I was in the middle of prep.

2 Tlbs olive oil (divided)
1 chicken breast, in 1/2" cubes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp cumin
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 shallot, finely minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 10" whole wheat tortilla
1 lime, quartered
low-fat Greek yogurt for garnish

Heat 1tlbs oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the chicken, jalapeno, cumin and green pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes, until chicken is done. Add the chicken broth, water, shallot and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. When mixture is at a hard boil, remove it from the heat and add the tomato, cilantro, and remaining tablespoon of oil. Cover the soup and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. While the soup is resting, mist a non-stick pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortilla into narrow strips (1/8" wide) and then each strip into 2" lengths. When the pan is hot, toss the tortilla strips in and toast them, turning constantly to prevent burning. When they are crispy, remove them from the heat. Put soup into a bowl, then add a dollop of Greek yogurt and garnish with tortilla strips and squeeze a quarter of a lime into the soup.

This soup is so delicious, I will definitely be making this again. The original recipe called for scallions in place of the shallot and 3 cups of chicken broth instead of a chicken broth/water mixture. It also called for baby spinach and a corn tortilla instead of whole wheat.

Rating: 5/5
Why? So good....perfect flavors, light and filling.

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

I am not quite sure how I feel about this recipe yet, so if you have suggestions on how to improve it, feel free to let me know. There is something....savory? missing I think. This recipe is from the Mustard Seed Cafe Cookbook.

1 Tlbs unsalted butter

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup water

1.25 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 chopped chipotle chilis in adobo sauce

1/4 tsp cumin

1 cup brown rice

1 chicken breast, cubed or cut into small strips

In a 2 qt saucepan, melt the butter until it sizzles. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the water, broth, chipotle and cumin. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 45 minutes or so until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, pan grill the chicken, then add it to the rice (if you want it flavored as well).

Rating 3.5/5

Why? I have never cooked with adobo chilis before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I love the smell of the chilis and because of that I think I was expecting the savoriness (is that a word?) of the rice to be stronger. I will probably try this recipe again, but maybe add some of the flavors of the adobo sauce to the rice. It wasn't as saucy as I would like, so another option would be to actually make adobo sauce to put over the rice. If I did that, I would probably add the chicken to the sauce and simply pour the sauce over the rice to serve.

Chicken Fajitas

This recipe is my go-to easy dinner recipe. I always have these ingredients on hand and it is fast and easy to make when I get home from a long day at work.

1-2 chicken breasts

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 medium sweet onion

whole wheat tortillas

Cut all the ingredients except the tortillas into thin strips. Start sauteing the chicken in a nonstick pan sprayed with olive oil. When the chicken is about halfway done, add the veggies and finish cooking until the vegetables are tender. Wrap some of the chicken-veggie mix in the tortilla and top with low-fat sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

I make this recipe at least once a week. The original recipe called for about equal parts chicken and peppers, but I have added in more veggies until it is mostly veggies at this point. I don't season the chicken because I like the natural flavor, but you could add salt, pepper or whatever you wanted to flavor the chicken. I also warm the tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds before wrapping everything up.

Rating: 5/5
Why? It is super fast, filling, and delicious, plus it's full of protein, fiber, and vitamins. An all around winner in my book!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

I have been waiting and waiting for tomatoes to ripen so I could make this recipe! It is based on a recipe from a friend, which evolved into me using the last of a lot of pieces of things in my refrigerator. It turned out pretty good!

10 chopped Roma tomatoes
1 large heirloom tomato
1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
1/8 cup salt
3/8 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbls honey mustard
2 Tlbs red pepper flakes
4 chopped red bell peppers
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped gypsy pepper
5 chopped tomatillos
3 very finely chopped super chilis
3 finely chopped jalapenos
1.5 cups corn
1.5 cups cooked black beans
1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients except cilantro in a large pot and simmer gently until peppers are soft (about 20 minutes, more or less). It will start out very chunky and gradually cook down until there is a pretty juicy tomato base. Stir it fairly often so it doesn't burn. When it is done, stir in the cilantro and turn off the burner. Let the salsa mix sit for 10 minutes or so before canning it.

This is a pretty organic recipe, you can add or subtract things pretty easily. I love corn and black bean salsa, so that is what I made, but those ingredients were not part of the original recipe. In addition, the only peppers that were originally part of the recipe were the bell peppers, the jalapenos, and the red pepper flakes. I added the rest because I had them and needed to use them and I think it tastes great. If you use super chilis, make sure you cut them while wearing gloves, or your fingers will burn for a couple of days. I also prefer chunky salsa, so I hand-cut the vegetables, but the friend I got the recipe from puts hers in the food processer for a smoother salsa. She also uses tomato paste as well as tomatoes and mustard seeds instead of honey mustard.

As you can tell from the ingredient list, this makes an enourmous amount of salsa. I ended up with 12 half pints and a quart of canned salsa (or a gallon, if you add it all up...) which is why I canned it. But it is also good fresh.

Rating - 4.5/5
Why? It was surprisingly satisfying making this from scratch, but it could be a bit more spicy. =) Next time, more jalapenos.