Sunday, September 15, 2013

Cooking: Chicken Enchiladas



One of my favorite food blogs this year as I have been trying to cook healthier has been Skinnytaste. I have used a handful of recipes from it, and I have never been disappointed. I saw this post for Chicken Enchiladas awhile ago and have now made it a few times, with some minor variations. The chipotles in adobo sauce add a wonderful smoky flavor to the sauce/filling. The best part about learning to make this recipe is you can use the same combination of enchilada sauce/tortillas/cheese from this recipe and make several different variations of enchiladas simply by making a different filling. The other week I made turkey and black bean enchiladas using leftover ingredients from the chicken enchilada recipe. The only downside is having to explain you are not as boring as you seem when your coworkers ask, "Enchiladas again?" (Oh wait, I am).

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients (makes 4 two enchilada servings or 8 one enchilada servings and adapted from this):

Enchilada Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 diced chipotles in adobo (They come in a can and I usually find in the Spanish section of the grocery store which is different than the Mexican section)
1 (14 1/2 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
salt/pepper to taste

Enchilada Filling
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp canola oil
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro
salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 diced chipotles in adobo (see above)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
8 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

To begin, bring a medium pot of water to a boil & add a little salt. Place the two chicken breasts in the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.


Using two forks, shred the chicken by pulling it apart. Place aside.


The chipotles in adobo are whole peppers that come in this rich sauce. Take 1-2 of the peppers and dice into small pieces. I usually save my leftovers in an airtight container w/ the remaining sauce. I haven't died yet!


In a medium saucepan, saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes. Then place the remaining enchilada sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer while you prepare the enchilada filling.

At this point, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil.



To prepare the filling, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute about 3-4 minutes.


Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, salt, another diced chipotle chili, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.


Cook for another 4-5 minutes until all the ingredients have become friends.


Fill each tortilla with 1/3-1/2 cup of the filling. Roll and place seam side down in the 9x13 pan. 


Repeat until you have 8 enchiladas.


Top with the enchilada sauce and the cheese. 


Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.


Enjoy!


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