Chicken Enchilada (Almost) Perfection

So, I've been messing around with enchilada recipes to find the one that just begs to be made over and over again. I've used various types of sauce, beans, meat, veggies and they have all been pretty good. Well, this last go-around I think I found it-minus one or two details that may just put it over the top.

Two things I did that I thought really made this good were:

• use leftover rotisserie chicken from The Fresh Market (or any leftover rotisserie chicken)

• canned GREEN enchilada sauce (I usually use red)

Two things I would try to make this even better:

• use Chihuahua cheese (Mexican cheese that you can sometimes find in a regular store)
• use fresh tortillas-difficult to find around here

Ingredients:

• 1/2 rotisserie chicken, picked off bone & roughly chopped
• 1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
  
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• salt & pepper
  
• sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can medium green enchilada sauce
• 6 whole grain tortillas

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

In a large heavy bottomed skillet, heat about a Tbsp of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper and chicken. Saute until the onions and pepper are soft. Add beans and seasonings. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Spoon the filling into each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll them up and place them seam-side down in the baking dish. Add the can of enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled up tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes-removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown up the cheese a bit.

I like to top mine with Chipotle Tabasco! Yum!

Enjoy!

Emmy

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

There's nothing quite like spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Like most people, I fall into thinking that meatballs are too time consuming to make on a regular basis, so I rarely think to make them too often. However, every time I do make them, I rediscover how easy they really are to throw together, even on a busy night. You can mix up the meatballs or even ball them up and stick them on a lined baking sheet in the fridge and when you come home, all you have to do is whip up the sauce and cook them while the spaghetti cooks. Pair this with a salad and some garlic bread and you have great comfort food...and make your family think that you worked oh so hard all day! :)
By the way...the leftovers are great for meatball sandwiches for lunch!
For the meatballs:

1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 onion, finely chopped
1.3 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp dried parsley
salt & pepper
Whisk together egg and milk. Add onion, turkey & the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. Roll balls to about 1-1/2 inch and set aside. Keep your hands wet to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.

For the sauce:

olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 a small onion
1-1/2 cans (28oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh thyme if you have it)
salt & pepper

Saute garlic and onion in a large skillet until soft. Add tomatoes, oregano, thyme, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add meatballs to sauce, cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with hot spaghetti and top with more Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Emmy

Breakfast Protein Smoothie

The juxtaposition of my wonderful smoothie with the coffee maker is very much intentional in this picture. I am not a coffee person, nor do I really intend to be. I can take coffee on certain occasions when tea is not available and I want something hot to drink, but coffee in the morning and me do not mix too well. I made myself drink it when we were on a work trip in TX early this year, but it was only out of a pure need for survival with the devastating duo of early mornings and late nights.

I like vanilla protein shakes for breakfast, but those get old after a while. I needed more drinkable variety for my mornings to supplement my new standard breakfast of Greek yogurt and granola. I came across this recipe on Our Best Bites blog, which is another great foodie blog with great ideas. I was intrigued by the use of steel cut oats in the smoothie, but it is surprisingly good and a great way to get some whole grain energy in with the protein (Greek yogurt & spinach), calcium (yogurt & orange juice), iron (spinach) and berry goodness. You can use other frozen fruit if you wish, or add a 1/2 a banana.

So, if you're feeling a cold coming on and need a vitamin boost or just need a morning boost without the caffeine, take this smoothie for a spin in your blender!

Emmy's version:
adapted from Kate's Power Smoothie*you have to read her post, it's hysterical!

1 cup calcium fortified orange juice (Simply Orange or Minute Made-not from concentrate)
3 heaping tablespoons of steel cut oats
1 cup fat free vanilla Greek yogurt
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 large hand full of baby spinach leaves, rinsed
1 cup crushed ice

Soak steel cut oats in orange juice overnight in the fridge (this will make it blend better and I think it is a must). Combine all ingredients in blender and blend well. Makes a big smoothie, great for a filling breakfast in the car.

Enjoy!

Emmy