Happy New Year, everyone! Alright, I’m a bit late, but I still hope you made it safely into 2013, refreshed and inspired to do big things! The Man and I returned to our home in The Bay to find our pipes backing up due to ROOT infestation. I know it’s crazy – who’s heard of such a thing? Apparently our pipes are clay and ancient. No big surprise; sometimes I think everything in San Francisco is ancient (try finding a dishwasher in a rental unit). Given that they are clay, plants in our yard have dug deep to feast on our pipes. Can’t blame ’em. I was wondering why everything looked so lush in the front yard!
Since we didn’t have running water for 3 days (slumlord!), The Man and I have been eating a lot of takeout, which is unfortunate because I was really ready to step back into my kitchen and start the new year off right. So, I’m just going to ignore the last few days and start my year right now, with a scrumptious Skinny (-ish) Green Enchiladas recipe!
Skinny Green Enchiladas
(inspired by the oh-so-delicious HGT’s Enchiladas Verdes)
These are pretty easy to throw together, and you’ll likely have some of the ingredients on hand. It’s a great way to use up leftover meat, too!
Ingredients:
- 8 small corn tortillas
- Shredded chicken or pork (this time I used chicken barely seasoned with Mexican chili powder, salt, and oregano)
- Salsa verde (in a jar, or homemade)
- 1 cup béchamel (recipe below)
- 2 cups steamed kale, chopped
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or any other beans you have on hand – you can also use brown rice, instead)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Béchamel Ingredients:
- 1 T butter
- 1 T flour
- 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese , shredded
- 1/2 t dijon mustard
- 1 cup milk (I used 3/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup water)
- 1/4 t salt
Directions for Béchamel:
- Over medium heat, melt butter in a small pan.
- Add flour to pan and stir to create a roux. Cook for approximately one minute, just until it looks lightly toasted (gold, not brown).
- Turn heat to low and then slowly whisk in 1/3 of the milk. When there are no more lumps, add another 1/3 and whisk. Repeat with the last 1/3. Continue to whisk until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add the cheese and stir it all together until it is smooth and thick.
- Stir in the mustard and salt, and remove from heat.
Directions for Enchiladas:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour some salsa verde into your casserole dish. You don’t need a sea of it, just enough to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Warm the tortillas individually in a pan on the lowest setting, flipping occasionally until they are soft and malleable.
- Lay out a tortilla and add your shredded meat, a spoonful (or two!) of béchamel, and beans (or rice) in the center. Roll the tortilla closed and place it seam-side down in the dish (atop the salsa).
- Continue with the remaining tortillas until you have them all lined up, side-by-side.
- Pour the remaining béchamel sauce on top of the enchiladas, and then pour any remaining (and more, if you want) salsa verde on top of that.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Top with chopped cilantro – yum!
I’ve made this recipe a few times, and it changes depending on what I have on-hand; sometimes I use leftover carnitas and brown rice, instead of kale and chickpeas; sometimes I top it with red salsa instead of salsa verde. You do you, babes!
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