Cooking Light Enchiladas Verdes Recipes

ENCHILADAS VERDES

Steps:

• Cover a large griddle with aluminum foil and preheat to medium-high.
• Cook the garlic, serrano peppers, and tomatillos on the hot griddle until toasted and blackened, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes for the garlic, 10 minutes for the peppers, and 15 minutes for the tomatillos. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Heat oil in a small, deep skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Using kitchen tongs, fry the tortillas individually, turning them once. They shouldn't be in the hot oil for more than 5 seconds per side. Remove excess oil with paper towels and keep warm. Remember that the hotter the oil, the less that the tortillas will absorb.
• Place the toasted garlic, serrano peppers, tomatillos, and the water in a blender and blend until smooth; pour into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve the chicken bouillon into the mixture, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. The sauce shouldn't be too thick.
• Soak three tortillas in the sauce, one at a time, for a few seconds, fill them with shredded chicken, sprinkle the meat with some of the sauce, roll them and place them seam side down on a pasta bowl. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over them and top them with lettuce, cilantro, crema, and cotija cheese. Pour a little more sauce over the whole thing if desired. Repeat the procedure twice more. Serve immediately.

AUTHENTIC ENCHILADAS VERDES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine chicken breast with chicken broth, one quarter onion, a clove of garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 20 minutes. Reserve broth, set chicken aside to cool, and discard onion and garlic. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands.
• Place tomatillos and serrano chiles in a pot with water, enough to cover them. Bring to boil, and continue boiling until tomatillos turn a different shade of green (from bright green to a dull, army green). Strain tomatillos and chiles, and place in a blender with another quarter piece of onion, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt. Pour in reserved chicken broth, so that liquid just covers the veggies in the blender by about an inch. Blend all ingredients until they are completely pureed. Pour salsa in a medium saucepan, and bring to a low boil.
• Pour oil in a frying pan, and allow to get very hot. Slightly fry tortillas one by one in hot oil, setting each on a paper towel afterwards to soak some of the oil. Finally, dip slightly fried tortillas in low-boiling green salsa, until tortillas become soft again. Place on plates, 3 per person.
• Fill or top tortillas with shredded chicken, then extra green sauce. Top with crumbled cheese, chopped onion, and chopped cilantro.

COOKING LIGHT ENCHILADAS VERDES

Steps:

• Asadero, originally from Mexico, is a semisoft cow's milk cheese with a bright, pungent flavor.
• To prepare salsa verde, discard husks and stems from tomatillos; cut into quarters. Combine tomatillos, 1 1/4 cups broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and chopped jalapeño in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tomatillos are tender. Cool slightly. Place salsa verde in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth or mash with a potato masher. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add salsa verde; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 1 minute).
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• To prepare enchilada filling, combine chicken and next 9 ingredients (chicken through black pepper) in a large bowl.
• Spread 1/2 cup salsa verde in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture downcenter of each tortilla; roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam sides down, crosswise in dish. Pour remaining salsa verde evenly over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with sour cream, and garnish with sliced jalapeño, if desired.

ENCHILADAS VERDE

Steps:

• Place the chicken breast in a pot of water with 1/2 onion and 2-3 garlic cloves. Season with a little salt and/or a small amount of powdered chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked and shreds easily. Keep warm once cooked.
• Remove the outer husk from tomatillos, wash and place in a large pot of water with the serrano chiles. Bring to a boil and cook just until tomatillos change color to a dull olive green--no more than 5-10 minutes.
• Puree the tomatillos in a blender, adding the serrano chiles, and remaining garlic and onion. Add the cilantro and pulse until well blended. Pour into a saucepot, taste for seasonings, and add about a tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder if needed. Heat thoroughly, but do not overcook.
• Remove chicken from water, place it on a cutting board and using two forks or your fingers, shred finely along the natural grain lines of the meat. Keep warm in a bowl, and add a few drops of cooking water if needed to keep it moist.
• Heat tortillas on a griddle or in the microwave. Spread about a tablespoon of sauce on a tortilla, add enough chicken to fill it, roll up the tortilla and place seam side down on the serving platter or individual dinner plates. Repeat, placing enchiladas close together. Pour sauce over the enchiladas, and garnish with a few tablespoons of cream, some shredded cheese, the lettuce, tomato and cilantro. (Unlike enchiladas north of the border, these do not go into the oven--they are served immediately upon making.).
• Extra sauce can be used in other recipes.

ROASTED CHILI VERDE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tomatillos, poblanos, onion, and garlic on prepared baking sheet. Broil for 12 minutes, turning vegetables after 6 minutes, until well charred. Let stand 5 minutes. Scrape mixture and any accumulated juices into a blender. Add cilantro leaves and stems, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper; process until smooth.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Place chicken in a single layer in Dutch oven, meaty sides down. Cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour tomatillo mixture into Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook until sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Place chicken on a plate; let stand 5 minutes. Set aside 2 cups tomatillo mixture. Shred chicken and return to Dutch oven; discard bones. Toss meat to coat.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup reserved tomatillo mixture in the bottom of each dish. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla; fold into thirds, and arrange in dishes (8 enchiladas in each). Spread 3/4 cup reserved tomatillo mixture over enchiladas in each dish. Sprinkle each with 3/4 cup cheese. Coat 2 pieces of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover each dish. Follow freezing directions, or continue to step 5.
• Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, until heated through. Remove foil. Increase heat to broil. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.
• How-To FREEZE: Cover dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil or an airtight lid. Freeze up to 2 months. THAW: Remove foil; reserve. Place dish in microwave. Microwave on MEDIUM for 20 minutes, until thawed. REHEAT: Cover dish with reserved foil. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and a thermometer inserted in center registers 160°F. Remove foil during last 5 minutes.

ENCHILADAS VERDES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• To prepare enchilada filling, combine chicken and next 9 ingredients (chicken through black pepper) in a large bowl. Spread 1/2 cup salsa verde in bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam sides down, crosswise in dish. Pour remaining salsa verde evenly over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with sour cream, and garnish with sliced jalapeno, if desired.
• To prepare salsa verde, discard husks and stems from tomatillos; cut into quarters. Combine tomatillos, 11/4 cups broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and chopped jalapeno in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tomatillos are tender. Cool slightly. Place salsa verde in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth or mash with a potato masher. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add salsa verde; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 1 minute).