Chili Verde Enchiladas

Growing up, my mama, who learned all of her cooking from my very Hispanic grandmother, used to make this relatively easy, traditional Hispanic dish for us. 
On those days the world was a little better of-a place.
If you've read my other posts you'll have noticed I love spicy food.
I thank my mother for this.
If I can add had a zing here or there for some kick in the bite, I will do it.

So naturally this was a favorite dish of mine. 

However, as much as I love love love  my mom's full fat, deliciously cheesy and creamy dish I adjusted her recipe for this healthy-conscience foodie.

****The recipe calls for a cream of chicken, and rather than buy the processed can stuff I made my own thanks to milehimama homemade version****

Cream of Chicken:
Creates about 1 cup
2 tbs butter (I used Parkay)
2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup chicken broth (I quartered a bullion cube and melted it with boiling water)

Melt butter in a pan on Medium heat, then whisk in flour, 1 tbs at a time until paste. Slowly whisk in milk, then broth. Keep whisking and heating until desired thickness--the more you heat the thicker it gets.

Ingredients for Enchiladas:

12 corn tortillas
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked (I used 3 large)
1 can green chilies (4 oz)
1 can green enchilada sauce
1/4 cup green onion (I omitted because my husband doesn't like onion very much)
1-2 jalapeno peppers
prepared cream of chicken
salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Mexican cheese mix 
sliced Olives (optional)

Directions: 
Bring chilies, enchilada sauce, and cream of chicken to boil.
 
Meanwhile, shredded chicken with a fork or fingers

When sauce is boiling, add salt, pepper, green onion, and jalapeno. Boil for 1 min.
Turn heat to low.


Dip out 1/2-3/4 cup sauce and put aside. 


Add shredded chicken to remaining sauce and simmer 10-15min.

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Dip one side of tortilla in chicken sauce mix, lay sauce side down in a 9x13 pan. Fill non-sauce side with 2-3 spoon fools of mixture, pinch of cheese, olives--if you're having them,  and roll tortilla, seam side down. Repeat until pan is full.

Take the 1/2-34 sauce and drizzle over the top of rolled tortillas and then sprinkle with shredded cheese and extra olives if you have them.

Bake 20 min, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with some Spanish rice and top with plain Greek yogurt!

Enjoy!!!!

Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce Chicken

Sun dried tomatoes are a luxury food for me. 

I love them on anything and everything 

(Well maybe not cereal). 

Most Italian restaurants have some dish with sun dried tomatoes and I usually go for that dish.

So when I found this recipe from Gabbi's Kitchen for a cream sauce chicken that had sun dried tomatoes I said "MAKING" and added the ingredients to my grocery list. 

Of course I adapted the recipe to fit this healthy foodies lifestyle by dropping the heavy cream and using plain greek yogurt 1:1.

Turned out wonderful!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts, 
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbs butter (I used Parkay) 
2 tbs flour
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used half of a small onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I used sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, worked just fine!)
1 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
Whole wheat pasta

Directions: 

Heat skillet with 1 tbs olive oil
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Pound breast flat and then rub with salt and pepper as desired. 
Place chicken breast, ugly side down (you'll know) in heated oil and saute for 5 min on both sides, until chicken is NO LONGER PINK, COOK THROUGH. 
Remove from heat and place to the side, covered. 

Chop onion, and mince garlic. 
Melt butter in large sauce pan, then add onion and garlic. Cooke until soft. 
Add sun-dried tomatoes. Blend
Add 2 tbs flour and with whisk in hand slowly add chicken broth. Constantly whisk to remove lumps. 
Whisk in Greek yogurt. Stir for 3-4 min.
Take off heat and stir every once in awhile while it continues to thicken. 
Make Pasta. 

Serve chicken over pasta. 

ENJOY!!!!

Roasted Tomato Spinach and Quinoa Bowl

Feta is my favorite cheese. 

Praise the Lord it is often too expensive for me to buy....

except right now, 

at Aldi's, 

where it is on sale for $1.49 for 8oz 

I bought 3 

SO now I am using it in everything:

Salads, wraps, breakfast, and now this quinoa dish. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry Quinoa, rinsed very well!
5-8 cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8-1/4 cup onion, minced (I used dried minced onion I had in my spice rack ~1 tbs)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, just adds spice)
1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 tbs olive oil
Handful of spinach
salt and pepper to taste.
3-5 tbs crumbled feta cheese

 **Feel free to double/triple this recipe to serve more people. I ate the whole thing and was REALLY FULL but REALLY SATISFIED ***
Directions:

Heat a small pot with the 1tbs olive oil on Medium-High. 
Add sliced cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper to your liking, and saute until wilted.
Add onion and cook through. Add minced garlic cloves and mix all  for 1 min (Not cooked through) 
Add 1 cup chicken or veggie broth, red pepper flakes, quinoa, and salt and pepper to your liking. Bring to a boil for 1-2 min. 
Lower heat and simmer for 15 min. 
Blend in handful of spinach and simmer for 5 more min. 
Remove from heat and fold in feta cheese. 

ENJOY!!!!

French Bread Pizza

Yes. 

This recipe couldn't be any easier, but is my husband's go-to food at the fair,

so I thought I'd make it at home and of course healthier. Turned out amazing. 

Especially since my husband made the sauce.

 His sauces are delicious!

****This recipe's ingredient measurements  are truly based on what and how much you want. Add as little or as much as you want, substitute and add to your heart's content.****

 Ingredients:

1 loaf of French Bread (we used Italian it was bigger)

 Marinara Sauce (we used my husband's homemade)

2 handfuls of Turkey pepperoni

 2 cup mozzarella cheese

Handful of shredded spinach

2 tbs olive oil

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees 

Foil a baking sheet

 Slice the bread in half and oil top of loaf edges and soft part 

 Bake for 5 min until loaf has lightly golden edges

Add marinara sauce to the loaf

Top with cheese 

then layer with pepperoni and shredded spinach

 Bake for 7-9 min until cheese is bubbly

Slice and Enjoy!

Greek Yogurt Chicken Parm Bake

Are you ready for this? 

5 min prep dinner!!!! 

 

I know, I know you  I'll give you some time to collect yourself

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

Alright, 

Now, this is an awesome, very healthy, melt-in-your-mouth, chicken dinner that everyone will love. (my husband sure does!)

Apparently the original recipe uses mayo, but I found this amazing recipe from Life of Meg, which substitutes the flubber for greek yogurt!



One can never go wrong with greek yogurt  
(my new food obsession!) 

Seriously. 

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or crumbled
• 1 tsp garlic powder*
• 1/2 tsp salt*
• 1/2 tsp pepper

               * I have just used 1 tsp garlic salt instead of garlic powder and salt before.

Directions: the 5 min part

Preheat Oven 375

Line a baking sheet with foil (TRUST ME, DO THIS and you'll thank me later when your not trying to scrub of cooked cheese on a pan...we've all been there) and spray with cooking spray. ( I used my misto!)

Mix greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Pat dry chicken and coat in yogurt mixture (both sides). 

Lay on baking sheet. 

Bake for 45-50 min until golden brown spots appear on chicken.

TIP: Around 40-45 min carefully dump juices that have accumulated in the pan--this will help reduce burning

TIP: Turning oven to broil for 1-2 min (AFTER DUMPING JUICES) will help create those savory
brown spots. Be careful to watch everything on BROIL so it doesn't burn.

Pair with some delicious veggies.

ENJOY!!!!

Nutritional Information: the really awesome part

serving 1 baked chicken 

215 cal*3 carbs*4 sat fat*23g protein*2 g fiber

Savory Chicken Tacos (Spicy!)

      Eating these chicken Tacos, aka Fajitas without the peppers, exposes your palate to unbelievable amounts of explosive flavors.

      The aroma, while cooking, will be so tempting you'll have to restrain yourself to not pick the chicken straight out of the pan and eat it. 

      I encourage you to perform self discipline and place the chicken in a warm homemade tortilla topped with any extra toppings that suit your taste buds, sit down at a table and then take a savory bite and enjoy a moment of foodie euphoria.

Did I mention it's super easy to to make. Oh yes. It is. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts, fat cut off
•  1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 generous tsp chili powder
• 1/2 " " tsp cumin
• 1/2 " " tsp oregano
• 1/2 " " tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp minced onion flakes
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided

Directions:

Slice chicken breast into 2 1/2-3 inch pieces.

Add all the spices and 1 of the tbs of olive oil to a freezer ziplock bag.

Add chicken pieces and shake/mix till well combined. Let sit.

                                                                  

Heat the other 1tbs of olive oil in a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken.

                                                                                                   
Cook till chicken is no longer pink. 5-7ish min.

Enjoy in a warm tortilla topped with other delectable ingredients of your choice. 

Bite. 

*You can easily make them fajitas by adding in 1 cup sliced bell peppers of your choice. 

*You can easily double the batch to allow others to experience the magic of this recipe.