Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Healthy Green Enchiladas

I don’t know the statistics but I bet among meat eaters, chicken gets eaten the most often. It can get hard to come up with new ideas. I have the best idea! How about switching to pasture raised “happy” chickens, that get to eat bugs, wander around and get treated humanely while they are alive ? Use this site to find some near you. If you haven’t had this kind of chicken before, you will absolutely not believe the taste difference and you will never ever want to eat “regular” supermarket chicken again. It is one of those things that IS worth the $$ difference to eat organic and well raised chickens.

Here is a wonderful recipe that is adapted from an old Weight Watchers recipe. In my personal chef business, I emphasize the importance of eating seasonal and local food, but sometimes you really want to step out of that box. Tomatillos are a summer crop. There are tomatillos available from Mexico but I purchased a can, which I think can be a good alternative to fresh when used infrequently. Vegetables that are canned are picked at their peak while vegetables that are brought here from out of the country may be picked before they are ripe.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

for the sauce:

1 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 bunch green onions

1 or 2 jalapenos

1 can crushed tomatillos

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

Combine the cilantro, jalapenos, and onions in a food processor . Add the tomatillos and spices and blend until mixed.  Set aside.

for the filling:

1/2 bunch of swiss chard, chopped in small pieces

4c. fresh spinach

1 T. coconut oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

splash of water

2 c. chopped cooked chicken

3/4 c. crumbled goat cheese

1 tsp. ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Melt the coconut oil in a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the greens and cook until wilted, using the splash of water to steam them a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes.

To assemble:

corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 35oº. This recipe can make around 8 -10 enchiladas, depending on what kind of tortilla you use and how much filling you use for each enchilada. The size pan you use will also vary according to the size of tortilla.You will cover the bottom of your baking dish with a thin layer of sauce.  I used sprouted corn tortillas which are on the smaller side. I am highly prejudiced against wheat tortillas so I encourage you to use corn ( and please check to see that they are made from  non gmo  organic corn. Sprouting makes them more digestible). Corn tortillas are a bit more difficult to work with as they are not so flexible. I have a gas stove and so I heat my tortillas individually over the flame of a burner, turning them a few times and letting them soften. Then I dip them into the sauce. Placing them on a cutting board, I put a heaping tablespoon, plus a bit more, filling onto one end of the tortilla and rolled them up. Place seam side down into the baking dish. continue until pan is full, or all the filling is used up. Cover with the rest of the sauce. You could add some grated cheese of your choice here if you would like. Bake for 20 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbly.

I served mine with some refried beans and a small salad. Muy bueno y mucho sabor! 

Why I Cook

I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Ruhlman in 2008  and hearing him speak to our personal chef convention. I love his writing and his wife Donna’s photography is beautiful. He has many wonderful books, both cooking and otherwise and has a great blog. He is a big presence on Facebook and Twitter. Check him out. He wrote a post this week and challenged other bloggers to write about why we cook.

I loved cooking with my mom when I was young. I still do, though we don’t do it often anymore. I loved cooking for my family . I loved my Betty Crocker Junior Cookbook. I loved Home Ec class. ( I think it should still be offered!) I loved being in the 4H and doing cooking projects. I still love to tell the story of my first lesson in food styling. My  4H project one summer was to create a simple lunch and present it at the County Fair for judging. There were many practice runs of muffin and salad making. My lunch consisted of a large tomato stuffed with either tuna or chicken salad ( I don’t remember but I am guessing that Ohio in the early 60’s, it was tuna), a blueberry muffin,melon balls, and a glass of milk. We learned about presentation, that color is important. So, taking that lesson to heart, I colored my milk green and I think I flavored it mint! ( oh dear)  I was so disappointed to only earn a red ribbon ( second place). Why ? I asked. Everything is colorful, different textures, what was wrong ? Well, everything was round! So, to this day, I vary my shapes on the plate. Still looking for that blue ribbon.

I cook professionally now for people in their homes. I love what I do. I love the blending of the art and the science of cooking. How you can put a list of ingredients together and it creates something entirely different and one is not quite sure what the ingredients are anymore. I love the creativity and experimentation that recipes call out for. Perhaps I will use this herb instead of that one. How would this taste with chicken instead of fish ? What if I added some wine to the sauce ? etc. 

I love feeding people and caring for them in that way. I love nourishing peoples’ bodies with good nutrition and their souls with beautiful food. ( I now love doing that for myself after years of struggling with food and eating issues) And, yes, I love the smiles on peoples’ faces when they  taste it.  As a personal chef, not only am I providing my clients with tasty food, I am providing them with time. Time they wouldn’t have if they were struggling to get dinner on the table. I give them peace of mind, family time, less stress. I love that.

I love being part of the food world. I love learning about new food, talking about food, reading recipes. Lord, I have stacks and stacks of recipes I have cut out of magazines and will never in several lifetimes have the time to cook, yet I cut more out weekly or download them, share them on the internet. 

I love being part of the political side of food, the “Real Food” movement. I have found so many colleagues through the internet who share the same passions I do for trying to live more gently on the earth and not polluting Her with non sustainable Big Agriculture.  I love telling people about the benefits of eating eggs from pastured chickens, drinking raw milk, fermenting vegetables, not eating things with ingredients you cannot understand. You cannot really eat well this way if you don’t cook, or have someone to cook for you.

I love to cook. Plain and simple. I cook everyday, not every meal of course. I also do love to eat in a restaurant or with friends. But the best days are spent cooking.

February in Santa Cruz

I lived in Oregon for years and years and loved it. It truly is one of God’s gifts, so green and beautiful. I resisted leaving there while many of my friends were moving to Santa Cruz. Finally, I saw the light/gave in/bravely moved forward. Weeks like this one definitely remind me I did the right thing.  Here are some photos from my yard this week.  Please enjoy. If you live where it is snowy, please see this as a sign of hope that your spring will come and not a sign of  arrogance or snobbery from a Californian.

I love the perspective of that! the 12 foot tall daffodil. yikes!

A housewarming present 9 years ago and still going strong.

and lastly, the first arrival of the creature that makes me crazy by summer time!!