Meal: Enchiladas Verdes with Refried Black Beans

Enchiladas Verdes: This meal uses leftover chicken from Double Herb Roasted Chicken but if you don't have any left over just use a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store.

Ingredients
Salsa Verde
1 pound tomatillos (about 15)
1¼ cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

Filling
2½ cups shredded Double-Herb Roasted Chicken (about 12 ounces)
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded asadero cheese or Asiago cheese
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro
⅓ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
¼ cup fat-free sour cream
Sliced jalapeño pepper (optional)

To prepare salsa verde

Discard husks and stems from tomatillos; cut into quarters. Combine tomatillos, 1¼ cups broth, ¼ 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 ½ 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 ⅓ cup chicken mixture down the 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° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with sour cream, and garnish with sliced jalapeño, if desired.

Cookinglight January 1999


Refried Black Beans: This is a light version so you can enjoy it without the guilt but all the flavor.

Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tbsp corn oil
1 (19-oz) can black beans, including liquid
½ to 1 C water
¼ C chopped fresh cilantro

Cook garlic in oil in a skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans with their liquid and mash with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to make a coarse purée.

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot. Stir in enough of water to thin to a creamy consistency. Add pepper to taste.

Serve warm, sprinkled with cilantro.

Gourmet September 2000