In the process of losing the baby weight and some other pre-baby weight I decided not to diet. The word diet just bugs me and it makes me feel hungry at the thought of it. And plus who really sticks to a diet. So, instead I have made a lifestyle change and already noticing a difference. The pants are a little looser, I feel more energized, etc. The main change that I made was to get rid of all processed items in our house. That includes potato chips, cookies, crackers, breads, condensed creamy soups, and hamburger helpers to name a few. I then replaced all those items with homemade versions and not only do they taste better, but they are better for me. I feel much better about eating a homemade cookie than eating a processed one from the store. Plus it tastes 10 times better. I get a lot of my inspirations from cooking blogs that I stalk and then adapt the recipe to my own specifications. My favorite blog is melskitchencafe. She has great recipes with everyday ingredients. And this is where my inspiration for this dish came.
This is one of the meals that I made from all fresh ingredients (minus the enchilada sauce...not sure how to make that from scratch). Tortillas are amazingly easy to make and taste so much better than the package. You can make more than one batch and even make tortilla chips out of them. So, here is the recipe and plus it gets Joel's vote of approval. He said we could have this everyday for like ever.
Enchiladas:
Filling
3 cups of shredded chicken (about 3 chicken breasts)
1 can of black beans rinsed and drained
2 4 oz cans of green chiles drained
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 of a block of cream cheese (I used low fat cream cheese)
Enchilada Sauce
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of chicken stock (or broth)
1/4 cup of milk
1 1/2 cups of green chile enchilada sauce
3 heaping tablespoons of sour cream (I used fat free)
8 Tortillas (see recipe below)
1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (I used cheddar cheese but you could use monterey jack as well)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the ingredients for the filling and set aside.
In a large saucepan or deep skillet, melt the butter and add the flour once the butter is melted. It will be thick and gooey. Let that mixture cook out for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and milk and simmer until the sauce is thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and add the enchilada sauce and sour cream and mix until incorporated.
Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and begin assembling the enchiladas. Add a couple of spoonfuls of chicken mixture to each tortilla and top with some cheese. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Tortillas
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of baking powder
6 Tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of hot water
(I did this in my stand mixer, but you could do it by hand or in a food processor.)
Place the flour, salt, baking powder, and oil in your mixing bowl. Mix together until all incorporated. Slowly add the hot water until a nice soft ball forms. Knead this mixture for about 2 minutes until a stiff, yet soft ball is formed. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Pull apart 8 pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each dough ball to a thin flat disk about 5-7 inches in diameter. Dry fry each disk for about 1 minute per side or until golden in color. (Dry fry is simply using a hot skillet to cook the tortilla with no added oil.)
Keep in an airtight bag or container. You can heat them in the microwave or the oven when ready to use.
