The (mild) spice of life

I only have about 15 minutes to type all this out so don't except gourmet. :) We are leaving this afternoon for a weekend with my inlaws; I'm going to have a sewing extravaganza so I need to get packing. Without further ado...

FRIDAY WHOLE FOOD RECIPE REVIEW

We love Mexican food around here (although I've been to Mexico and what I make at home is not Mexican, so I should come up with another name) so this week's recipes are along that theme. All three recipes are quite mild- you'll have to add your own kick in the form of extra spice or hot sauce if you really want the heat.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
(Original recipe source: Cooking Light)

If you had a chance to make yourself some whole wheat tortillas, you can use them in this recipe. I used beef instead of chicken this week, because that's what I had on hand, but both are good. The brand of salsa verde they recommend is great because it has no preservatives or extra ingredients you don't want. Homemade salsa verde will be nice once everything turns green again (won't be long!). My sister-in-law passed this on to me, and I don't use low-fat products, so I've adjusted the recipe accordingly. You can follow the link if you'd like the original recipe.

1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (7 oz.) bottle salsa verde (such as Herdez brand)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or beef)
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese
1 cup chicken broth
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas (or wheat if you like)
1/4 cup (1 oz.) crumbled queso fresco (I used Monterrey jack, and didn't measure, but I'm sure it was more than 1 oz!)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
4 lime wedges
cilantro sprigs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender, process until smooth. Combine chicken and cream cheese in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa mixture. Reserve remaining salsa mixture.

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium skillet. Working with one tortilla at a time, add tortilla to pan; cook 20 seconds or until moist, turning once. Remove tortilla, drain on paper towels. (I skipped this step when using my homemade tortillas...they were already pretty soft.) Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla; roll up. Place tortilla, seam-side down in a greased 11x7 inch baking dish. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, broth, and chicken mixture.

Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with cheese and chili powder. Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro garnish. Can be prepared a day ahead and cooked right before serving.

Mexican Rice
(Original recipe source: Allrecipes.com)

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cup brown rice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 oz. diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of water (or a little more if you used fresh tomatoes with no extra liquid)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sitr in onion and saute. Pour rice in pan- stir to coat grains with oil. Mix all other ingredients in pan. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer 45 minutes until rice is tender.

Southwestern Dressing
(Original recipe source: Laura S.)

1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon xantham gum (I really don't know the health benefits/risks of this...I didn't use it. Leaving it out just requires you to shake well each time before serving.
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil

Mix all together and serve over a salad of mixed greens, avacado, carrots, black olives...etc. etc. etc.

Here are two other recipes I ran across this week, both of which I'd like to try...
Bacon, Egg, and Avocado salad
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Is anyone cooking anything new for Easter? Old favorites?