Last weekend I did the Walk to Cure Diabetes. It was so much fun, and a good way to start off the exercise/racing season. I was hoping to do a 5K this weekend in Wilmington, but the online registration wasn't working and it made me slightly crazy. I won't lie though.....I'm glad that it wasn't working. It is a cold and rainy weekend here in Eastern Carolina. I would have been miserable doing a 5K in this cold, wet, weather.
The rain and cold makes me want to cook, so I AGAIN experimented around with skinny creamy chicken enchiladas. Success!!! They are soooo good. We have a friend from Baltimore here for a visit, and he didn't even know that it was a skinny version. And, he kept wondering what was that special taste? That would be the coconut/almond milk. I wasn't sure it would work, but it added so much creaminess with just a subtle nutty taste. He and my hubby came back for seconds. DELISH!!
8 ounces of shredded chicken (I boiled boneless, skinless breasts - but I'm sure that canned chicken or a rotisserie will work fine. However, you will need to adjust the calories and/or weight watchers points)
Mix Chicken with:
1 1/2 cups of salsa
1/4 cup of enchilada sauce
Mix the above ingredients into a pan and keep on low heat, stirring frequently. The point is to mix the flavors. If you overcook it, it will be dry, and that doesn't make for a good enchilada.
Next, make the creamy sauce:
1/2 cup of onion, quickly sauteed with 1 TB of Brummel and Brown Yogurt Spread (found in the butter/margarine section of the store - this is a MUST HAVE for skinny cooking!)
Add:
8 ounces of Fat free cream cheese
4 wedges of Laughing Cow Light French Onion cheese
3/4 cup of Non sweet Coconut Almond Milk (Trust me on this - make sure it is unsweetened - it adds creaminess and fantastic flavor! But - too much of a good thing is bad.....)
Keep on low heat until cheeses and milk are blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. I added a dash of paprika - I needed the color of spice! I also added about a tablespoon of taco seasoning. At this point, if you want to add garlic or other spices, now is the time to do it. Make the sauce how you want - spices don't add calories, but they can add sodium and such, so keep track of what you add.
Make the enchiladas:
6 Whole Wheat/high fiber tortillas
1 cup Low fat shredded mild cheddar
Divide the chicken mixture into 6 whole wheat/high fiber flour tortillas. Put about 1.5 Tbs. of sauce into each tortilla, along with about 1.5 Tbs of light shredded cheddar cheese.
Pack rolled and stuffed tortillas into a 9x9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until bubbly. (note: when low fat cheese turns brown - it's too late. When the white sauce starts to bubble, they are done)
Serves: 6 Calories: 355 Carbs: 23 Fat: 12 Protein: 31 Fiber: 26
As for the coconut almond milk, I am totally giving free advertising here....BUT......it really rocks. I use the unsweetened kind every morning in my smoothie. It has a nutty flavor, so it doesn't work in place of milk in EVERY recipe, but it sure does work in many recipes! It is only 45 calories for a whole cup - that's hard to beat! In my opinion, it's awful as a milk substitute in coffee. However, It works well as a milk in cereal, but it depends on the cereal. With recipes, it is great with onion, garlic, or other spices or flavors. The secret is using it with other powerful flavors, if you don't want the nutty flavor.
Someone asked about the coconut/almond milk vs. regular milk. I used the coconut almond milk because it has 45 calories for one cup. Plus you get the added benefits from the coconut and the almond. It's creamier than skim milk, too. The nutty flavor is very subtle - it does not AT ALL overpower the dish.....it actually helps enhance the other flavors. On a side note, this dish ROCKS as leftovers. I guess a day of sitting helps all the flavors blend even more! :)
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