Chicken Enchiladas Verdes - Daring Cooks May Challenge

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Daring Cook's challenge for May was hosted by Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna + Food . The recipe they selected was a Stacked Green Chile and Grilled Chicken Enchilada which can be found here. I opted to make a tomatillo salsa verde using a recipe I've had for years, but I made the corn tortillas from the one Barbara and Bunnee provided for us. I have a neighbor who assisted me with equipment and advice that made the tortillas possible. Even with help, mine were a pretty raggedy affair. Fortunately, my efforts were hidden by copious amounts of sauce and no one, other than me and a neighbor sworn to silence, was the wiser. I can say with certitude that corn tortillas are worth every cent that local markets charge for them. The recipe I used for the enchiladas is a decade old and originally came from Cooking Light magazine. I obviously love it or would not be sharing it with you. It's fairly easy to do and the lighter ingredients do nothing to harm the taste of the finished enchiladas. Here's the recipe I used.

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, January 1999

Ingredients:
Salsa Verde
1 pound tomatillos (about 15)
1-1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
Enchiladas
2-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded asadero cheese or Asiago cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3 tablespoons shredded asadero or Asiago cheese (optional)
Cooking spray

Directions:
1) To prepare salsa verde, discard husks and stems from tomatillos; cut into quarters. Combine tomatillos, broth, 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 if you like your sauce more rustic and chunky. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salsa verde; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 1 minute).
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3) To prepare enchilada filling, combine chicken, cheese, onion, cilantro, broth, sour cream, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4) Spread 1/2 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 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam sides down in baking dish. Pour remaining salsa verde evenly over enchiladas. Sprinkle with optional cheese if using. Cover and bake at for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
5) Serve with additional sour cream, and garnish with sliced jalapeño, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

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