I found a bottle of home-canned garlic tomatillo salsa at the market a couple of weeks ago. It was in a quart-sized Mason jar with a raffia bow and a simple hang-tag for a label. I knew what I’d use it for when I bought it; I’ve just been waiting for the craving. And tonight, it came. Perfect timing, too, as our yellow pear and Cherokee purple heirloom tomatoes are finally coming in (very late in the year) and I had a bunch of Swiss chard needing to be eaten – making this a perfectly paleo enchilada dish!
Enchiladas: a favorite food that can be surprisingly easy to make. My husband grilled up some chicken breasts – coated in a little olive oil and garlic powder to seal in the moisture and add flavor, respectively. Once done, he chopped the chicken up and I added diced onions, garlic, the tomatoes, and made sure the salsa was put to good use. There was no measurement, just what I had or what seemed like the right amount.
About 10-15 minutes into the baking process, the garlic hit my nose. When they were almost done, my mouth was watering so much, that I snuck a not-quite-done sample. And, of course, I went back for more.
Do I use the same recipe every time? No. Sometimes I make them vegetarian style, throwing in diced zucchini and portobello mushrooms, substitute ground turkey for chicken, or use red sauce instead. Mostly, it has to do with the ingredients I have on hand But, the following is a basic recipe to get you started.
Easy Tomatillo Enchiladas Recipe
- 2 grilled chicken breasts, shredded or chopped (Note: for a vegetarian version, use 1 ½ cups zucchini and 1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms)
- 1 large tomato, chopped (I used a large handful of yellow pear tomatoes)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1-4oz can diced green chilies or 1/2 cup chopped Hatch green chile pepper
- 2-8oz cans of Herdez salsa verde or other minimal-ingredient tomatillo sauce
- A dozen or so Swiss chard leaves, rinsed and dried
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix together the first 6 ingredients with one cup of the salsa.
Place the chard leaves side-by-side taco-style (folded along the stem) in a lightly oiled baking dish. Fill each leaf with a couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture.
Lightly roll each filled chard leaf and turn the flap to the side to “seal” it. Pour the remaining cup of tomatillo sauce over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer, or until sauce is bubbling. Serve.
Note: I typically do not add salt during preparation; the salsa verde often has enough salt and spices for flavor.
About Stormy Sweitzer - Maoomba-in-chief