Tomatillo Enchilladas with Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 lb. tomatillos. husks removed, fruits rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp. water
• 3/4 lb. cooked grilled chicken breast, diced
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded fat-free pepper Jack cheese
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Makes 6 Servings (2 enchiladas per serving)

1.  Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cumin and salt. Add tomatillos and water. Bring to boil; lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 7-8 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, stir together chicken, corn, and 1 cup Jack cheese in large bowl. 
3. Remove tomatillo sauce from heat and stir in cilantro. In two batches, transfer sauce to blender and puree, starting on low speed and holding blender lid down with folded kitchen towel. Stir 1 cup of sauce into chicken mixture; return remaining sauce to skillet. 
4. Spread 1 cup tomatillo sauce in bottom of 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Dip 1 tortilla at a time in remaining sauce, place on cutting board, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in dish. Repeat with  remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with foil and bake until heated through, 12-15 minutes. Remove foil, turn on broiler and broil enchiladas until cheese is browned, about 1 minute. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. These treats are certainly a taste of Mexico. These enchiladas are both filling and flavorful. If you don't have corn on hand, substitute, sliced bell peppers and the enchiladas will be just as delicious. I highly recommend adding a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream to give these enchiladas a kick of zing. Even though 2 enchiladas make a serving, 1 enchilada will be filling enough. 

Grouper with Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. fresh or canned tomatillos
• 1/2 small onion, cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded
• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup cilantro (whole leaves and tender stems)
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp; freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6 oz.) skinless grouper fillets

Makes 4 Servings 

1. Heat the broiler.
2. Wash and husk the tomatillos, if using fresh. If using canned, drain well.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatillos with the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Place the mixture on a broiler pan and broil 4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes, until the tomatillos are softened and lightly charred.
4. Leaving the broiler on, transfer the tomatillo mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
5. Brush the grouper with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and pepper. Transfer to the same broiler pan and broil for 5 minutes, or until fish is just cooked through and flakes when tested with a fork.
6. Transfer the fish to 4 plates and top each fillet evenly with the salsa verde. Serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. Broiled or grilled fish is absolutely delicious when it's done right. You can grill the fish and tomatillos, onions and jalapenos if you don't want to use your broiler and the fish and salsa verde will still taste delicious. Grilling fish and vegetables is better because the food tastes just as flavorful and the cleanup is not as messy. 

Chicken and Tomatillo Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 12 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 12 tbsp. fat-free sour cream

Makes 6 Servings (2 enchiladas per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish or casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Put tomatillos in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Stir together tomatillos, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl.
3. Dip both sides of 1 tortilla into tomatillo mixture. Place tortilla on foil on work surface; top with about 1/4 cup of chicken, 1/2 tablespoon of Mexican cheese blend, and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Fold two opposite sides of tortilla over to enclose filling. Place enchilada, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, 5 1/2 tablespoons of cheese, and sour cream, making total of 12 enchiladas. Pour remaining tomatillo mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 6 tablespoons cheese.
4. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 20 minutes; uncover and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. Mexican food is a wonderful comfort food that can be enjoyed during the cold winter months. Don't be intimidated by tomatillos. Tomatillos are called Mexican green tomatoes and belong to the tomato family. They look like small green tomatoes but they have papery husks on them which you can peel off. This casserole is flavorful and delicious. You can even used boneless, skinless turkey breast in place of the chicken and the casserole will still be delicious. I highly recommend using sharp cheddar or Monterey jack cheese in this recipe for a sharp, Mexican flavor.

Mexican Poached Eggs over Polenta with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 1/2 oz. cooke polenta, from a 17 oz prepared polenta log
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium ripe avocado, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatillos, boiled until soft (about 3 medium husked tomatillos)
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt

Makes 4 Servings

1. To make eggs, fill a medium saucepan half way up with water; place over medium-high heat. Bring water to a boil and add vinegar; reduce heat to a simmer. Crack eggs, one by one, into a cup and slide gently into simmering water; cook until egg whites have set, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove eggs to a plate with a slotted spoon; cover to keep warm.
2. To make polenta rounds, combine chili powder and garlic powder in a cup; dust mixture over polenta rounds. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook polenta until brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to use.
3. To make salsa, combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well to coat.
4. To assemble meal, place one polenta round on each of 4 plates. Top each with an egg and about 1/3 cup of salsa.

WW POINTS VALUE:  8 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Sometimes having breakfast for dinner is just what you're craving and it hits the spot. I love poached eggs and I love Mexican salsas. If you don't have polenta, use slices of toasted whole wheat bread instead and the points will be reduced. This is a very filling Mexican meal that your whole family will love and come back for more. Ths salsa is PACKED with flavor and it also goes great with chips, chicken, fish, pork and beef as well. So if you can't go to Mexico, let Mexico come to you with this dish.

Salsa Borracha

Ingredients:

• 1/2 garlic clove, roasted
• 1/2 small onion, roasted and diced
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tomatillo, roasted and halved
• 1 dried ancho chili, seedless and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 1 dried guajillo chili, seedless and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 2 tbsp dark beer
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat skillet on medium-low heat. Roast garlic, onion and tomatillo for about 10 minutes.
2. Place chilies, onion, garlic, tomatillo, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a blender and blend it all for 5 seconds or into a chunky consistency sauce. Add beer and stir. Serve immeadiately.

W W POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

Note: This recipe is a dish I learned at the Cocina Cosmopolita Culinary School in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Making salsa is a very simple thing to do and this salsa goes with anything: chips, beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc. I'm not much of a beer drinker but the taste of Mexican dark beer in the salsa added a nice taste. You can find dried chilies in the Latin section of you local grocery store and they add a wonderful heat  to the salsa. This salsa is better that the jarred salsa you buy in the grocery store. This salsa is also Iron Chef worthy. Bobby Flay, can you hear me know?

Pan-Seared Chicken with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. fresh tomatillos
• 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Remove and discard papery skin from tomatillos; rinse and pat dry.
2. Heat the broiler. Place tomatillos on a foil-lined broiler pan; broil for 8-10 minutes, turing halfway through, until softened and blackened on al sides. Transfer tomatillos and their juices to a blender or food processor.
3. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to blender or food processor with the tomatillos and add cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice. Pulse for 1 minute, until ingredients form a rough puree.
4. Lightly pound each chicken breast to an even 1/2-inch thickness, season lightly with salt and black pepper.
5. In a large heavy skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken breasts, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board.
6. Transfer tomatillo salsa to the hot skillet and cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until salsa has a darker, thicker color and texture. Remove from the heat.
7. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. place 1/4 cup of the salsa on each of the 4 plates, arrange chicken slices on top and top with additional salsa. Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is a tasty and filling dish to kick-start your diet. It's got protien from the chicken and lots of vegetables in the salsa. This salsa is not your typical salsa. The main ingredients are tomatillos which are tangy and spicy that add a little extra heat and can be found in the Latin section of the grocery store. I enjoyed this dish because it added heat and comfort to the chicken. Chicken pan-seared is also delicous when it's done right because it's so tender and juicy it melts in your mouth. The salsa can be used with pork, beef, fish and even as a dip for chips and veggies.

Spicy Tomatillo Scramble

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp canola oil, divided
• 1 medium tomatillo, papery skin removed and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp medium-hot salsa
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Makes 2 Servings

1. Heat 1 1/2 tsp of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo and onion. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from the skillet.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat; add eggs, reduce heat to low, and allow eggs to set, 2 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables over eggs, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, ad scramble until just cooked, about 1 minute more. Serve with salsa.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 Pts per Serving

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. This is a great meal to kick-start your weight loss. You can have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it literally is quick an easy to make in less than 20 minutes. Tomatillos are also known as the Mexican tomaotes and the y look like small green tomatoes with papey husks. When you're ready to cook them, remove the papery covering with your fingers under cold water; the natuarlly sticky coating underneath will wash off. I also recommend sprinkling a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese over this dish to mke it tastier and more filling.