Terry and Derrick having a beer at the sports bar.
Me and Dad, cheering on da' Bears!
Sitting down to a relaxing weekend breakfast is something I cherish. I am not sure if it is because I have such limited time for breakfast during the week, or if it is the nostalgia of Sunday morning breakfasts with my family. Dad would make the bacon, mom would make the eggs, they would toast up English muffins and we would all share breakfast together at the table…those were truly special times at the Smets house. Lately I have been looking for make-ahead breakfasts so that I can relax with a cup of coffee in front of the fire with Terry and the pups instead of making a mess in the kitchen. While I was reading the “Hits and Misses” post on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board I found that nylucy4 had rated Cooking Lights Breakfast Tortilla Strata, posted by Bobmark, as excellent. Terry and I prefer to start off our day with a healthy breakfast, and CL rarely lets us down. On Saturday, while all the boys were at the UCLA vs USC football game, I prepared this meal so that we could enjoy it Sunday morning…I figured Terry might be moving a little slow…
Ingredients.
Black beans, after being rinsed with cold water in a strainer.
The combined rinsed black beans and salsa mixture.
Tortillas, cut into inch strips.
The first layer of tortillas, layed into an 11 by 7 inch pan coated with cooking spray.
The first layer of 1/3 cup cheese, sprinkled over the tortilla layer.
1/4 cup of chopped green onion added to egg mixture.
The weather is getting cooler and we find ourselves building fires, bundling up in warm clothes and cuddling under blankets. I know that Figgins and Halo have built in fur coats, however, our tile really gets chilly in the winter months. Because I am a good puppy mom, I ordered them some sweaters. They look adorable, and enjoy wearing them. I know many of you don’t believe that they really like wearing clothes, but I promise you that they do.
On Thanksgiving we wanted them to wear their shirts over to Uncle Mark, Aunt Stacy, and Jake’s house. Figgins saw the shirts as I was on my way to the garage to throw them in the dryer to fluff them up. He started barking at me and jumping up at his shirt because he wanted it on so badly. He waited by the door to the garage (barking like a psycho the entire time) until I went back in and retrieved the shirts. He sat patiently while I put it on him and then walked proudly around the house. It is almost strange to me how much he likes wearing dog clothes. Halo isn’t exactly quite as enthusiastic, but he and Figgy are a team, so he sports his too!
-Heather
Terry has been craving my Mexican Rice and I am always craving his guacamole, so I needed to find a great main dish as a vehicle for our favorite sides. I was originally going to make the Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas that are always a hit, but then I remembered the recipe that my best friend Christy had made for me over the summer. She prepared Cooking Light’s Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde, and they knocked my socks off! They were creamy and rich, due to the addition of light cream cheese. I decided to see if I could replicate my friend’s dish, she is an excellent cook and I was excited to see how my version would turn out.
Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Julianna Grimes Bottcher, Cooking Light, APRIL 2006
“A squeeze of lime juice brightens the flavor of this hearty Mexican dish. The enchiladas are mild, so serve with hot sauce, if desired. If you can't find queso fresco, use 1/4 cup shredded
Preheat oven to 425°.
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. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla; roll up. Place tortilla, seam-side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, broth, and chicken mixture.
Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with queso fresco and chili powder. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with lime wedges. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Calories:327 (26% from fat)
Fat:9.5g (sat 4.4g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.3g)
Protein:28.5g
Carbohydrate:31g
Fiber:3.3g
Cholesterol:78mg
Iron:1.8mg
Sodium:493mg
Calcium:149mg
Yum, yum, YUM!! I really enjoyed these Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. I have been experimenting lately with making a lot of my own sauces; this was unnecessary in this case because the addition of the cilantro to the bottled salsa verde took it to another level. After mixing the cream cheese, salsa and shredded chicken together, Terry couldn’t stop picking at it. The filling is truly flavorful. I was intrigued by the preparation method for the tortillas, never having worked that way before. Dipping each tortilla into warm chicken broth may seem like a tedious task, but it is well worth the trouble. This method caused the tortillas to become pliable and almost sticky, holding tight to the filling, not allowing any of it to drop out during the transfer to the pan. Towards the end of the cooking time my cheese did not brown up in the way that I wanted so I ran it under the broiler for a few minute and it came out exactly as I had hoped. Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde is a definite repeater and will be made often, it is a nice creamy change from my usual enchilada recipe. I would recommend trying this recipe and pairing it with my Mexican Rice, mix yourself up a bowl of guacamole, and if you are like Terry and me, you will be in heaven!
-Heather
