Chicken Verde Enchiladas

Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten.

Sauce
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed, halved
1 small onion, skins removed and ends trimmed off
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded
2 Serrano chilies, seeded
¼ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup organic chicken broth
sea salt, to taste

Filling
2-3 cups shredded chicken (approx 2 breasts)
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 small zucchini, diced small
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 can drained black beans (optional)

Other
1 cup shredded cheese (pepper jack, chedder, colby)
organic flour or corn tortillas

Prepare Sauce

  1. Set oven to broil. Place tomatillo halves and peppers in baking dish in the top most rack. Broil until skins are slightly charred (approx 5 minutes). Remove from oven.
  2. Add roasted tomatillos, peppers, garlic, cilantro in blender and puree until smooth.
  3. Heat a 3-quart pot over medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the blended green sauce; stir the sauce for about 5 minutes or until darkened and thickened. Add the chicken broth and sea salt to taste. To make the sauce spicier, add crushed red pepper or your favorite green hot sauce.!> At this point, you can save the sauce for later or even freeze in a freezer bag. Simply that on the stove or in microwave to use on following steps

Assembling Enchiladas

  1. Heat oven to 375F and oil a 9×13 pan or similar casserole dish.
  2. Combine chicken, cumin, sea salt, zucchini, spinach, cilantro and black beans in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
  3. Generously fill a tortilla and roll tightly placing the seam side down in the baking pan. Repeat until pan is tightly packed.!> At this point, you could cover tightly and freeze for later.
  4. Pour sauce over enchiladas, shaking gently to ensure sauce fills in all spaces.
  5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins. Then uncover, add cheese if desired, and bake for additional 5-10 minutes.