On Wednesday of this week, I turned one year older than I was before that (nope, not telling). In spite of the fact that I'm immensely uncomfortable with me-centric birthday celebrations, I managed to enjoy several "not-for-my-birthday-but-kinda" evenings with friends and family. On Sunday night some pals and I saw Cheap Trick, Journey and Heart perform at a local venue. AMAZING! Heart absolutely rocks harder now than they already did.On Tuesday night, two of my most favorite gentleman buttered me up with flowers and treats and far too many laughs. The flowers they brought me are part of the inspiration for this recipe - amazing white roses, blue and white hydrangeas, eucalyptus, and purple chrysanthemums! WOW way to go guys!
Wednesday night was a tradition as old as I - the celebration of birthdays with my Mom who has the same birthday as I! We had an amazing dinner out, but more importantly, she gave me two beautiful terracotta cooking dishes made in my home state! I spent the evening researching the larger of the dishes which is a "cazuela" or a Spanish-style shallow casserole (more on this below).In the spirit of this new kitchen toy, I decided to make a Latin and Spanish inspired dish baked in the cazuela and thanks to Whole Foods, I was able to make the dish blue and white, just like my birthday flowers! My version of this traditional dish is significantly healthier than what you get in restaurants and I have to say tasted just as great! Feliz Cumpleanos!
Blue and White Enchiladas
(note: this recipe makes 16 enchiladas, but the filling will freeze nicely if you want to do half)
1 1/2 tbls olive oil
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, rinsed
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup Queso Chihuahua diced (or 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack)
8 small white corn tortillas
8 small blue corn tortillas
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add diced onions and begin to caramelize.
Meanwhile, finely mince bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms by pulsing in a food processor (if you don't have a food processor, finely mince the mushrooms and peppers with a knife and consider shredding the zucchini using a cheese shredder).
Meanwhile, finely mince bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms by pulsing in a food processor (if you don't have a food processor, finely mince the mushrooms and peppers with a knife and consider shredding the zucchini using a cheese shredder).Add garlic, pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, salt, cumin and oregano to skillet and continue to saute about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile cut chicken into smaller pieces and combine with cilantro. Pulse chicken and cilantro in food processor until finely minced.
Strain sauteing vegetables over sink, pressing with back of a spoon to remove most of the liquid.
Add strained vegetables to chicken in a large bowl, mixing well.
Queso Chihuahua is difficult to shred, so simply dicing it will work. Add diced Queso and shredded Pepper Jack to chicken and vegetables, mixing well.
Spoon about two tablespoons into bottom of baking dish (or Cazuela!) that has been coated with olive oil.
Wrap tortillas in a damp cloth and microwave about twenty seconds to increase pliability. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each tortilla.
Roll tortillas and place in the baking dish, seam side down, alternating blue and white.
Broil for about 5 minutes until skin in slightly browned and dimpled.
Cover enchiladas with remaining Salsa Verde and sprinkle with any additional cheese desired.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (glass or metal dish) or 25 minutes 
(terracotta or cazuela) uncovered or until cheeses melt and salsa bubbles.
(terracotta or cazuela) uncovered or until cheeses melt and salsa bubbles.Serve with fresh tomatoes, sour cream and black beans seasoned with garlic salt.
Salsa Verde
1 lb fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp salt
2 canned chipotle peppers, finely minced (add one at a time and taste - these suckers can be hot!)
Slice tomatillos in half and place on a tinfoil-coated baking sheet.
Broil for about 5 minutes until skin in slightly browned and dimpled.Place tomatillos, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and chipotle peppers in a food processor or blender. Blend until just before liquefied.
About the Cazuela:
A cazuela is a traditional Spanish cooking dish used for making hearty stews, for braising meats and for baking vegetables and grains. Made of terracotta and partially glazed, the dish holds significant moisture from the foods cooked in it and radiates enough heat to brown even its contents even when covered in the oven. If you buy pottery cookware, be sure to soak it before using it the first time, never suddenly expose it to extreme temperatures, and add about 50 degrees to cooking temperatures.
Of note:
I was recently asked how I come up with the ingredients I'll put in a dish. Some ingredients, like tomatillos in salsa verde, are just the usual starting point for a recipe. The salsa won't be green - or verde - unless you use green tomatillos! I also try to stay true to the cuisine I'm cooking. If I'm making vegetable lasagna, for example, I'll use zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and other traditionally Mediterranean veggies. Turnips may work fine in lasagna but they're not typical in Southern Italian Cuisine!
Other ingredients, however, I pick because I know how they react to different cooking methods and they'll help me make a healthy version of an old favorite. In this recipe, I wanted to make enchiladas that tasted like the not-so-good-for-you kind you get at Mexican restaurants: brimming with meats and melty cheese! For that reason, I used a lot of mushrooms because they have a meaty flavor and their texture, when sauteed, very closely mimics melted cheese. Additionally, I picked Pepper Jack over regular Monterrey Jack because it's more flavorful so you can use less. Finally, I used chipotle peppers instead of jalapeno peppers because chipotles packed in adobo sauce add heat AND a fantastic smokey flavor that adds a depth reminiscent of "heavier" foods like meat and sharp cheeses.
With these quick substitutions, I made four servings of enchiladas. Each serving contained no more than 3 oz of cheese and 2 oz of chicken. That's one serving of dairy and 1/2 a serving of lean protein. You'll also get about 1/2 serving of fat (the cheese and the olive oil), a serving of grains (the tortillas) but the rest is ALL VEGETABLES! You won't doubt this when you try them: they tasted just like restaurant chicken enchiladas!
