Lite Bite: Hatch Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Hatch Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
8 tortillas (your favorite flour or grain-free tortillas are great, I lucked out with these insane homemade coconut flour tortillas I got at my nearby farmers market)
1 ½ cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1 green bell pepper, diced
½ yellow onion, diced
½ cup salsa (a hatch chili or a verde salsa is preferred, but I used a red salsa I had and they were great)
3/4 cup shredded Hatch Chili pepper jack cheese*

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

Sauté the bell pepper and onion in a cast-iron skillet. I didn’t even use oil, I added in a splash of water got them cooked and kept them from sticking. Once the onions are translucent add the shredded chicken to the pan just to combine. Transfer the filling mixture to a plate and wipe out your skillet.

Pour 1/2 cup of salsa in the bottom of your cast iron skillet or a 9x13 pan and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the other 1/2 cup of salsa over medium heat. Once warmed it’s time to assemble. Dip each tortilla in the warmed salsa making sure to coat the front and back of the tortilla. Lay on a plate and fill with about two tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll them up and then lay in your pan seam side down. Pour any leftover salsa over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the shredded cheese and then bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Top with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, cilantro etc!

*This recipe can easily be adapted to not be “hatch chili.” Use any salsa you like and regular pepper jack or Monterey jack if you want to tone down the spice a bit.

Happy hatch chili season!

Annie

Del Corazon Ensalada

When you’re trying to be healthy at a tex-mex restaurant, so you order a salad only to have it change your life. I had this salad from Mesero for the first time last Friday. It comes across very basic on the menu, but I literally couldn’t get enough of it. The Del Corazon reads: bibb lettuce, hearts of palm, avocado, heirloom grape tomato, house-made vinaigrette. I’m having a moment with hearts of palm and artichokes after finding out they are sneaky full of fiber. So when I saw them in this salad I said add chicken and call it dinner.

It was one of those meals that as I was eating I knew I would have to recreate it. I know it sounds strange to have such a draw to a salad, but your girl loves her an entree salad so go with me. I woke up Saturday morning ehhhh slightly hungover after a few too many ranch waters and wanted nothing but said salad. I could have had it delivered but we were looking at $20+ after fees, so I walked my booty to my neighborhood Trader Joe’s and bought enough ingredients to serve four people at the same price delivery would have been.

I’ll wrap it up now and you can keep scrolling for the recipe. Oh and because this is everything, del corazon translates to from the heart, and I love this salad with all my heart.

Del Corazon Ensalada
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 - 7oz bag of butter lettuce
2 cups of spinach
1 avocado, cubed in large chunks
12oz. can hearts of palm, drained and sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

Dressing:
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (if you don’t have red pepper flakes a few dashes of hot sauce works great)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. mustard (dijon or whole grain works best)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Start by prepping all of your toppings and salad dressing. The chicken cooks fast, so I like to do it last that way you can add the hot crispy chicken right to the top of the salad.

In a large salad bowl toss the butter lettuce and spinach together. Add the avocado, tomatoes, and hearts of palm on top. In a small bowl or mason jar, add all of the dressing ingredients, reserving 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Whisk or shake to combine, then set aside.

Heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and let cook on one side, without moving, for about 2-3 minutes. You want to get that good crispy crust. Flip and cook for 2- 3 minutes on the other side. From there sprinkle a large pinch of salt over the chicken and stir around in the pan to make sure it is fully cooked through and crispy golden brown. Add the hot chicken to you salad. Pour on the dressing and toss to combine. Finish with some fresh ground pepper and cilantro leaves if you choose.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Last week started strong with an email letting me know I was accepted to LiketoKnow.it! It’s essentially an influencer platform that lets you share shoppable links and in turn get a commission. I shared on my stories last week, but after blogging for 7 years this seems deserving and fair! So full disclosure, if you purchase anything from a link I share, I may get a little kickback. The good news for you is that it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

After the LTK news died down, I had a busy week work wise and went straight into the weekend. Still feeling the winter blues a bit, anyone else? Ready for spring and some darn sunshine!!

-All smiles for getting accepted to LiketoKnow.it! Give me a follow in the app and check out my shop page by clicking the “shop” dropdown on the menu bar of my site.
-Used up almost every veggie from my Imperfect Foods box to make this stir fry. When it doubt, stir fry it out.
-Melissa Wood Health flows, I can’t get enough of you.
-You know you are an influencer when you are raving about your favorite Tupperware. Just kidding, but really love these Stasher Bags and little salad dressing containers.
-Cava was a treat when I lived in D.C. It’s basically a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. They used to only be on the East Coast, but have grown like crazy in the past few years and now have two locations in the Dallas area.
-A last-minute weekend spent with these three at IF:Gathering.
-Got home from IF on Saturday night and wanted nothing but tex-mex. My freezer came in clutch with these tamales a friend actually had made me and a bag of leftover frozen tortillas. I used The Baker Mama’s recipe for Baked Chips and they surpassed anything I’ve ever bought in the store.
-Sunday’s = Trader Joe’s grocery haul. More saved on my Instagram highlights!
-The Baker Mama’s Baked Chips round 2. I love a thick chip and these are those! I may never buy a bag of tortilla chips at the store again.

Annie

Verde Chicken + Black Bean Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Healthy 👏easy 👏weeknight 👏meal! This dish has burrito bowl vibes, but cuts the cals with cauliflower rice. I add cumin, lime juice and fresh cilantro to the “rice” to amp it up a bit and the whole thing comes together great.

I keep it green with salsa verde, lots of cilantro, lime and avocado. I’m on a black bean kick, so those were a must and add an extra protein boost next to the chicken. Considering I bought the salsa instead of making my own and used a rotisserie chicken, this dish is e a s y.

Verde Chicken + Black Bean Cauliflower Rice Bowl
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen riced cauliflower
2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado
salsa verde
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a non-stick pan over medium low heat, sauté your cauliflower rice for about 3-4 minutes. You do not need any oil in the pan. Stir in the cumin, freshly squeezed lime juice and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Divide the “rice” evenly amongst 4 bowls. Top each bowl with chicken, black beans and salsa verde. Add avocado slices, the rest of the chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Annie