Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

 for the past 8 days Chiso has asked me the following every.single.day:

when is papa coming home?

when does Nigeria close so Papa can come home?

why is it always night-time in Nigeria?

can we Skype Papa?

where is Papa?

why isn't Papa answering?

are you making (food) for Papa too?

can i save the rest of my food for Papa when he gets home?

well thanks be to God that Papa is home from his work trip.

my boo coming home put me in a cooking mood! ok i'm almost always in a cooking mood but today was special.  i had a taste for some enchiladas. healthy enchiladas.  Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce. yaz.

i used boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can also use lean beef, you bet. i diced up the veggies, chopped up the chicken,

assembled my spice mixture,

then made the enchilada sauce! this can certainly be made ahead of time.

Healthy, Homemade Enchilada Sauce

the stuff:

• 1 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt or 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 - 15oz can low sodium tomato sauce
• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

do this:

1. heat EVOO in sauce pan over medium heat
2. add diced onion and saute until translucent; about 3-5 minutes
3. add in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and cocoa powder; cook for 2-3 minutes while continuing to stir
4. add in tomato sauce & chicken stock and simmer mixture for approx. 10 minutes
5. remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before adding mixture to your blender or food processor.
6. blend until super smooth!

recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

this'll taste even better the next day once the flavors elope in the fridge.

i only had 2.5 La Tortilla Factory (i mostly use this variety; there are SO many!) tortillas left SMH!  i wasn't about to leave and go to the store, so i halved them and made 5 mini enchiladas so i could fill my mini rectangle pan.  you will make enough chicken mixture to cram full 8 regular size tortillas (or more) so don't you worry. i put in about 2 heaping tbsp of chicken mixture and a pinch of 2% mozzarella inside before rolling them up. ok here's that recipe:

Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

the stuff:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed or cut into strips
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

fajita seasoning

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1-2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt OR 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos

for enchiladas

• 8 low carb, high fiber La Tortilla Factory 70 cal flour tortillas
• 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce (recipe above)
• 2 cups shredded 2% cheese or dairy-free almond or rice cheese...it's your call
• optional toppings: fresh cilantro, avocado, tomato, olives, cheese, green onion, more chicken mixture.

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13'' pan with no-stick cooking spray
2. add 1 tbsp EVOO to medium heated skillet
3. add chicken; cook 5-7 min or until cooked through
4. remove from skillet and set aside
5. add last tbsp of EVOO to your skillet
6. add bell peppers and onions and cook until tender and charred, about 8-10 minutes
7. add chicken and spice mixture all at once into your skillet and combine
8. add mushrooms and spinach and combine once more; cook for 2-3 more minutes
9. spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce evenly across the bottom of your baking pan
10. fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup of filling and 2 tbsp of shredded cheese of your choice. remember to save some filling for your topping if you desire.
11. roll them up and place them into your baking dish, seam side down.
12. pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas, then top with remaining cheese.
13. bake in over for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
14. take out and top with your desired goodies! the olives don't really make sense lol and i wanted some tomatoes on top for color but i didn't have any.

enjoy this family friendly, healthy meal with your loved ones!  take pics and tag me!

now to catch up on that lost family time. happy early MLK Day! hollerrrrrr

le

birthday steak

august 6th is a pretty important day.  it's Sonny's birthday!  he received love from his entire family all day long, which is how it should be!

his first gift (and two of his most favorite things) came from Chiso:

oreos and gummy bears.  oh and a card.

we found Chiso upstairs knocked OUT the night before and Sonny snagged this gem of a pic.

early morning balloons from his youngest sister, lunch with his little brother, gifts and love from his mom, and his other sister watched Chiso for us while we went out to play!

i got my private date later in the evening for dinner.  I took Sonny to the infamous Eddy V's baby! all the reviews i scoured through were SPOT ON.  we had a fab time and the staff worked super hard to make his day special. i mean really! we HIGHLY recommend Eddy V's for outstanding food and exceptional service, especially for special occasions.

just happy to be on this man's arm!  we started out with two appetizers:

a gorgeous plate of shrimp and pork pot stickers. spicy shrimp and pork in a light soy broth. yeah, it was as delectable as it looks.

and i tried the Fuji apple salad complete with green beans, baby beets, candied walnuts, maytag blue cheese, ginger orange vinaigrette. crisp and sweet.

for my entrée, North Atlantic Lemon Sole!  parmesan crust with tomato and herb salad, lemon garlic butter on tha side.

speaking of sides, crab fried rice? whoa. sugar snap peas with shiitake mushrooms & onions,  sautéed garlic spinach, and a hunk of sourdough bread.

all al la carte, all al la delicious.

this thing needed its own drum roll after weighing in @ a whopping 22 oz of USDA Prime Ribeye.  my goodness.

it's the only way to do it on ya birthday- BIG.

next, time for something sweet.

which one did we pick? the closest thing to a brownie cause that what Sonny always gets.  the Hot Godiva Chocolate Cake!  and yall, we have NOTHING to show for it cause both of our phones died RIGHT AFTER THE PIC ABOVE.  no kidding. this cake was the highlight of the evening!!!! pissed was not even the word.  however, thank God for Google cause that's exactly what i did.

boom.  hot chocolate cake, creamy, cold vanilla bean ice cream........ :shock:

WORTH EVERY BITE.

we love you Papa, happy birthday! 

thanks for reading!

Q: what is your favorite thing to order at Eddy V's?  i read all about that truffle mac and cheese but i'll save it for next time ;)

le