(from Cooks Illustrated)
LIGHTER CHICKEN
ENCHILADAS
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1 medium
onion, chopped fine
½ teaspoon vegetable
oil
Salt
3 medium cloves garlic,
minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons
chili powder
2 teaspoons
ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cans (8 ounces
each) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1-pound boneless,
skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts),
trimmed of excess fat
Ground black pepper
8 ounces 50 percent light cheddar
cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 can (4 ounces)
pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray
1 lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Make sure that the
cooked chicken is finely shredded, or the edges of large pieces will tear
through the tortillas. Serve these enchiladas with lime wedges, low fat sour
cream, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, and hot sauce.
INSTRUCTIONS
Adjust an oven
rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the onion,
oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium- low
heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in
the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened,
about 5 minutes.
Nestle the chicken
into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is no
longer pink in the center, and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read
thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to
cool. Strain the sauce through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl,
pressing on the onions to extract as much liquid as possible. Season the sauce
with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle,
shred into bite-sized pieces. Toss together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of
the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar, the jalapenos, and cilantro, and
season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stack the
tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on
high until warm and pliable, 40 to 60 seconds. Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean work
surface.
Place 1/3 cup of
the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each
tortilla around the filling and lay them seam- side down in a 13 by 9- inch
baking dish.
Lightly spray the
tops of the enchiladas with vegetable oil spray. Pour 1 cup of the remaining
sauce over the enchiladas to coat them thoroughly.
Sprinkle the
remaining 1 cup cheddar down the center of the enchiladas. Cover the baking
dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the foil
and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer. Serve,
passing the remaining 1 cup sauce and the lime wedges separately.
