Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

These green chicken enchiladas were so easy to make!  The ingredients are simple and come together quickly.  However, to take the dish up a notch, I recommend the extra step of frying the corn tortillas in oil for a few seconds before filling.  It does up the calorie count, but adds a ton of flavor and texture that makes the enchiladas great!  I made several changes to the original recipe and ended up having enough filling to make an 8x11 pan of enchiladas

1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, diced

2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde

1 cup sour cream (you can also use 1/2 cup cream cheese to replace the full amount of sour cream)

1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped, plus more for serving

3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken, (amount from one rotisserie chicken)

1-2 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend

12 (or more!) (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat then cook onion until translucent, about five minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the salsa verde and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat then stir in the sour cream and cilantro. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with salt, pepper or more sour cream if the sauce it too spicy.  
Set aside 2 cups of the sauce for assembling the enchiladas.  Then stir the shredded chicken and half of the cheese into the sauce that has not been set aside.
Grease an 8x11 pan.  Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken filling to the middle of each tortilla and roll into a cylinder. Repeat, lining up tortillas, seam-side down, tightly in the dish. Spread the reserved sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Indian Lentil-Cauliflower Soup

What a delicious soup to start the New Year!  Thank you, Oh She Glows, for another great recipe.  I pulled this together quickly for a warm, hearty lunch.  The soup is budget-friendly (another reason I love lentils!), and the combination of spices gives it a delicious and interesting flavor.  I think you'll be satisfied with this soup even if you don't typically look for vegan recipes!

• 1 tablespoon coconut or other oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1-2 tablespoons curry powder, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium cauliflower, chopped into bite-size florets
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until translucent.  Stir in the ginger, 1 tablespoon of the curry powder, coriander, and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes more, until fragrant.

Add the broth and red lentils and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes more.  Stir in the cauliflower and sweet potato. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the cauliflower and sweet potato are tender. 

Season with the salt and pepper, and add more curry powder, if desired. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cilantro, if desired.