Enchiladas: taste, si; bulk, no
I wanted to create a version of enchiladas that mimicked the flavours and comfort of my childhood but didn’t make me feel weighed down and searching for my elastic waist-band sweatpants.
I swapped out white rice for brown rice and used black beans without added fat. I added chicken to give heft and protein, which enabled me to reduce drastically the amount of cheese.
Without the extra fat, I needed some moisture to keep the filling tasty. Surprisingly, finely chopped baby spinach worked great, adding a little boost of vitamins (A, C, folate) and iron.
I whipped up a simple enchilada sauce using canned whole tomatoes. And my final victory? I used large chard leaves instead of tortillas. Chard is an incredible source of vitamin K (one cup has four times your daily requirement), while providing vitamins C and A.
Using chard as a casserole-wrapper is way easier than it sounds. Trim away the thick stem and then boil the leaves for two minutes, which softens them just enough to fill and roll without falling apart.
Chard-Wrapped Enchiladas
Preparation: 1 hour Makes: Eight servings For the sauce: 1 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes 1/2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic, smashed 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp olive oil For the filling: 1/2 cup cooked brown rice 3/4 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if canned 3/4 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken breast 3/4 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp granulated garlic 1/2 tsp kosher salt • pinch cayenne (optional) 8 large chard leaves 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup cilantro leaves 1/4 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt Heat the oven to 375 F. Make the sauce: place all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered with a lid, for 20 minutes, gently smashing open the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Turn off heat, allow to cool a little.
Carefully blend sauce with an immersion blender or in a regular blender (be very careful of steam if using a regular blender). Prepare the chard leaves: cut away the stems below the leaves (you can chop and sauté stems for another side dish). Then, if the stems are tough, gently cut out the first inch or so of stem within the leaf, cutting it out in a “V” shape with a knife.
Parboil the leaves in a large pan of simmering water over medium-low heat until tender, but not falling apart, about two minutes. (Err on undercooking; not overcooking.) Make the filling: combine all the filling ingredients (through cayenne) in a large bowl and stir. Roll the enchiladas: Place the softened chard leaf on a cutting board with the stem end closest to you. Place about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling on the leaf, about one inch from the bottom of the leaf. Gently fold the sides of the leaf inward and then roll up the leaf from the bottom. (Note: if the stem is still a little tough, go ahead and let it “break” as you roll; it will be in the centre of the rollup, so it won’t be visible.)
You should have a nicely-shaped enchilada-like packet. Repeat with remaining leaves. Spray a 9-by-9 or two-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan and then lay the eight enchiladas in pan. Pour the sauce on top, tightly cover with foil and bake until hot throughout, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil, top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Top with yogurt and cilantro and serve.