Chicken Artichoke and Arugula Enchiladas
Are enchiladas even enchiladas if they are not traditional enchiladas?
A question for the ages. After careful consumption and intense consideration, I would not care what you called them. These Chicken Artichoke and Arugula Enchiladas were magical.
Okay so, it all started when I turned on the radio this morning. Justin Beiber’s beautiful voice singing “Despacito” prompted me crave some type of Mexican food. Music and food play a big role in my life decisions. Anyways, tacos, nachos, burritos… I’m not picky, any of the options sounded just great. After ransacking my cupboards, I had artichokes. Challenge accepted. Chicken Artichoke and Arugula Enchiladas it was.
I decided on a spinach and artichoke dip play on enchiladas. I know, I know, you are probably raising one of your eyebrows, but rest your forehead child, it was delicious. My “enchilada sauce” was made with some roasted piquillo peppers and tomato sauce that I had lying around. I cooked them together with some garlic for flavor. Essentially, I was playing a form of “Chopped” on account of my laziness to not go to the grocery store. And guess what, the result was a success!
So what good do Artichokes do?
They do a lot actually. When you look at how many antioxidants artichokes contribute to health, they rank higher than blueberries, pecans, or even cranberries. One artichoke contains 1/3 of the recommended daily intake of fiber for an adult. They also help support brain, liver and metabolic health. In my humble opinion, everybody could benefit from a little more artichoke action in their life.
To add more nutrition to my meals, I always sub out traditional white tortillas with whole wheat. Whole grains will always be better for health and personally I prefer the taste.
I hope you enjoy my mad science experiment as much as I did!
Chicken Artichoke and Arugula Enchiladas
Ingredients
- Piquillo Pepper Enchilada Sauce:
- 1/4 cup, Olive Oil
- 1-14 oz Jar Roasted Piquillo Peppers
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp, Paprika
- 3 tbsp, Chili Powder
- 1 tsp, Lime Juice
- 1 cup, water
- 1 tbsp, Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Enchiladas:
- 2 cups, Chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1-12 oz Jar, Artichoke, drained and chopped
- 2 cups, Arugula, chopped
- 8 oz, Queso Fresco, crumbled
- 8 Whole Wheat Tortillas
- Optional: Sour Cream (I use Plain Greek Yogurt) Cilantro, Chopped
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Piquillo Pepper Enchilada Sauce:
Be sure to rinse piquillo peppers and pat dry
In sauce pot, add olive oil, piquillo peppers and garlic, heat on medium while stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes
Add paprika, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and heat while stirring for another 2 minutes
Pour contents into food processor or blender and pulse until smooth, add back to pot
Add tomato sauce, lime juice, and 1/2 water to mixture and cook
Taste to see if it needs more salt and pepper
If mixture seems too thick, you can add remainder of water
Cover and set aside
Enchiladas:
In mixing bowl, combine and mix chicken, arugula, and artichokes until well mixed
In casserole dish, pour just enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom
Spread enchilada sauce on inside of tortilla and fill with chicken artichoke arugula mixture (be sure to not overfill)
Sprinkle a bit of queso fresco and roll up
Place in casserole dish seam side down, repeat this with all 8 tortillas
Pour desired amount (or in my case, all) of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas
Sprinkle with remaining queso fresco
Pop in heated oven for 30-45 minutes
When it is all bubbly and golden, remove
Top with cilantro or sour cream, or whatever your heart desires
Enjoy!!
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