The Tartinators: Rise of the Enchiladas

After a much needed hiatus filled with baby wrangling, deadlines and the customary summertime slam, the Tarts are back and armed with a recipe that could terminate even the most advanced hunger pangs...

Chicken OR Tofu Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa

We found this recipe over at Real Simple and adapted it to our Tartbuds. It's the perfect dish to drop off to a new mom who can't find the time to sleep much less cook, right Erin?

Tomatillo Salsa

adapted from Real Simple

(printable recipe)

1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos

1/2 cup chopped white onion

2 Jalapeño peppers, stemmed & seeded

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Sea Salt

* optional - 1/8 tsp agave nectar

The original recipe calls for raw tomatillos which give the salsa a nice fresh taste. We opted to broil them for a roasted, smokier flavor. We also added onion and garlic just to give it some extra umpf.

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse sticky residue. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken skin.

In a food processor or blender, combine tomatillos, onion, Jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and agave nectar and pulse until ingredients are blended. Add salt to taste and pulse again. Cool in refrigerator.

Chicken or Tofu Enchiladas

adapted from Real Simple

(printable recipe)

2 small zucchini, diced

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 ear, or frozen and thawed)

1 Anaheim chile pepper, diced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 chicken breasts or 1 12 oz. pkg firm tofu

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz.)

12 6-inch corn tortillas

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Olive oil/olive oil spray

Sour Cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

With this section we added chile and cilantro and for our veggie readers we've added a tofu version. I had it last night and it holds up! For a vegan version, just replace with a cheese substitute and leave off the sour cream. Doy, right?

For chicken enchiladas, place breasts in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow chicken to continue cooking in hot water. (If short on time, just boil the crap out of it; will just be a little tougher) Remove chicken from water and allow to cool. Shred and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, chile pepper and corn and cook, stirring, until onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add chicken, cheese, cilantro, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Mix to combine.

For tofu enchiladas, drain water from package and place tofu in a bowl. Smash with a fork until crumbly. Set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, chile pepper and corn and cook for 3 minutes. Add tofu to pan and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Transfer to bowl and add cheese, cilantro, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Mix to combine.

For both versions: Wipe out skillet and heat on medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray and one at a time, cook tortillas until softened, 10 to 15 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate. (You can use oil, but we prefer the spray so the tortillas aren't super oily.)

Divide the filling evenly between the tortillas and roll up. Spray a large baking dish and place enchiladas close together, seam-side down. (If you like your enchiladas soft, brush the tops with a bit of olive oil.) Bake until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

These enchiladas are delicious and so easy. You can try a variety of fillings, but one thing we recommend is to mix the cheese with the fillings so it's evenly distributed and you don't end up with a glob of goo. We hope you love this as much as we do. Okay, time to terminate, but don't worry, The Tartinators will be back:)