Chicken and Roasted Pepper Enchiladas with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

Someone in this household has not been feeling well. I'll give you some hints – it's someone who really likes Mexican food. And doesn't like to be taken care of or laying around in bed. And would much rather be cooking, or playing in the snow, or having teeth pulled than being sick. You guessed it... it's me. Amidst the stuffed-up haze of tea, hot lemon water, sneezing, and herbal remedies, these enchiladas were all I could think about.

These glorious enchiladas happened a while back – before I came down with the black plague – and now that I'm starting to recover and regain my appetite, they're calling my name again. Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines, but it has become more or less a delicacy in my book.

That's because bad Mexican food is right up there with bad sushi. And mediocre Mexican food is just a letdown. In Indiana, you get the choice between the two grimy options in town or Don Pablos in Indianapolis. That's about it. I haven't had much luck in New York, either. To be fair, I only tried two places, but neither one of them blew me away. Simply put, Mexican food doesn't happen unless it's homemade.

When I had a strong craving for some good Mexican, the forecast was literally predicting "ice balls." Rather than trying to find a place nearby and winding up disappointed [I'm such an optimist, I know.], I looked over at Clark and said, "Let's make some freakin' enchiladas. Like, mind-blowing enchiladas." And so, make them we did. They were pretty dynamite on the first try, but few tweaks perfected the recipe and made them totally share-worthy.

Colorful, fresh, and full of warm flavors, these enchiladas are everything that I expect from Mexican cuisine. They prove, once again, that homemade food really is better. And cheaper. And healthier. The whole dish cost less than $15 to make and it serves at least 3 people. All in all, each enchilada has about 150 calories total. [A typical restaurant's enchilada dish weighs in at 600-1500 calories per serving.]

Although homemade tortillas are definitely better, the spelt ones from Rudi's that we used weren't bad at all. They're nice and soft, with a good sweet flavor. Which makes them the ideal vehicle for the creamy cauliflower sauce, seasoned chicken, roasted peppers, and kale. In hindsight, I have a feeling that these would have been even better with a big scoop of guacamole on top.

After the enchiladas were gone, Clark used what was left of the kale to make me a huge plate of sautéed greens, onions, and garlic. He sure does know the way to this girl's heart. I devoured every last bite and I swear I felt a little better right away. Not 100%, but definitely better.

There was one positive to me being sick. During all of that downtime, we finally got to start laying out our latest project: The Burger Book. If you've been following along, you've already seen the sneak peek. I might've leaked another preview on Instagram, too. ;) We've spent the last few months brainstorming, testing, and perfecting 20 veggie burger recipes to combine in our first ecookbook. It will be available by the end of January and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you all!

We took what was left of the enchiladas over to friends. And just like the pot pie that we shared a while back, these were gone before we left. Now I'm kind of regretting giving them away. What I wouldn't do to eat one right now. But in the meantime, I'll just keep sipping this ThroatComfort Yogi Tea.

Chicken and Roasted Pepper Enchiladas with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

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• Author: The Fitchen
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Flavorful and fresh enchiladas, packed with plenty of veggies and spiced chicken. These are a healthy, low-calorie take on a classic Mexican dish.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 red bell pepper [sliced]
• 1 orange bell pepper [sliced]
• 1 yellow bell pepper [sliced]
• 1 medium onion [chopped]
• 2 cups of kale [chopped]
• 4 ounces mild cheddar cheese
• 6 gluten free tortillas [all we had were Rudi's spelt tortillas on hand]
• Cauliflower Sauce:
• ½ head of cauliflower [chopped]
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1tablespoon rosemary
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic [chopped]
• Enchilada sauce:
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 cup water
• 3 oz tomato paste [about half of the can]
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400º
2. Boil and shred chicken. In a large pot, add chicken and fill ⅔ full with water. Boil chicken for 10 minutes then reduce to a simmer for 10 more. Shred on a cutting board using 2 forks and set aside.
3. Place sliced peppers and onion on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Set aside.
4. While chicken is boiling, make the sauces.
5. Boil chopped cauliflower in 2 cups of water for 10-15 minutes. Save the water. Sauté garlic in oil on medium heat. Add all ingredients plus ⅓ cup of the boiled water into the blender and blend until smooth.
6. For the enchilada sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350º and combine peppers, onions, chicken, and kale in a large bowl. Add a layer of enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
8. Fill each tortilla with the mixture and add a bit of cauliflower sauce. Roll up tightly and place in the pan with the seam-side facing down. Repeat.
9. Top the enchiladas with shredded cheese, more enchilada sauce, and more cauliflower sauce. Place in oven for 20 minutes.
10. Top with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Main