When local produce hits the markets in Summer, my cooking style becomes heavy on the fruits & veggies. Zucchini is one of those versatile fruits that can be used in both savory & sweet dishes, and innumerable recipes. It explodes in the home garden, producing so many zucchini, seemingly all at once, that it is hard to keep up with the picking and using of them. But I am going to try! I hope to be able to provide numerous new recipes for all my readers to try this summer. Starting with a zucchini enhanced twist on enchiladas.
In this recipe, the zucchini is cut into ribbons to replace the tortillas of typical enchiladas. It is a genius way to add more fruits and vegetables to the dish. We cooked and shredded the chicken ourselves, but it is perfectly acceptable to shred some rotisserie chicken to speed up the prep. We used salsa that we had on hand and made it into a sauce by processing it with a wand blender, but a purchased enchilada sauce can be used, too.
Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas
Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from delish.com) Time
Required: 1 1/2 hours, Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts (3 cups shredded, cooked chicken)
- 1 1/3 cups salsa, divided
- 2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 3/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper on both sides, place it in a baking dish and bake it for 45 minutes or until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven, allow it to cool, then shred it into a large bowl.
Season & cook the chicken.
Place the salsa in the cup of a wand blender and blend until it is smooth.
In large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and season them with salt. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and stir it all together until they are combined. Add the shredded chicken to the onion mixture.
Shred the chicken and add the seasonings.
Add 1 cup of the blended salsa to the chicken mixture, combining until the chicken is saucy.
Add the sauce to the chicken mixture.
On a cutting board, use a vegetable peeler to make thin slices of zucchini. Lay out three ribbons, slightly overlapping, and place a spoonful of chicken mixture close to the top of the ribbons.
Overlap 3 zucchini ribbons and add the chicken filling.
Roll up the zucchini ribbons and transfer the enchiladas to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining zucchini ribbons and chicken mixture.
Roll the zucchini ribbons up with the filling inside and transfer the enchiladas to the baking dish.
Spoon the remaining 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over the zucchini enchiladas and sprinkle the enchiladas with the shredded cheeses. Bake the enchiladas until the cheese melts, about 20 minutes.Garnish the enchiladas with cilantro and serve with sour cream, if desired.
This is a delicious use of zucchini!
Bring on the garden explosion of zucchini! ~Linda
Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from delish.com) Time
Required: 1 1/2 hours, Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts (3 cups shredded, cooked chicken)
- 1 1/3 cups salsa, divided
- 2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 3/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper on both sides, place it in a baking dish and bake it for 45 minutes or until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven, allow it to cool, then shred it into a large bowl.
Place the salsa in the cup of a wand blender and blend until it is smooth.
In large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and season them with salt. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and stir it all together until they are combined. Add the shredded chicken to the onion mixture. Add 1 cup of the blended salsa to the chicken mixture, combining until the chicken is saucy.
On a cutting board, use a vegetable peeler to make thin slices of zucchini. Lay out three ribbons, slightly overlapping, and place a spoonful of chicken mixture close to the top of the ribbons. Roll up the zucchini ribbons and transfer the enchiladas to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining zucchini ribbons and chicken mixture.
Spoon the remaining 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over the zucchini enchiladas and sprinkle the enchiladas with the shredded cheeses. Bake the enchiladas until the cheese melts, about 20 minutes.
Garnish the enchiladas with cilantro and serve with sour cream, if desired.