Red Chili Chicken Enchiladas

So de-lish…so good for the soul!

MMMMMMM!  Red Chili Enchiladas!  For me, this is home; absolute comfort.  In America, we associate red sauce with being made from tomatoes or being some type of salsa, but it very much is not.  First, it is not tomato based at all and secondly, it is more like a gravy - but it's not exactly gravy.  Gravy is thickened from a flour/fat mixture (a roux) or from a cornstarch liaison, this sauce is thickened naturally by the power of chilis.  Yes, you can use a bit of flour if you need to tighten up your sauce, but it is not really needed.  This red sauce recipe was a gift given to me from my high school sweetheart's mother and you best believe I've handed it down to my little dumplings!  But let's also talk about fillings, shall we?

There are a bajillion things to fill enchiladas with.  Meat, cheese, spinach, tofu...if you can imagine it, it will work.  The recipe we are making today is a creamy and very mild green chili chicken filling which is "bulked up" with oyster mushrooms to lower the protein count.  If mushrooms take you over your daily count, I have also used yellow squash, collard greens (of course, as if you doubted that), I also tried canned green beans which worked flavor-wise, but was texturally displeasing.  Maybe if I used the julienne cut beans...well, there's always that.

Rich and Mild Red Enchilada Sauce

Recipe yields about 3 cups, which will cover 20 enchiladas and leave enough to make some seriously tasty Mexican rice!  Don't be bowled over by the total count.  There is also the "Per Serving" count.

CKD Buddies: Total Recipe:  K+1007mg  PHO 97mg  PRO 1g (if you use chicken broth)

CKD Buddies Per serving: K+ 51mg  PHO 5mg  PRO 0g

DASH Buddies: 1/2 Veg

7 dried guajillo chilis - seeded

2 dried pasilla chilis - seeded

1 dried California red chili - seeded

2 cups of water (or chicken broth)

1 clove of garlic

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder - yes, really

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Yes, you can put a little onion in as well, if you'd like.  It's not included in the count, but you can absolutely do it!

A scant bit of flour if your sauce needs thickening - but only if!!

Place everything in a pot and over high heat bring it to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Pour everything in a blender (liquidizer) or use one of those handy emersion blenders and whir until smooth.  It will not be gravy thick, it will thicken up when you bake the "whole enchilada."

Oh - this is a VERY MILD sauce, don't let all of the chilis make you nervous.

Enchilada Filling:

Fills 20 small tortillas - this count does NOT include the tortilla

CKD Buddies - for 1 enchilada: K+ 58mg  PHO 35mg  PRO 3g

DASH Buddies - for 1 enchilada: 1PR, 1V, 1/2 Milk, 1FA

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (no skin, no bones)

1 cup oyster mushrooms*  Included in count, but can be substituted

1/2 cup canned green chilis (not jalepenos...goodness no!)

1/2 cup (about 1/2 of a medium) onion

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese - more if your daily points let you!

4 ounces cream cheese - room temperature

1/2 teaspoon each:  salt, pepper, cumin, red chili powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

Place the oil and onion in a small pan and set on medium high heat.  Cook the onion for about 3 minutes and then add in your mushrooms (or whatever other veggie you have decided to use).  Cook just to soften; no need to cook it through.  Place this in a large bowl along with all of the other ingredients and mix until well blended. You are now ready to fill your tortilla of choice, smother them in your fabulous sauce, top them with some extra cheddar (if you choose to), then over your pan of enchiladas with foil and bake them for about 30 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  De-Lish!