Thursday, June 30, 2011

Salsa Verde Enchiladas with Sheep Cheese

We love spicy food in this house, and tonight I knew exactly what I needed to give me a kick. Enchiladas! Also be sure to check out Kelly's Real Food Wednesday for more great ideas!!!

Enchilada's are best when topped off with a little cheese. I am sensitive to cow's milk but not to goat or sheep so I decided to try using one of those. Goat cheese would be too strong for these enchiladas so I didn't use it. However there are several sheep cheese varieties that have the taste and texture like cow's milk. At Whole Foods the cheese experts helped me find one that would go well with enchilada's and they were right! The Brigante Pecorino Pinna was perfect for this dish. It melted nicely, and the flavor was somewhere between a mild cheddar and havarti. For those that are sensitive to any dairy then Daiya cheese would also work. 

Ingrediants: sheeps milk, rennet, enzymes, and salt

Also, I have noticed that I can tolerate some cultured dairy (from cows) in small amounts. So tonight I had about a tablespoon of Nancy's cultured, full fat sour cream along side my enchiladas. If I go overboard I will get a stomachache and my eczema will flare up. 

On another note full fat is important because low fat food replacements take out the fat and put fillers and sugar in place of them. Wouldn't you rather eat real food instead of some filler or more sugar? Plus, "those that are on low fat diets for a long time may be at risk for depression, low energy, weight gain, and mineral deficiencies" -Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions.

 Salsa Verde Turkey Enchiladas before getting baked

Enchiladas finished baking and topped off with sheep cheese. I didn't bake the cheese because I didn't want to kill the enzymes

Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
16 sprouted corn tortillas
1 lb ground turkey or shredded chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, shredded
10 leaves of kale, chopped with stem removed
2 jalapenos, diced
1/2 Tbs cumin
1/2 Tbs chili powder
16 oz salsa verde
1 1/2 cups raw cheese, shredded (I used sheep-Brigante Pecorino Pinna)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
Cultured, full fat sour cream (optional)
9 x 13 baking dish, greased

Directions


Enchilada Filling: In a large pan sauté the onion, garlic, and carrot in some olive oil. Add it to a large mixing bowl and set aside. In the same pan cook up the ground turkey, jalapenos, and stir in the cumin and chili powder. When the turkey is almost done mix the kale in until it wilts. Add the turkey mixture to the onion mixture and stir together until combined.
Soften the Tortillas: Fry the corn tortillas in a little olive oil to soften them, don't let them get crispy or they won't roll up. Another method is to steam the tortillas so that they become soft. Choose whichever method you prefer. Sometimes it's nice to do half steamed and half fried.
Bake or Freeze: Next scoop some enchilada filling into a tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down. Do this until the greased baking pan is filled up. At this point the enchilada's could be frozen or baked. If baking, pour the salsa verde over the enchilada's, cover, and bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until they are steaming. At this point sprinkle the cheese over the top of the enchiladas, cover and let them sit in the warm oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve: with cilantro, avocado, salsa, and cultured-full-fat-sour cream

4 comments:

Kathryn M said...

Thanks John! I can't wait to check it out, I'm always looking for egg free recipes. I can tolerate duck eggs better than chicken eggs but when I am traveling I don't always have access to them.

You can call me AL... said...

Wow, those look GREAT! I hope you had a lovely 4th of July with the family :) Good Luck today!

Rivki Locker said...

I've been making lots of quesadillas lately but never think to make enchiladas. Thanks for the reminder (and for the encouraging words you left on my blog - you make me feel better even though I'm working hard all summer long)!

Karen Bannan said...

Wow! A use for the kale I've got coming in weekly from my CSA. These look yummy. Can't wait to try this out at my next game night! (The kids don't do spicy yet. I keep trying!)