Tyler Florence's Tomatillo Enchiladas

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

For the past couple of weeks, David has been begging me to add Tyler Florence's tomatillo enchiladas to the dinner menu. I used to make this recipe all the time before we had Daniel, but haven't made it since he was born. This is David's favorite dinner, and the reason why I haven't made it since before Daniel was born is because although the recipe is fairly straightforward, it takes a very long time, has a lot of steps and requires expensive ingredients (namely the tomatillos). But alas, I relented and decided that since I would be roasting chickens this week anyway, I would give in and make David his beloved tomatillo enchiladas. I hesitated about blogging about this recipe, however, because in a way it goes against my dedication to writing about easy, quick, and family friendly meals. It is, on the other hand, made from whole and nutritious ingredients and it makes a lot of food and freezes well - which does fit in with my blog. In addition, I wrote about all the uses for roasted chicken, and this recipe does use roasted chicken.
Tomatillos are sort of like green tomatoes, but they are actually related more to berries than tomatoes. Tomatillos are surrounded by a paper like husk that needs to be removed before cooking. Tomatillos are a good source of magnesium, iron, fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
Here is a link to the recipe:
Tyler Florence's Tomatillo Enchiladas

So here is what I did a little differently:
  • To the filling, I added 1 cup pureed cauliflower (you know how I am always finding ways to slip another serving vegetables into my meals), and 1 (14 oz) can of white beans (to add fiber).
  • I didn't broil the tortillas, I just heated them in the microwave.
  • I left the cilantro out because well, I think it tastes like soap.
These are really yummy, and of course, the recipe is from my favorite hottie celebrity chef!

Now, before I close out this entry, I would like to address a couple of other things. I like to say that I know we are all busy, and that many of the things I make have homemade ingredients. I have found ways to save incredible amounts of time and money by making things homemade and freezing, I also like to do this because I can control what goes into my food. However, I understand that not everyone wants to do that, so just to be clear, all of my recipes can be made with store bought ingredients. My goal is to share what I do, how I do it, and why I do it. My mission for this blog is to help current and future generations live happier and healthier lives through sharing my ideas. For as long as I can remember, I have had the belief that whole foods that come from nature are what we should be eating. I also believe that we have been duped in this country into believing that chemically altered food made in a lab is better for us than what comes from natural sources. In this country we fear things like butter, milk, bread, and cheese. These things are not bad for us, not in moderation and not in conjunction with other natural foods. We need calcium that dairy offers us, we need whole grains to feed our brains. It is the processing and refining of these products (for example, Wonder Bread, Velveeta and margarine) that is bad for us. It is all about balance. I can guarantee you that it is the processed food that is our enemy, it is the processed food that is causing the diabetes and the heart attacks, not dairy and not bread. I truly believe that if each and every one of us eliminates processed foods from our diets, and we eat more whole foods like dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, if we eliminate fad diets, take time to cook, and eat slowly and together as a family, we will be a much healthier and happier nation.
And on that note, I will sign off for now. Thanks for reading! Until next time, Happy Cooking!

5 comments:

Amy said...

I think it's sad how much people fear food, counting grams of fat and carbohydrates. If they'd concern themselves less with that and more with eating a variety of natural foods, they could stress less and enjoy their food more, and be healthier for it. It's win-win! Here's to less sickness and more enjoyment of food!

Unknown said...

Here, here! I say, eat like the French and we will all be happy!

jennduer said...

I made these enchiladas and we loved them. They were pretty easy to make and the tomatillos here were only $1.89/pound. Thanks for the great idea!

Do you have a good recipe for Spanish rice? I've tried several but haven't yet found one that I like.

Unknown said...

Jenn, I am not sure if it is really Spanish rice but a lot of times I will just do brown rice cooked in chicken stock, a can of green chilies, salsa, and black beans, and then of course I add some cheese cause I LOVE cheese.

jennduer said...

Thank you, sounds good and simple!

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