Turn Up The Heat- Zucchini Enchiladas
I don’t remember the last time that the temperature has not dropped to the negatives (Don’t EVEN get me started on my heating bill!). With 30 minute walks to class every day, my cheeks are permanently wind burnt. (On a positive note, at least I save time by not having to put on blush) Needless to say, I am ready for sunshine and warm weather. Come on, Spring!
While I may not be able to control the weather or afford to blast the furnace, I figured I could turn up the heat with one of my favorite things: food. After some brainstorming and getting inspiration from Pinterest (i.e. my favorite time waster research website) I came up with this recipe, and it proved to be everything I was looking for.
Zucchini Enchiladas
Adapted from Notes From a Messy Kitchen
Ingredients
3 medium zucchini
1 tbsp oil
8 oz ground turkey
1 ¼ cup enchilada sauce*
¼ onion, diced
½ tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ packet enchilada seasoning mix (or you can create your own mix)
½-1 cup shredded low-fat cheese
Toppings of your choice (Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.)
Preheat the oven to 350. Boil the zucchini in a big pot of water for about 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Take them out of the pot, cut them length-wise and hollow out with a spoon, reserving the flesh for later. (Note: Be sure to pat the zucchini dry with a paper towel, that way your enchiladas won’t be mushy) Next, drizzle the oil into a skillet and brown the turkey meat, set aside. Use the same pan (there will be a little oil left) to sauté the onions and garlic. Once they have caramelized, add in the tomatoes, ½ cup enchilada sauce, seasoning mix, and turkey into the skillet. Mix everything together well. Take your baking dish (I used an 8” x 8” pan) and pour in about ¼ – ½ cup enchilada sauce, tilting the dish so that the entire bottom is covered. Lay your hollowed zucchini side by side on top of the sauce and fill each evenly with the turkey mixture. Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce over the meat mixture, sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your choice of toppings.
Here are the nutrition facts for the recipe, which makes a total of three servings (two enchiladas each)
Fun Fact: Chick-fil-A has announced that within five years they will be using chickens raised without antibiotics. Read the full article here.