Mom's Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas

If you want a very satisfying, healthy, trimming meal, this recipe is for you!  My parents came to visit a couple weeks ago and one thing that makes my heart happy is cooking with mom.  She is one of the best cooks I know.

Her food ALWAYS tastes good!  This is a recipe she came up with as she is eating a more (Trim Healthy Mama) THM plan approved diet.  For all of you that follow the Plan, this would be considered an “S” meal.  I am a new THMer, since I live in Pearl and Serene’s neighborhood and consider them some of my closest mates (meaning friends in New Zealand dialect), I had to learn really quick that when you bring food to any party, it should be Plan Approved.  My whole life I have cooked very similar to this, but I am learning the science behind it which is really fascinating.  My main concerns when I cook are this…The meal has to be easy, affordable, healthy, and scrumptious.  No one wants to eat healthy food if it will taste like cardboard.  My husband is the true test.  If it does not taste good, my husband will stall when eating and if I ask, he will say, “It’s okay,” which really means a polite, YUK in my husband’s dialect.  A man of few words and expressions that he is, I only know my food is delicious if he gobbles it up and runs back for seconds.  No lie!

I can get super healthy around here to the point of which I make the most bitter, green slimy looking things or spicy chocolate things that only those that have trained their pallet to approve can handle it.  My husband knows, when I offer something of this sort, to turn in the other direction and RUN!  I have my special Health Nut treats that only Vange, Nancy, Pearl, and Serene will indulge in because it tastes like dirt it is so healthy and we LOVE it!  We laugh as others spit them out.

Pearl gave me the books and soon I will be running a review and giveaway for their latest book, so stay tuned on my blog to find out when you can enter to win one.

This zucchini chicken enchilada passes my health test for its amazing nutrient rich ingredients and Mark’s second helping stamp of approval!  Win! Win!  First off, let me explain some reasons you will love this.  I will list of few of the ingredients that have major health benefits.  Things you may not know…

  • Zucchini — I love that it is considered an anti-inflammatory food.  So many people struggle with inflammation and the normal American diet is full of inflammatory foods which wreak havoc on your digestive health as well as add to your discomfort.  Zucchini is also happens to be high in antioxidants and vitamin C which is so good for your immune system!  Because it is low in calories and carbohydrates, zucchini is a great option for trimming your waist line and great for blood sugar control.  It is easy on the pancreas, great for helping with vision, and can aid in the overall health of your heart.
  • Gouda Cheese. — This amazing type of cheese is a great source of amino acids, protein, omega-3 fats, calcium, phosphorus, Vitamins A, D, B2, and B12, zinc, and the amazing Vitamin K2 which helps your body assimilate the Vitamin D and Calcium.  That way you can absorb these great nutrients right into your bones and teeth.  Plus it tastes really good!
  • Green Chillies  — There are large amounts of capsaicin and vitamin C which make the Green Chile a sought after ingredient when trying to be healthy as well as help fight inflammation.  These little peppers are great for helping boost your metabolism so you can lose some extra fluff around the waistline.
  • Avocados — I bet most of you know this already, but Avocados are so amazing!  They are loaded with the good kind of fats that our bodies need for healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  The fatty acids in the avocado are great for heart and brain health.  Surprisingly they have more potassium than a banana are loaded with fiber which is great for colon health.

Lets get started…

First you will need to get 6 medium sized zucchini which would be around 10 inches long each.  Cut them lengthwise and shell out the flesh.  Place them into a 9×13 glass baking pan.

Reserve the flesh of the zucchini in another bowl and combine with some salsa verde.  If you download the recipe for today, I will have that recipe included.  You can buy a good organic brand of salsa verde or you can make it from scratch.  I like to make everything from scratch so I know what is in it.

For our next step, we will need to cook about 4 chicken breasts.  You can pan fry it in butter, oven roast it, or if you are like me, I just stuck mine in the instant pot for about 10 min.  You will need to pull the meat apart, shredding it.

Add the chicken meat into the filling with the salsa verde.

Now we can fill the zucchini boats with this amazing filling!

The next step is simply crumbling some Chihuahua Cheese over the boats.

For the final touch, sprinkle your grated Gouda Cheese over the entire pan.

Bake in your oven for 30-40 minutes on 350˚F, until golden and the zucchini can be pricked with a fork and is nice and tender.

Lets add some fun toppings!
Shred some lettuce, chop some green onions and tomatoes to make a PICO

Guacamole is a must!  My dad taught me a little trick on how to remove the pit easily.

He goes around the pit with the knife and twists the avocado in half and then presses the knife into the pit which can pop the pit out if you pull up while holding on the shell…

The fun part is scooping the meat out with a spoon.

Put the scooped out avocado in the food processor with a tomato, seasoning with some onion and garlic (fresh chopped or powdered), and a sprinkle of salt to taste.  Pulse for the desired consistency.

If you like refried beans and want to have that Mexican Restaurant feel, it is quite easy to create your own from scratch.  I like to soak my pinto beans the day before in salt water.  Rinse the next morning, cook until tender, and then you just simply drain, smash them up or blend them with the food processor.  Add a few of your favorite seasonings, like onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to taste.  Simple and simply delicious!

Download the recipe card.

Get a PDF version so you can print it and cut it out to add to your recipe deck.
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