Luckily, Mexican food lends itself to healthy makeovers in a variety of ways. Besides simply decreasing fat content, you can add ingredients to pump up the nutritional value of Mexican dishes, which is exactly what Yolanda Bergman did in devising a lighter and leaner version of the classic chicken enchilada. The author of Food Cop and Diet 911, Bergman's specialty is cutting out the fat without losing flavor. By adding spices and vegetables to a traditional meat-and-cheese dish, she created an enchilada with only 254 calories, in contrast to up to 500 calories in chicken-and-cheese enchiladas served at many popular Mexican restaurants (the calories will vary depending on the size of enchilada).
The main difference between a burrito or soft taco and this dish is that the enchilada is baked. The restaurant version comes stuffed with meat, cheese or both, and is traditionally topped with cheese, sauce and sour cream - and you can bet it's all full-fat!
The first logical move in creating a healthy enchilada was making a stuffing high on nutrients yet low on fat and calories. Sautéed onions and bell peppers provided a base of flavor, but the fat was limited by cooking them in a combination of canola oil and chicken broth, rather than oil alone. Bergman recommends using frozen onions and bell peppers, which soak up less oil than fresh produce would. Shredded zucchini was added for texture and nutrients such as potassium and calcium. Green chili pepper, a good source of Vitamin C, provided potent flavor, as did garlic powder and cilantro.
Skinless chicken breast is the major source of protein in the dish, but make sure you bake it rather than cooking it in oil. You could also use lean ground beef, or even a vegetarian ground meat substitute.
Prepared enchilada sauces come in a variety of flavors. We used red sauce in the photo shown, but try green tomatillo sauce for a change of pace. Traditional brands of sauce include El Torito and La Victoria, or consider experimenting with sauces sold in natural-foods stores that are lower in sodium and use fewer preservatives.
As you cook, prepare to get your hands dirty! Dipping the tortillas, filling them and rolling them into tubes is a messy job, but you may enjoy the process of cooking from scratch - a refreshing change for many of us. If the local takeout place knows you by name, take this opportunity to throw on a favorite CD and put all of your energy into cooking a tasty, healthy meal.
The finished product is great for lunch or dinner, especially when paired with a large salad or tortilla soup, rice, a side of whole pinto beans or even vegetarian refried beans. It's a great dish to serve for dinner with family or friends, and they'll no doubt be impressed with your culinary skills!
For information on Yolanda Bergman's nutritional programs or her exercise studio, Class, in Southern California, visit
www.yolanda.com.
