Mediterranean Enchiladas

Our spontaneous philosophy of experimenting with ingredients and recipes often results in a fusion of enjoyable flavors, but also a slight if not substantial disorder in our kitchen. With the start of the new year, we both vow to be more organized and in this spirit, started by rearranging our cupboards to maximize the tiny space. We felt it was time to retire our unused potato sponge, give away some of our spatulas, and move our pasta maker to storage since we knew that we would not be using that anytime soon.

After a morning of organizing the kitchen, we were left pleased with the results, and clearly hungry. We decided to use ingredients that are constant staples in our kitchen- kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and oregano. With our minds swirling, we grabbed tortillas in the freezer and whipped up a Mexican dish with a Mediterranean flare. The finished product was a fusion of comfort foods, our “Med-Mex” enchiladas.

Med-Mex Chicken Enchiladas with Spinach and Artichokes

2 T EVOO
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dried oregano
1 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 c your favorite salsa (we like Whole Foods Medium Heat)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 c chicken broth
2 c shredded roasted chicken
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 c Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 c crumbled feta cheese
1 c shredded kasseri cheese
salt and pepper throughout
8 flour tortillas
Greek yogurt
Hot Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large saucepan, heat the EVOO on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and cook for an additional minute. Add the salsa, crushed tomatoes and chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes. Ladle half of the sauce into a shallow bowl and set aside.

Lower the heat to low and add the shredded chicken and stir to combine. After 2 minutes, stir in the spinach, Kalamata olives and artichoke hearts and cook for 5-6 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and microwave on them high for 30 seconds. Coat the bottom of a 13x9 pan with half of the reserved tomato mixture. Dip each tortilla in the tomato mixture to lightly coat. Spoon a heaping scoop of chicken mixture and a sprinkling of feta and kasseri cheese into the middle of each tortilla. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cylinder to enclose. Place the rolled tortillas into the pan, seam-side down. After you have placed all the rolled tortillas tightly in a row into the pan, top with any remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with kasseri cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling on top and tortillas are slightly cracked and golden. Serve hot with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top and hot sauce for those who enjoy added heat. Serves 4-6.

Enjoy our take on enchiladas with some rice or orzo and sips of your favorite tequila...or ouzo!