Verde Chicken and Venison Enchilada (Recipe)

Tonight I wanted to take a second stab at Mexican food, but experiment with traditional flavors, and maybe add my own twist. I peered into my fridge and noted the following: leftover venison (from the tacos the night before), chicken, plain Greek yogurt, and a jar of salsa verde. I decided then and there, that I was going to make enchiladas. Never having made enchiladas before, I allowed my past devourings at Mexican restaurants to guide my hands in the kitchen. I announced my maiden voyage to C, who was poring over his casebooks at the table. “I’ve never had enchiladas before,” he grinned. This was a small comfort knowing that if I messed this up, he’d be none the wiser. 


You will need:
A lasagna pan
6-7 large corn tortillas
1 bag low fat Mexican shredded cheese
Package of chicken tenderloins
About 2 cups ground venison sausage (mine was already cooked)
Half a small bag of frozen corn
Broccoli
Beech mushrooms
Cilantro
Green onion
1 jar of salsa verde
3 cups Greek yogurt
Chili infused olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Chili powder
Garlic Powder
Caribbean jerk seasoning
Cumin


My adventure began by cooking the chicken on medium in a pot with chili infused olive oil. I then removed the chicken, shredded it with a fork, then returned it to the pot. I added the leftover venison from the fridge and warmed it through. Then I poured in about ¾ of the jar of salsa, 1 cup and ½ of the Greek yogurt, and about half a bag of frozen corn. I also included some broccoli and beech mushrooms, (even though those ingredients are decidedly not Mexican) just because. I shimmied in salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, Caribbean jerk seasoning, and cumin all to my taste (which is spicy). For freshness, I included a handful of green onions, and cilantro. I stirred, waited for my potion to bubble, then tasted--not bad. The contents in the pot were somewhat soupy, so I decided the leftover juices would become part of the topping sauce. I then preheated the oven to 400 degrees, oiled my lasagna pan with the chili infused olive oil, and got out 6 tortillas. With a slotted ladle, I spooned my mixture down the center of a tortilla, folded in the sides, and laid it gently down into the lasagna pan. I repeated this 5 times, snuggling each next to the other like children in sleeping bags. I then turned my attention back to the leftover soup/sauce in the pot. I added the last ¼ of the jar of salsa verde, and about 1 cup and ¼ of Greek yogurt. I tasted, then added more chili powder and pepper. My topping sauce complete, I drizzled it happily over my cozy little enchiladas, sprinkled some low fat Mexican cheese on top, then put them in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the top was golden bronze and bubbling. By the time it was done, C had already emerged from his casebooks and was sniffing expectantly in the kitchen. Once removed from the oven, I gave it a flourish of cilantro and green onions. He loved it.