I can by no means call this recipe “healthy” in good faith, but they aren’t necessarily the worst enchiladas you could put in your body. I use fresh veggies, minimal oil, and no sodium-packed sauces – instead, I opt for a spicy verde salsa mixed with Greek yogurt to top the ‘chiladas, which ups the freshness and protein and downs the saltiness and preservative levels. And they’re still creamy and delicious.

I made these for the first time for John’s birthday this last June. We are both Tex-Mex fanatics; actually, that’s probably the largest attribute we have in common. Where he’s analytical and logical, I’m emotional and spontaneous. Where he’s what he considers a “collector” of special knick-knacks and momentous items, I’m what I like to call an “anti-hoarder.” I will give away anything that hasn’t been used in, oh, a month or so — maybe less — and I feel the sanest when my counters and other surfaces are completely without clutter. He likes golf, nature, and watching ESPN for hours; I like fashion, the great indoors, and watching Bravo for hours. But I think all of those things balance us out in a fun way. Plus, we still have the great almighty adoration in common: Tex-Mex.

However, he’s a much better cook than I am, so I knew for his birthday I really needed to step up my game in order to impress his fancy-schmance taste buds. That’s when these enchiladas came into play. I consulted with his mom, who gave me the idea to use the verde salsa and Greek yogurt combo for the sauce and a good veggie mix to put with the shrimp, as well as Pinterest, which is always a good source of food-spiration, in my opinion.

What came of all my sources were some of the tastiest homemade enchiladas I’ve – and he’s – tasted. That’s not even me just tooting my own horn. I can own when something I make isn’t the greatest (and that happens more often than not). But these things are amazing, a must-try for you and yours this holiday season whenever you’re not indulging in turkey and ham and pumpkin pie.

(Recipe below.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. raw medium shrimp, cleaned, peeled, deveined, de-tailed, halved

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 c. white mushrooms, chopped

2 poblano peppers, chopped (John was convinced the ones we used here were Anaheims that were put in the wrong container at Whole Foods, but whatever. They still tasted good.)

½ c. green onion, chopped

½ c. cilantro, minced (to top)

1 c. tomatillo salsa

½ c. Greek yogurt

8-pack of flour or corn tortillas (we used flour)

2 c. mild cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. red pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the white onion, mushroom, and poblano (or Anaheim). Season with cumin, red pepper, salt, and pepper and sauté veggies until they’re a light, golden brown. Add shrimp to the pan and sauté with the veggies until cooked through (about 7-10 minutes on medium heat).

In a medium bowl, mix together the salsa and yogurt. Spread some on the bottom of a large 9×13 baking dish (where you’ll put the enchiladas) until the bottom is coated. (This will make the bottoms of the enchiladas nice and moist and easy to scoop after baking.)

Scoop about ¼ cup of the veggie/shrimp mix onto a tortilla, along with a drizzle of the sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Roll into enchilada and place in baking dish. Don’t worry about squishing them to make them all fit; you want them nice and cozy.

After all tortillas are wrapped and in the dish, smother with the rest of the sauce, green onions, and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Serve with fresh cilantro and remaining green onion on top.

Calories: 664 // Fat (g): 26.6 // Carbs (g): 61.4 // Protein (g): 42.5 // Servings: 4

Apron: Sur la Table (a sweet gift from John’s parents, and I am loving the vintage vibes it brings to my kitchen!) // Sweater: LuLu*s