A Very Spicy Guest Post #5

When Margo asked me for a "South of the Border" themed Retro WW Recipe. I knew it had to be Marcy's Enchiladas. The only question: Who is Marcy? We never did find out, but please enjoy Margo (aka: ShesNachoMama) and her Retro WW enchilada challenge!

First, let me say that I am honored to participate in Mimi’s blog-speriment, having been a lurker here at her blog for quite a long while now. Also, like Mimi, I am a HUGE fan of Jean Nidetch. Her autobiography was one of the most inspiring books I’ve read in the last year-seriously! Naturally, I requested a retro-ww recipe with a “South-of-the-Border” flair (like me.) And Mimi did not disappoint. I was delighted to receive the following recipe (almost as old as I am!) in my electronic mailbox:

"Marcy's Enchilada" (1974)

1/2 cup tangy tomato sauce

1 medium canned tomato, chopped

1tbsp chopped green chili pepper

1tbsp dehydrated onion flakes

2 tsp artificial sweetener

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp oregano leaves

1/4 tsp basil leaves

Dash garlic powder

1 slice bread, toasted (ok-here’s where I actually “rofl!”)

2 oz. Cooked chicken, chopped

1 oz. Grated montereyjack cheese

Combine sauce, tomato, chili pepper, onion flakes, sweetener, cumin, salt, oregano, basil and garlic powder in saucepan. Simmer 12 minutes. Place toast in baking dish. Pour sauce over. Place chicken on top, then spoon grated cheese over chicken. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Makes one serving.

So, I made the recipe exactly as instructed. And? It wasn’t that bad! The only downer was the soggy toast (nasty!) I guess corn tortillas were not nationally available in 1974 as they are today. But the stuff that went on the toast was actually pretty yummy! I calculated the recipe at 7 modern-day pointsplus per serving.

Now, I did have a hunch that the toast would come out soggy, so I took the liberty of preparing my own, lightened up, enchilada casserole-for dos...

Nacho Mama’s Enchiladas (serves 2 @6 pointsplus per svg)

2 oz. Cooked chicken, chopped

28oz can diced tomatoes

1/2c Enchilada Sauce (I like Las Palmas)

1/2c diced mushrooms

1tbsp chopped green chili pepper

1 diced zucchini

1 garlic clove, diced

1/4c diced onion

1/4c frozen corn kernels

1/8c chopped cilantro

6 large black olives, sliced

1/4t Chili powder

4 corn tortillas (I’m lucky enough to live where they are made fresh daily-this makes a big difference!)

2 oz. Grated light cheddar cheese

Spray Oil

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Get your iron skillet nice and hot! Then spray each tortilla on both sides and toast until slightly crispy (WATCH YOUR TORTILLAS! They burn fast) Set aside.

3. In a large saucepot, combine all ingredients EXCEPT the cheese and olives. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10 min.

4. Spray your small Pyrex casserole dish (I used my Mama Lola’s oval dish but a 5x9 dish will work perfectly) with oil. Coat the bottom of the dish with the sauce, then layer in the following order:

-Tortilla

-Sauce

-Cheese

-sliced olives

You should be able to get at least 2 layers. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Makes 2 HUGE servings.

So here’s Nacho Mama’s vs. Marcy’s Enchiladas (mine are on the left):

OK, remember that mine is TWO servings! Just so you can get a better idea, I plated up a half of a single serving of each:

So the verdict: Marcy’s Enchiladas were not bad, but not something my dear, late Mama Lola would want in her casserole dish. Plus? (pun intended) They 1974 version not only had a higher pointsplus value, but I’m pretty sure that mine are far more nutritious since they are crammed with veggies. And mine are more filling because, well, there’s simple more of them per serving.

That said, if I had to live on the scary retro food that Mimi has braved for all our sakes, I’d be pretty darn pleased with Marcy’s Enchiladas, soggy toast and all. Ole!

Wishing you love with extra cheese, Nacho Mama

@shesnachomama