{recipes}: zucchini & chicken enchiladas

lately i have been making new dishes that i find on different blogs & a few weeks ago i stumbled upon zucchini & chicken enchiladas. i love zucchini and enchiladas so i was curious to see how they would turn out. mark & i are also counting calories right now and the fact that one of these enchiladas was only 116 calories was a huge plus! i was pleasanly surprised when i took my first bite. they were delicious!! i paired them with some black beans and called it a meal! a few friends have tried this recipe since i first made it & loved it as well.

zucchini & chicken enchiladas

4 medium zucchinis
8 oz cooked, shredded chicken
4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp oil
1/2 c diced green bell pepper
1/2 c died green onions
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 c cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder {this is what makes the flavor amazing!}
1 tbsp water
salt & pepper to taste
red enchilada sauce {i used canned sauce but you can also make your own}

directions:

• cut zucchinis in half and scoop out the center, creating a boat. save the centers because you will be using it!
• boil a large pot of water and place the hollowed out zucchini boats in the boiling water for 1 minute. 
• preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• add the oil to a large fry pan. then add the peppers, green onions & garlic. cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. i like to add some salt & pepper at this point. then add the zucchini you scraped out along with the cilantro. cook for 4 minutes. next, add the spices and water and cook for another minute. finally, add the cooked & shredded chicken to the pan and cook for another minute. taste your mixture & determine if it needs a bit more salt or pepper.
• take a pan that has edges and pour 1/4 c enchilada sauce on the bottom. then place the zucchini boats on the pan. fill each boat with about 1/3 c of the chicken filling. then pour 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce over each boat. next, sprinkle 1/2 ounce {or any amount you like, really} of cheese on top of each enchilada.
• cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes & then i like to take the foil off and continue baking until all of the cheese is melted and the ingredients are completely heated through {usually 20-25 minutes}

recipe adapted from {skinnytaste.com}