The Bird Heads South

Fresh turkey sandwiches on good rustic bread are my favorite way to eat Thanksgiving leftovers. But there’s a lot more you can do with the remains of the bird.

Low-fat turkey enchiladas are quick to fix and a great change pace from the blast of Americana from the day before.

If you are pressed for time or just sick of cooking, bottled green tomatillo sauce may be substituted for the homemade sauce below, although this one is very tasty and simple to make.

Save on fat grams by using 7-inch flour tortillas instead of the larger size. Low-fat sour cream and fat-free mozzarella cheese work well in this recipe, and most people won’t know the difference in taste. Their waistlines, however, will thank you.

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS

SALSA VERDE

1 pound tomatillos, husked and quartered

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, cut into chunks

1 serrano chile, halved and seeded

1 (14.5-ounce) can nonfat chicken broth

Salt

ENCHILADAS

3 to 4 cups shredded leftover white turkey meat or chicken

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Salt

8 (7-inch) flour tortillas

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1/2 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

SALSA VERDE

Bring tomatillos, garlic, onion, chile and nonfat chicken broth to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until tomatillos and onions are tender, about 15 minutes.

Puree salsa in food processor or blender. Return to saucepan, bring to boil and simmer to reduce to 2 1/2 cups. Season to taste with salt.

ENCHILADAS

Combine turkey meat with about 1/3 cup Salsa Verde and cilantro leaves. Season to taste with salt. Divide into 8 portions and spoon onto each of 8 tortillas and roll up crepe style.

Spoon about 1/3 cup Salsa Verde over bottom of large baking dish. Arrange filled tortillas on top. Pour remaining Salsa Verde over enchiladas, then spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400 degrees until enchiladas are heated through, about 25 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Makes 8 enchiladas.

Each enchilada contains about:

256 calories; 423 mg sodium; 39 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 2.10 grams fiber.

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Handblown glass bottles from Freehand, Los Angeles.