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Enchilada recipe, Isabel Eats, Latina food blogger

Latina chef Isabel Orozco-Moore shares top enchilada recipes this Cinco de Mayo 

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This National Enchilada Day food blogger and Latina chef, Isabel Orozco-Moore, shares some top recipes to enjoy this Cinco de Mayo—or year round! 

Better known as Isabel Eats on Instagram, Isabel is a first generation Mexican-American that was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Growing up, Isabel learned to cook from watching her parents in the kitchen. In 2015, she started her food blog as a way to document her family’s recipes and connect with her Mexican heritage.Today, Isabel Eats is a resource to many others looking to learn more about Mexican cuisine and culture through food. 

Below are six of her delicious enchilada recipes to try out in your own kitchen!

Top 6 enchilada recipes to try this Cinco de Mayo

Enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least to Aztec times. In their original form as Mexican street food, enchiladas were simply corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings. Today, there are now many varieties, with many different sauces and fillings. 

From the breakfast enchilada to chicken and meat fillings, cheese enchiladas or just veggies, there’s an enchilada recipe for everyone! 

Easy Breakfast Enchiladas 

These breakfast enchiladas are perfect for the whole family! Filled with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, bell peppers and onions and covered in the best enchilada sauce and melted cheese, these are sure to fuel you up for the day. Make these ahead of time to have ready for a quick on-the-go meal or make them fresh for a long, sit-down breakfast. Either way, you and your family will be left satisfied with this recipe. 

White Chicken Enchiladas

If you’re looking for something cheesy, these white chicken enchiladas are sure to hit the spot! Covered in a white sauce made from butter, flour, sour cream, broth, cheese, and green chiles, they’ll be ready in less than an hour for you and your family to enjoy. 

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Looking for an easy and delicious dinner recipe? Then this easy chicken enchilada recipe is the one for you. Stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese and topped with an easy red enchilada sauce, these enchiladas bake for 20 minutes. Super quick and easy and great for a weeknight dinner, you can’t go wrong with this one!

Enchiladas Suizas

Shake things up with these Enchiladas Suizas, or Swiss-style enchiladas. They are chicken enchiladas topped with a tomatillo cream sauce and are characterized by the use of dairy throughout the entire recipe. These creamy, cheesy enchiladas are filled with shredded chicken and melted Manchego cheese in a perfect mix of creamy and savory!

Looking for more recipes?

Tasty burrito recipes by Latina chefs to try this National Burrito Day 

Cheese Enchiladas

If you’re a cheese-lover, then you need to try this cheese enchilada recipe! These are Isabel’s personal favorite and the enchiladas she grew up eating as a child. Made with an easy enchilada sauce, filled with savory melted cheese, and topped with chopped onions, these cheese enchiladas are perfect for any meal and go great with the addition of Mexican rice and beans. 

Zucchini Enchiladas 

Last but not least, for our veggie lovers and those who can’t eat tortillas, there is an enchilada recipe for you too! These veggie and protein-packed zucchini enchiladas are a must-try! Made from zucchini ribbons instead of tortillas, these enchiladas are stuffed with taco-seasoned white ground turkey and topped with enchilada sauce and cheese. Tasty and nutritious, this recipe is a great alternative to the classic enchilada. 

You might be interested: From backyard chef to restaurant owner, Chef Yala shares her entrepreneurial journey and rise to success

We hope you found some tasty new enchilada recipes to try out today, or whenever the craving strikes!

National Nutrition Month

Balancing your Latina diet this National Nutrition Month®

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Every food-loving Latina knows that the Latina diet has both pros and cons. With rich flavors and a variety of local produce, Latin American cuisine can certainly be very healthy. But sometimes we can also go a little overboard on the sweets, rich dairy products, and fatty meats. That’s why it’s important to focus on maintaining a balanced diet and National Nutrition Month® is the perfect time to get started on making some healthful changes to your diet. 

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Originally started as National Nutrition Week in 1973, it was eventually inaugurated as National Nutrition Month®  in 1980.

Now, during the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.

National Nutrition Month

Celebrate a World of Flavors. (Graphic source: National Nutrition Month®)

This year’s theme, “Celebrate a World of Flavors,” showcases how flavors from cultures around the world is a tasty way to nourish ourselves and appreciate our diversity. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds and tastes! And a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can tailor a healthful eating plan that is as special as you are.

“The theme Celebrate a World of Flavors gives every culture a place at the table,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Libby Mills, a national spokesperson for the Academy in Philadelphia, Pa. “Celebrating the cultural heritage, traditions and recipes from all people is a tasty way to nourish ourselves, learn about one another and find appreciation in our diversity.”

During National Nutrition Month®, the Academy encourages everyone to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits they can follow all year long. The Academy encourages seeking the advice of RDNs – the food and nutrition experts who can help develop individualized eating and activity plans to meet people’s health goals.

National Nutrition Month

Your favorite cultural foods can be part of a healthful eating plan!
Use these tips to choose foods that have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important nutrients: https://sm.eatright.org/nutrichdiet
#NationalNutritionMonth

“Celebrate a World of Flavors highlights the unique, cultural variety of foods available to people from around the world and the role that registered dietitian nutritionist play in helping clients create healthy habits while celebrating their cultural foods and heritage,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Rahaf Al Bochi, a national spokesperson for the Academy in Baltimore, Md.

RDNs help clients fine-tune traditional recipes, provide alternative cooking methods and other healthful advice for incorporating family-favorite foods into everyday meals.

For more information and healthful tips, check out the resources provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics available in various languages including Spanish.

Balancing your Latina diet 

As Latinas, food is a big part of our culture. While many Latino dishes are full of healthy ingredients, it’s no secret that we love our carbs and dulces. Many Latin American dishes can also be heavy on fats such as whole-fat cheeses and fatty cuts of meat. Consuming too much of these foods in unbalanced proportions can lead to many health risks such as high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, risk factors commonly found in Hispanic populations. 

However, there is no need to completely cut out the foods we love, but learning more about how to create a colorful, well-balanced plate will help us all be healthier in the long-run. 

You might be interested: 5 hearty autumnal vegan meals to try this month

Some tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: 

Personalize Your Plate 

  • Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies. Get creative with produce by trying an assortment of colors and textures.
  • Experiment with different grains. Try substituting whole grains for refined grains in recipes.
  • Choose lean protein foods. Vary your choices to include seafood, beans, peas and lentils, as well as eggs, lean cuts of meat and poultry that are prepared in a healthful way, such as baked or grilled instead of fried.
  • Complete your meal with dairy. Include low-fat or fat-free options like milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium-fortified soymilk, or lactose free milk.

Meal Planning Tips

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated or boring. Think about the foods you like from each food group – mixed dishes count, too! These are just a few examples of how different foods can be eaten as a meal to personalize your plate. If a food you enjoy is not listed here, consider which food group it meets when planning your meals.  

National Nutrition Month®

Meal plan suggestions from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (Source: Personalize Your Plate to Include Foods From Other Cultures–Latin American)

You might be interested: 5 teas and infusions popular in Latin America to improve sleep, focus, digestion, and more!

Building a balanced Latina diet doesn’t have to be a chore. With so many delicious ingredients and a passion for our food, us Latinas are sure to have fun cooking up some colorful, creative dishes to meet our health needs and our passion for flavor!