Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

We haven't had these in a while because Jon isn't crazy about the canned enchilada sauce. So what's a girl to do? Make her own, of course!

I used a recipe for sauce by Emeril with just a few changes, noted below.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 cups chicken stock (I used 14.5 oz)
• 10 ounces tomato paste (I used 6 oz)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (I used dried Mexican oregano)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (I used a bit more)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used just a touch more)
• I also added about 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions
In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings.

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My Chicken Enchiladas

This is my own recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed
• Chili powder and cumin
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 green onions, chopped (forgot these this time!)
• 1-2 jalapenos, chopped with seeds
• 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels (didn't use them tonight)
• 1/2 block cream cheese
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or a mix of shredded cheeses
• Enchilada sauce
• 6 flour tortilla shells

Directions

• Cook chicken in pan with the spices. Once done, shred with 2 forks. Sometimes I just throw it in the food processor quickly if I'm in a rush.
• When you are ready to cook, heat a large pan. Add onions, green onions, and all peppers. Saute for a few minutes.
• Add the chicken and stir.
• Add the cream cheese slowly, blending everything together.
• Add the salsa and corn. Tonight I only used a bit of enchilada sauce instead of the salsa.
• Stir over medium heat until you have a creamy mixture.
• Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce into a casserole dish.
• Spoon some of the mixture into the middle of a tortilla shell. Roll up, place in a casserole dish seam side down. Continue until you are done with the mixture. I usually get six nice sized enchiladas.
• Top with some of the sauce and cheese. Bake on 375 for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I love having these with Mexican rice. They are great the next day, too!

Fried Pickles with a Yogurt-Dill Dip

When we first saw fried pickles on the menu of our local Mexican restaurant, Poco's, we thought they sounded disgusting. But about a year later we finally decided to just try them and WOW, were we glad we did! They are the most unusual things, but surprisingly very tasty. They are a bit addictive too.. we'd find ourselves talking about going to Poco's just to get the pickles.

We decided to stay in tonight so that gave me some extra time to cook. I found a recipe for fried pickles on the Food Network Website and then found this recipe for a yogurt-dill dip which is what Poco's serves them with.

I followed the dip recipe almost exactly:

• 1 cup yogurt, low-fat strained (Greek-style) I used plain lowfat yogurt
• 1 clove garlic (small, minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel (finely grated)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill.

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I did make some changes to the pickle recipe noted below:

Ingredients

• 1 pint sliced dill pickles, undrained (I used fresh pickles from the deli)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I didn't use this)
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Vegetable oil

Directions

• Drain pickles, reserving 2/3-cup pickle juice. Press pickles between paper towels. (I didn't need to do this)
• Combine 2/3 cup pickle juice, egg, 1 tablespoon flour, and hot sauce. Stir well and set aside. (I only used egg and flour)
• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour with ground red pepper, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. Blend well.
• Dip pickles in egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture.
• Fry coated pickles in 375-degree oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

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The Result....The dip was excellent and the pickles were pretty good. The flour mixture didn't stick to the pickles all that well, so next time I'll use bread crumbs and spices instead of flour.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

I first got this recipe from nestie Amber and I believe she got it from this allrecipes.com recipe.

I don't make this chicken often because of all the butter and cheese, but when I do, we never have leftovers! I love the crispy cheese breading and especially love picking it off the pan after dinner!




Here is what I do (it's a little different than the original recipe)

• Melt 1/2 stick butter in a pan. Add 6 cloves pressed garlic and saute. Remove from heat
• In a bowl mix breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese
• Dip a thinly sliced chicken breast in the butter/garlic mixture and then the breading mixture.
• Bake chicken on 400 for about 15 minutes; longer for thicker chicken.

I served it with sauteed spinach - heat good olive oil in a pan along with some red pepper flakes. Add fresh spinach, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to move the spinach around so it wilts evenly. Remove from pan when it is just about wilted. I just recently started adding ground black pepper to my spinach and it tastes a lot better!

If you are looking for quick comfort food, try this chicken.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This is last Sunday's dinner - I'm a bit behind on updating this blog! The weekdays are just too crazy with work anymore, so I need to be sure to do my updates on the weekends.

We both enjoy stuffed chicken, but last week I wanted some sort of sauce to go on top of it and on the plate. Roasted red peppers came to mind. Here is what I did -

Chicken

• Trim chicken breasts and pound thin. I use the thinly sliced chicken breasts and pound them out even more


• I sprinkled each one with a tiny bit of salt, pepper, coriander, and paprika


• Then I topped each one with some shredded parmesan and asiago cheeses followed by a few leaves of slightly wilted spinach.


• Roll it up and tie with twine. You can also use toothpicks but I find the twine works better and is easier to take off after they are cooked.


• Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done.

Sauce

I used store bought roasted red peppers - the ones at the deli, not jarred. I'd like to try this with Jon's homemade roasted red peppers.

• Chop 2 roasted red peppers, 1/2 of a shallot, and 1 clove of garlic.


• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add peppers, shallot, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 min.


• Slowly add heavy or light cream; I used about 1/2 c.


• Transfer to a food processor and puree.


• Add just a touch of parmesan.


• Cook on low/medium until sauce slightly thickens. Adjust any seasonings needed.

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I poured the sauce over the chicken and it was the perfect combination of flavors. I served this with my usual parmesan garlic risotto (but used more garlic, parmesan and asiago cheeses, no black truffle oil) and some steamed green beans.

I had some leftover sauce so the next day I heated up some risotto and added the sauce. It was incredible! Now I need to try to make a creamy roasted red pepper risotto!

Pasta in a Tomato-Garlic-Parmesan Cream Sauce

I had 30 minutes to prep, cook, and eat last night before leaving for my classes. The results did not taste like a 30 minute meal at all.. this was one of the best pasta sauces I've made!





Ingredients

• Penne pasta
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 shallot, chopped
• 1 c light or heavy cream
• 1/3 c Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• Handful of fresh spinach (optional, but I loved it in this dish!)

Directions

• Cook pasta; set aside
• Heat olive oil; add shallots and garlic, saute. Add tomatoes, stir.
• Add the white wine and thyme. Reduce heat, and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
• Add the cream and bring to a simmer
• Add the cheese and salt, stir
• Toss the pasta in the sauce. If you are using spinach, add it once you turn the heat off so it wilts. Adjust salt if necessary.

I'm so glad I made enough to have leftovers tonight!

New Appetizer Creation - Bacon-Cheese-Onion Tart

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted! Things have been so busy with work that I've been making my regular meals. I haven't had the time or energy to try new things or come up with new recipes. But last weekend we were invited to a dinner party and I offered to make an appetizer. I made this one up with inspiration from the Blue Cheese Tart I made over the summer. I wish I had a picture! But hey, at least I have a new post!

Ingredients

• 3 yellow onions, sliced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/3 tsp each sugar and salt
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 refrigerated pizza crust; I used Pillsbury
• 3/4 cup each shredded Parmesan and Asiago Cheeses
• 3 tbsp of a soft cheese like mascarpone which I'll use next time. I didn't have any so I used Laughing Cow Lowfat Swiss (2 wedges)

Directions

• Caramelize the onions: Melt butter in a saute pan with the olive oil. Add onions and saute on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and sugar, stir, and lower heat to medium/medium low. Continue to stir the onions for about 20 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown color.
• Roll your pizza crust out onto a cookie sheet. I prebaked mine for about 5 minutes.
• Top the pizza crust with the spreadable cheese, then the onions, then some of the shredded cheese, then crumbled bacon, and then finally the rest of the crumbled cheese
• Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the crust is a nice golden brown
• Slice into 2 inch squares and serve

I could go for some of this right now! It was so tasty and I love the mixture of the sweet onions with the flavor of the cheeses and bacon. I was surprised at how well the Laughing Cow cheese worked. It was a great substitute for a "flavorless" spreadable cheese which is what I originally pictured using.

Cilantro-Pepper-Corona Chicken, Oven Fries with Cilantro Cream, and Corn on the Cob

Tonight was one of those nights where I had a few ideas and just starting putting things together as the ideas came to me. I didn't have any recipes, just a bunch of fresh ingredients and some creative ideas on how to pull them all together. The result was a great dinner for a weeknight, and one that will go on my list of things to definitely make again!

Cilantro-Pepper-Corona Chicken




Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken trimmed and cut into cubes
• 1 handful of cilantro, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped into large pieces
• 1 large jalapeno, chopped with seeds
• 1/2 of an onion, chopped into large pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Cumin, chili powder, and salt
• 1/2 cup Corona
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime

Directions

• Mix chicken with the cilantro, spices, and half of the beer. Set in the fridge for about an hour
• Make a foil packet and mix the marinated chicken with the peppers, onion, garlic, lime juice, and the rest of the beer
• Wrap it up and cook it on the grill for about 20 minutes. That's it!!

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Oven Fries with Cilantro Cream

• Chop 1 baking potato into slices
• Toss with olive oil, salt, cumin, and chili powder
• Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through

Cilantro Cream:

• Mix 1/2 cup sour cream with a handful of chopped cilantro. Chill.

The cilantro cream was the perfect dipping sauce for the spicy fries. The cream was even good on the chicken.

Chicken Piccata and Green Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Shallots

I've never made or eaten chicken piccata before! It was one of the dishes we served at our wedding but at that time I was still a vegetarian. I found a recipe by Giada on the food network website and decided to try it tonight. My parents came over for dinner too so it was fun to try out something new.


Chicken Piccata
I followed the recipe as far as what to do, however I never measure anything - I go by how it looks and tastes. I know I used more broth than the recipe called for and the extra sauce was great over rice. Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half (I used 3 breasts)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used a little less)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (ended up being the juice from one lemon)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (I used a whole can - 14.5 oz)
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed (I used a little less)
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  

Directions

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter with 5 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. (the original recipe had me cooking half of the chicken at a time, but my pan was big enough to do all of it at once)
• Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add salt and pepper if needed.
• Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Jon and I really, really liked this so we'll definitely make it again. It was so easy, too! I spent about 15-20 minutes prepping and 15 minutes cooking.

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Green Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Shallots
I found a recipe for green beans on allrecipes.com. My only change was to use 3 slices of chopped bacon instead of pancetta. They were very yummy...bacon fat makes everything better!

Ingredients

• 1 1/5 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
• 3 oz coarsely chopped pancetta (I used 3 slices of chopped bacon)
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper (I didn't use any - it didn't need it at all)

Directions

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and boil 3 to 4 minutes until just tender. Drain beans and immediately plunge into ice water. Allow to sit in ice water until cold, then drain well, and set aside.
• Cook pancetta (bacon) in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, then set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium, stir shallots into the pancetta (bacon) fat, and cook gently until the shallots have turned dark golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Place pancetta (bacon) and green beans in skillet; toss and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. (I didn't do this)

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This whole dinner was so good but also so easy. I'm looking forward to making the chicken again. I'll make the beans again too, but not anytime soon because they aren't exactly the healthiest way to eat green beans!!

Baked Catfish with Mashed Cauliflower, Garlic Sauteed Artichokes, Roasted Asparagus...and Some Baked Tofu

I don't like seafood. I've tried every different type there is - all different types of fish, crab, shrimp, scallops, lobster. You name it, I've tried it, and I haven't liked any of it. It's not that they are fishy, but they all have a distinct seafood taste that I just don't like. However Jon was in the mood for fish and he thought I might like catfish since it is a fresh water fish. I agreed to try it. Just in case I didn't like it, I made some baked tofu for myself (that's why I have a vegetarian tag on this post).

Catfish
I got 2 small catfish filets. Jon made a breading mixture from breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. We dipped each on in egg, breadcrumbs, then baked for about 15 minutes.

Surprisingly, I ate it. It was very mild and not too flaky, but still light, and didn't have that seafood flavor most other fishes do. Jon really liked it, so I think this is something we could make again.

Mashed Cauliflower
I've always wanted to try this and was very happy with the results!

- Steam 1 head of chopped cauliflower in water for about 20 minutes, or until very tender
- Drain and press all water out. You want to be sure there isn't any extra water.
- In a large pot or bowl, add 2 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup heavy cream (I'm sure you could use light as well). I also added salt.
- Using a hand mixer, food processor, or blender, mash the cauliflower to your desired consistency.
- Jon topped it with some parsley. I wish I would have remembered that I had chives in the fridge - they would have been perfect on top.

Garlic Sauteed Artichokes
I love artichoke dip but wanted to branch out a bit with how I eat artichokes. Unfortunately this didn't do it for either of us. Even after 40 minutes of steaming, they were still a little chewy in the middle. Here is the recipe I used. I had to use more water than this recipe called for.

Baked Tofu
I love tofu any way that you can cook it. Tonight I sliced one piece of tofu off the block and pressed it for a few hours (wrap in paper towels, put on a plate with something heavy on top to press all of the water out). Then I breaded it just like we did the fish and baked it for 10-15 minutes. I topped it with some of my tomato bruschetta topping.

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Except for the cream cheese and heavy cream, this was the healthiest meal I think I've ever posted in my blog! The best part about tonight is that we were in the kitchen together - another Saturday night date night in our own kitchen. I'm really starting to prefer these nights over nights out at fancy restaurants!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak with Roasted Veggies and Rice

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak with Roasted Veggies and Rice

We had some flank steak in the freezer leftover from when we made the bracciole. Jon made up another great marinade today.

The Marinade -
- a little bit of soy
- about 1/4 cup teriyaki
- a little bit of sesame oil
- a few cloves of garlic
- onion powder
- wasabi powder
- dried cilantro
- red pepper flakes
- just a touch of celery salt

The marinade was a bit sweet so it caramelized when Jon grilled it. And yes, he made perfect grill marks again. I'd definitely use this marinade again.

Veggies - tonight I did roasted broccoli and red peppers. I tossed fresh broccoli with olive oil, a few cloves of chopped garlic, a tiny bit of chopped onion, and soy sauce. I roasted it on 375 for about 10 minutes and then I added some sliced red pepper and roasted it for another 5 minutes. The flavor was perfect with the steak marinade.

White rice finished out the meal. It could have used some sort of sauce. If we cooked the steak in the house I would have deglazed the pan to make a sauce, but I couldn't think of what to do since we were grilling (and I was starving and just wanted to eat). Any ideas?

Next time I'll also make some edamame to go along with it.

Tonight's Wine - A 2003 Flora Springs Trilogy

This wine was on sale for $29 from $60. We enjoyed it, but both agree that it was not a $29, yet alone a $60, bottle. I'd pay $15-$18 for this one. It was surprisingly light, bigger than a pinot noir, not overwhelming, and had a fair amount of crust or sediment. I'd recommend it, but only if

it was in a lower price range.