My New Toy

I can't wait to make many delicious meals in this baby!

Chicken Enchilada Verdes

Lime Shrimp Tortillas...Chicken Enchiladas Verdes, can we say that I am on a Mexican food kick this week? I watched one of my favorite cooking shows, America's Test Kitchen , the other night and they made these yummy enchiladas that I just could not resist. So, I decided to make them for  a weekend lunch and have a couple of friends over. They weren't exactly the fastest dish to make but let me tell you, these were amazing! These were much better than traditional enchiladas with red sauce. They were a perfect combination of tanginess, sweetness, and heat and the chicken was delicious and tender. I cant wait to make these again!

Chicken Enchilada Verdes
Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen 

4	teaspoons vegetable oil
1	medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2	cups low sodium chicken broth
2-3	boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2	pounds tomatillos (16 to 20 medium), husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried  (canned is a fine substitute)
3	medium poblano chiles , halved lengthwise, stemmed, and seeded (see note)
1 - 2 1/2	teaspoons sugar
	ground black pepper  table salt
1/2	cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8	ounces Pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (2 cups) ( I used pepper jack)
12	(6-inch) corn tortillas 1. Adjust oven racks to middle and highest positions and heat broiler. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering; add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Decrease heat to low and stir in broth. Add chicken , cover, and simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken  to large bowl; place in refrigerator to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup liquid from saucepan and set aside; discard remaining liquid. 2. Meanwhile, toss tomatillos and poblanos with remaining 2 teaspoons oil; arrange on rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, with poblanos skin-side up. Broil until vegetables blacken and start to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Cool 10 minutes, then remove skin from poblanos (leave tomatillo skins intact). Transfer tomatillos and chiles to food processor. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees. Discard foil from baking sheet and set baking sheet aside for warming tortillas. 3. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining teaspoon garlic, and reserved cooking liquid to food processor; process until sauce is somewhat chunky, about eight 1-second pulses. Taste sauce; season with salt and pepper and adjust tartness by stirring in remaining sugar, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce aside (you should have about 3 cups). 4. When chicken  is cool, pull into shreds using hands or 2 forks, then chop into small bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken with cilantro and 11/2 cups cheese; season with salt. 5. Smear bottom of 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 3/4 cup tomatillo sauce. Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Spray both sides of tortillas lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place warm tortillas on countertop and spread 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place in baking dish, seam-side down. Pour remaining tomatillo sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so that it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and cover baking dish with foil. 6. Bake enchiladas on middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes *top with sour cream and chopped fresh green onions

Lime Shrimp Tortillas

I love the combination of citrus and seafood...especially lime and shrimp. You may notice a trend. I wanted to make something light and quick last night after the gym, so I decided to make shrimp tortillas. I saw the recipe in my Southern Living cookbook but I made a few variations. This recipe is really easy and has a lot of flavor. I will definitely make these again. They will be perfect for a quick weekend lunch. Feel free to add any toppings you like. I added a little guacamole and sour cream to mine.

Lime Shrimp Tortillas

whole wheat tortillas, warmed
12-16 jumbo shrimp
1 tbs olive oil
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice

1-2 palmfuls of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Suggested toppings: light sour cream, guacamole, salsa, fat free cheddar cheese


Boil shrimp in hot water until pink. Sautee the onions and peppers in oil until soft. Add the shrimp and  remaining ingredients to pan and coat nicely. Spoon ingredients into the warm tortillas and top with any toppings you like!

Updates Coming Soon!

I am so sorry I have been away for so long! I certainly have not been away from the kitchen. I will update with a few dishes that I want to share with you all very soon. Happy Holidays!

Texas Chili

I found this recipe in the October 09 edition of Martha Stewart Living and I have been dying to make it. I decided there was no better way to welcome November and the upcoming chilly weather than with a bowl of homemade chili. I guess I should start by saying that I love chili but have never attempted to make it. This recipe was delicious and the beef was so tender.  It's a bit time consuming with all the chopping, soaking and seeding, but the results are definitely worth all of the hard work. Not to mention, we now have enough leftovers for the next few days. Christian and I both agreed that this will be made again. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:
Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living


8 whole dried chilis (5 ancho and 3 guajillo , or all ancho)
3 tablespoons of safflower oil, eyeball ( I used olive oil)
3 lbs trimmed beef chuck, cut into cubes, 1/2 inch or smaller
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
7-8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin ( i used quite a bit)
1 1/2 dried oregano (i used quite a bit)
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, pureed with their juice (i used crushed)
4 cups of water
water for soaking chilis
2-3 teaspoons of white vinegar
coarse salt and pepper to taste
(i served over rice but this is optional)

Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and blistered, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove stem and seeds; discard. Transfer chiles to a large measuring cup or bowl, and cover with hot water. Keep chiles submerged with a small bowl, and let soak for 30 minutes. Remove from water, and puree in a blender with 1/2 cup soaking liquid.

Heat a large heavy pot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Season beef with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brown beef in batches, adding more oil as needed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.Add remaining tablespoon oil, the onions, garlic, and minced chiles to pot, and cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the pan gets too dark, add a little water, and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze.) Add cumin and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  (forgot to take picture of beef)

                               

Stir in browned beef and chile puree. Add tomato puree, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is very tender and juices are thick, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Check pot once an hour for excessive evaporation; if chili seems dry, add a little water.) Season chili with salt, and stir in vinegar. 

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

I was determined to make this recipe for two reasons. 1) I wanted a stuffed pepper because I had not had one in forever 2) I have been lazy bones lately and decided to stick these puppies in a crockpot to experiment. Christian told me it wouldn't work. He was halfway correct. These turned out pretty mushy BUT very very tasty. Christian had 2 so they must have been somewhat sucessful!  I cooked these on low for about 7 hours. The peppers had a nice roasted flavor and the stuffing was absolutely delicious. I would maybe cut the rice/turkey amount in half next time because I had a ton of leftover stuffing that I just ended up baking and making a hash. That ended up being pretty delicious on its own but I prefer it stuffed in a pepper. With all of this said, I will definitely make these again...just in the oven.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice ( i cooked mine in 2 cups of chicken stock)

1 lb ground turkey

1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon of ketchup

1 can of fire roasted tomatoes ( i used fire roasted with chipotle peppers)

pepper to taste

1/3 cup of chicken stock

Wash and clean peppers removing seeds and ribs of peppers. Reserve pepper tops. Mix all ingredients together except for peppers and chicken stock. Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the crockpot and place peppers in crockpot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 2.5 hours on high.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend I attended a bake swap and I decided I wanted to make something festive. It was such a fun event and I came home with tons of yummy and creative treats. My cookies weren't that creative but they sure were delicious! They were a hit at the event and I even saved a few for the apartment to munch on here and there. I have to say, I completely understand the demand for slice and bake cookies. By the end of my preperation I had a flour covered kitchen and a tired arm from all of the mixing with the hand mixer.

Pumpkin Cholocate Chip Cookies:
Courtesy of foodnetwork.com

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips (not semi sweet)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.


Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.