I love Mexican food. If you do, too, then you're sure to find something is today's six recipes (including Mexican Chicken Orzo Bake and Dulce de Leche Banana Pie) to dig into. Enjoy!
CHIPOTLE ASPARAGUS QUESADILLAS
This comes from the April/May 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 34. It begins, “Canned chipotles in adobo sauce lend mellow, smoky heat to quesadillas. Leftover chipotles (there are usually four or five in a can) can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for future use.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Quesadillas
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 8-inch sprouted-grain tortillas
Chipotle Spread
3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
2 tsp. minced, drained chipotles in adobo sauce
1 Tbs. lime or lemon juice
Preheat oven to 425°F.
To make Quesadillas: Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, onion, oil, and oregano in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread on large baking sheet, and roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring once or twice.
Meanwhile, to make Chipotle Spread: blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.
Spread 1 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Spread on one side of each tortilla, spreading all the way out to edges. Top with 2/3 cup filling on one half of each tortilla, then fold over tortillas, pressing edges together to enclose filling and form half-moons.
Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.
nutritional information Per Quesadilla: Calories: 273; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 235 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan
MEXICAN CHICKEN ORZO BAKE
This is from tbsp., and begins, “This riff on arroz con pollo uses rice-shaped orzo pasta and easy boneless skinless chicken thighs for a flavorful dinner that’s sure to please kids and adults alike.”
Prep: 30 minutes; Total: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 6
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/2 lb uncooked orzo or rosamarina pasta (1 1/3 cups)
1/2 cup Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced white onion
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix
1 package (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese (purchase later if freezing orzo bake for a later date)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (purchase later if freezing orzo bake for a later date)
Directions
Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 quarts water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta; reduce heat to simmering. Cook 4 minutes; drain. Return to saucepan; stir in broth and chili powder. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño chile and salt; cook 6 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown on edges. Add tomatoes; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir into saucepan with pasta mixture; pour into baking dish.
In medium bowl, mix vegetable oil and taco seasoning mix; add chicken thighs, and toss to coat. Place chicken on top of pasta mixture in dish; cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F when instant-read thermometer is inserted into center of thigh, OR freeze and bake later as directed in step 5. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with queso fresco and cilantro.
If making ahead to bake and serve at a later date: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to completely enclose assembled casserole. Spread pasta mixture in large shallow pan; cool mixture completely, covered, 30 to 45 minutes in refrigerator before assembling casserole. Assemble casserole in dish; cover with another layer of plastic wrap. Freeze unbaked casserole about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen casserole to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months. To bake: Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Remove plastic wrap from casserole; place in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil; thaw completely in refrigerator, 24 to 48 hours. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake, covered, 55 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly on edges (165°F in center). Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Top with queso fresco and cilantro.
EASY SKILLET CHIALQUILES
This is from tbsp.com, and begins, “Your cast-iron skillet isn’t just for fried chicken and cornbread — these quick and easy chilaquiles are right at home there, too!”
Prep; 35 minutes; Total: 35 minutes; Servings: 4
View this online here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 6-oz can)
2 cups coarsely crushed Food Should Taste Good™ tortilla chips
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese (2 oz)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
In 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, salt, cumin and coriander; cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened. Stir in tomatoes, chicken and chipotles; heat to simmering. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes to combine flavors.
Stir in tortilla chips; top with cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This yummy recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, “A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling.”
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; 8 Servings; 10 Ingredients
To view this yumminess, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Dulce de leche is a traditional Spanish confection made from milk. It's a popular culinary reference to rich caramel flavors. Look for canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of the supermarket.
MEXICAN LASAGNA
This comes from Rachael Ray, star of The Food Network show 30 Minute Meals.
Total: 30 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 20 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.
Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.
Showing posts with label Chicken Enchiladas With Salsa Verde. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken Enchiladas With Salsa Verde. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Wednesday Recipes
Today's recipes include Deep-Dish Apple Pie and Grilled Chicken. Enjoy!
VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking email. Alison wrote, “This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
For the Tortillas and Assembly:
2 cups vegetable oil
8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Kosher salt
1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack
3/4 cup sour cream or crema
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 red or yellow onion, finely chopped
Lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.
Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.
GRILLED CHICKEN
This is from Ree Drummond of The Food Network show The Pioneer Woman.
Total: 24 hr 15 min; Active: 15 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
Olive oil
Juice of 4 lemons
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
A dash of salt
4 whole chicken breasts
Directions
Mix together some olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey and a dash of salt. Pound the chicken breasts until they are uniform thickness, then marinate them for about 24 hours in the fridge.
Grill 'em up ... they should take 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through ... turn them halfway through so they cook evenly on both sides, then set 'em aside and keep 'em warm.
COCONUT RICE
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Coconut milk lends rice both fat and sweetness, making it a richer, more mellow side than plain rice. To make it, simply replace half of the cooking water with coconut milk. It becomes a meal if you serve it with a fried egg, finely sliced pickled chiles with a little of their pickling liquid and some crushed peanuts. And if you wanted to turn it into dessert, serving it with ripe fruit like cut mango on top, you could stick to the recipe below, but bump the sugar up to 2 tablespoons.”
Yield: 3 to 4 servings; Time: 35 minutes
To view this recipe online, click here.
LEARN: How to Make Rice
Ingredients
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as jasmine
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3/4 cup water
Preparation
Rinse the rice a few times, until the water that drains away runs almost completely clear.
Put in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with coconut milk, water, sugar and salt. When the liquid comes up to a boil, give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Mix gently with a flexible rubber spatula. Taste, season with salt and serve.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE
This comes Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “If you’re going to the trouble of making a pie, why not make it a blockbuster? This pie, adapted from the professional pie coach Kate McDermott, is both deeper and wider than the traditional nine-inch version. The thicker rim is especially satisfying, like a buttery, crumbly slab of shortbread. You can use a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan, or a deep nine- or 10-inch square, or another 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish of your choice. A mix of apple types always makes the best filling.”
Yield: 12 to 16 servings; Time: 2 hours, plus chilling and cooling
This was featured in “An apple Pie That Lasts For Days” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting surfaces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces cold unsalted butter (3 sticks), cut into large dice
For the Filling:
About 10 cups peeled and sliced apples, more as needed (see note)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons Calvados or other apple liqueur, brandy or cider
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
2 teaspoons coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling
Preparation
Make the crust: In a food processor or stand mixer, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse (or mix at medium-low speed) until the pieces are coated with flour. Add 1/2 cup ice water and mix until incorporated. Keep dribbling in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together into a lump. It should be moist, but not sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If dough feels wet, use a little extra flour.) Press the dough together, turning over a few times, until smooth and solid.
Shape into 2 disks, using about 1/3 of the dough for the top crust and the remaining 2/3 for the bottom crust. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
On a lightly floured surface or nonstick baking mat, roll out the larger disk to about 1/4-inch thickness. The size and shape will depend on your dish. Use the crust to line a large 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, like a 10-inch round or 9-inch square, at least 2 inches deep. Refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice or vinegar, 1 tablespoon Calvados and flour. Toss together until the apples are roughly coated with what looks like wet sand. If filling is dry, add the remaining tablespoon of Calvados. Pour into the pie crust, mounding above the rim, and dot with butter. (If necessary, add more apple pieces to the top. Don't worry about mixing them in.)
Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness (or a bit less) and lay it gently over the fruit. Trim any excess and fold the edges into a thick rim. Crimp, if desired.
Whisk the egg thoroughly with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush over the entire top crust, including the edges. Cut 5 or 6 vents on top. Refrigerate pie while the oven heats.
Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Place pie on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake another 25 minutes.
Open the oven and carefully sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the pie. Bake about 10 minutes longer. Look for steam and bubbling juices coming out of the vents, and a well-browned crust, before removing the pie from the oven.
Let cool at least 1 hour before serving.
Tip
A mix of sweet and tart, crisp and soft apples produces the best filling. If using mainly firm apples (like Honeycrisp, Gala, Cameo or Golden Delicious), try to add a few that will soften and become jammy (like Idared, McIntosh or Cortland).
EAT-YOUR-VEGGIES MEDITERRANEAN MEATBALLS
This comes from the Food Network, and begins, “These meatballs have a secret -- they're packed with spinach. Veggie-shy kids (and adults) won't even notice since they are happily tucked into a warm pita with lettuce and tomato and drizzled with tangy dill yogurt sauce.”
Total: 45 min; Active: 30 min; Yield: 6 servings (half a sandwich per person); Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheet
2 cups frozen spinach (from a 10-ounce package)
1 pound 80 percent ground turkey
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
3 pitas with pockets, cut in half and warmed
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with cooking spray.
Cook the spinach in a large bowl in the microwave according to the package instructions. Let cool slightly.
Add the turkey, breadcrumbs, cumin, garlic, carrot, egg, 1 tablespoon of the dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined. Scoop mounds of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, roll the mounds into balls and space them evenly apart on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice and remaining dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve 3 meatballs in each pita half. Pack in shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce.
VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking email. Alison wrote, “This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
For the Tortillas and Assembly:
2 cups vegetable oil
8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Kosher salt
1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack
3/4 cup sour cream or crema
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 red or yellow onion, finely chopped
Lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.
Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.
GRILLED CHICKEN
This is from Ree Drummond of The Food Network show The Pioneer Woman.
Total: 24 hr 15 min; Active: 15 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
Olive oil
Juice of 4 lemons
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
A dash of salt
4 whole chicken breasts
Directions
Mix together some olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey and a dash of salt. Pound the chicken breasts until they are uniform thickness, then marinate them for about 24 hours in the fridge.
Grill 'em up ... they should take 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through ... turn them halfway through so they cook evenly on both sides, then set 'em aside and keep 'em warm.
COCONUT RICE
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Coconut milk lends rice both fat and sweetness, making it a richer, more mellow side than plain rice. To make it, simply replace half of the cooking water with coconut milk. It becomes a meal if you serve it with a fried egg, finely sliced pickled chiles with a little of their pickling liquid and some crushed peanuts. And if you wanted to turn it into dessert, serving it with ripe fruit like cut mango on top, you could stick to the recipe below, but bump the sugar up to 2 tablespoons.”
Yield: 3 to 4 servings; Time: 35 minutes
To view this recipe online, click here.
LEARN: How to Make Rice
Ingredients
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as jasmine
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3/4 cup water
Preparation
Rinse the rice a few times, until the water that drains away runs almost completely clear.
Put in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with coconut milk, water, sugar and salt. When the liquid comes up to a boil, give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Mix gently with a flexible rubber spatula. Taste, season with salt and serve.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE
This comes Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “If you’re going to the trouble of making a pie, why not make it a blockbuster? This pie, adapted from the professional pie coach Kate McDermott, is both deeper and wider than the traditional nine-inch version. The thicker rim is especially satisfying, like a buttery, crumbly slab of shortbread. You can use a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan, or a deep nine- or 10-inch square, or another 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish of your choice. A mix of apple types always makes the best filling.”
Yield: 12 to 16 servings; Time: 2 hours, plus chilling and cooling
This was featured in “An apple Pie That Lasts For Days” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting surfaces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces cold unsalted butter (3 sticks), cut into large dice
For the Filling:
About 10 cups peeled and sliced apples, more as needed (see note)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons Calvados or other apple liqueur, brandy or cider
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
2 teaspoons coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling
Preparation
Make the crust: In a food processor or stand mixer, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse (or mix at medium-low speed) until the pieces are coated with flour. Add 1/2 cup ice water and mix until incorporated. Keep dribbling in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together into a lump. It should be moist, but not sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If dough feels wet, use a little extra flour.) Press the dough together, turning over a few times, until smooth and solid.
Shape into 2 disks, using about 1/3 of the dough for the top crust and the remaining 2/3 for the bottom crust. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
On a lightly floured surface or nonstick baking mat, roll out the larger disk to about 1/4-inch thickness. The size and shape will depend on your dish. Use the crust to line a large 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, like a 10-inch round or 9-inch square, at least 2 inches deep. Refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice or vinegar, 1 tablespoon Calvados and flour. Toss together until the apples are roughly coated with what looks like wet sand. If filling is dry, add the remaining tablespoon of Calvados. Pour into the pie crust, mounding above the rim, and dot with butter. (If necessary, add more apple pieces to the top. Don't worry about mixing them in.)
Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness (or a bit less) and lay it gently over the fruit. Trim any excess and fold the edges into a thick rim. Crimp, if desired.
Whisk the egg thoroughly with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush over the entire top crust, including the edges. Cut 5 or 6 vents on top. Refrigerate pie while the oven heats.
Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Place pie on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake another 25 minutes.
Open the oven and carefully sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the pie. Bake about 10 minutes longer. Look for steam and bubbling juices coming out of the vents, and a well-browned crust, before removing the pie from the oven.
Let cool at least 1 hour before serving.
Tip
A mix of sweet and tart, crisp and soft apples produces the best filling. If using mainly firm apples (like Honeycrisp, Gala, Cameo or Golden Delicious), try to add a few that will soften and become jammy (like Idared, McIntosh or Cortland).
EAT-YOUR-VEGGIES MEDITERRANEAN MEATBALLS
This comes from the Food Network, and begins, “These meatballs have a secret -- they're packed with spinach. Veggie-shy kids (and adults) won't even notice since they are happily tucked into a warm pita with lettuce and tomato and drizzled with tangy dill yogurt sauce.”
Total: 45 min; Active: 30 min; Yield: 6 servings (half a sandwich per person); Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheet
2 cups frozen spinach (from a 10-ounce package)
1 pound 80 percent ground turkey
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
3 pitas with pockets, cut in half and warmed
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with cooking spray.
Cook the spinach in a large bowl in the microwave according to the package instructions. Let cool slightly.
Add the turkey, breadcrumbs, cumin, garlic, carrot, egg, 1 tablespoon of the dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined. Scoop mounds of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, roll the mounds into balls and space them evenly apart on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice and remaining dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve 3 meatballs in each pita half. Pack in shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce.
Friday, March 23, 2018
Friday Recipes
It's finally Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Red Velvet Cheesecake. Enjoy!
OLD-FASHIONED MEAT LOAF
A.K.A. ‘BASIC’ MEAT LOAF
This is from Paula Deen on The Food Network website.
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Active Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.
Topping:
Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.
VEGETABLE-CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Recipe Yield: Servings: 6 (Serving = 1-1/2 cup)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
6 cups 1/3-less-salt chicken broth, divided
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (white part only)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup peeled and chopped turnip
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces uncooked "no-yolk" broad noodles
1 cup diced cooked chicken
Directions
Place 1/3 cup chicken broth, celery, leek, carrot and turnip in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in remaining 5 -2/3 cups chicken broth, parsley, thyme, rosemary, vinegar and black pepper. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender; stir in chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until heated through.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 98; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 73 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1 Lean Meat, 1/2 Vegetable
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
RED VELVET CHEESECAKE
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Total: 2 hr; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 40 min; Yield: 10 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 28 cookies)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
For the filling:
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Transfer 2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour the red batter into the crust, then pour the white batter on top. Using a spoon, pull some of the red batter up from the bottom of the cake and swirl. Bake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven but keep the cake inside to cool, 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan (don't remove the springform side), then transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing.
RAO’S MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE
This comes from Adam Nagourney in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Adam wrote, “This is one of the signature dishes at Rao’s, the East Harlem red-sauce joint that is best-known for a loyal, boldface-name clientele that makes it difficult to get a table. The restaurant now has satellites in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: About 1 1/2 hours
This was featured in “At Rao’s In Los Angeles, Red Sauce And Rivalry”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 28-ounce cans imported Italian crushed tomatoes
6 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground lean beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, lightly smashed
Preparation
Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.
Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.
THE CAKE
This recipe was given to my mom by a friend, who worked as a lawyer for years. She was married to an Episcopal priest; both were involved in the civil rights movement.
This can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 package (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 egg, unbeaten
3/4 C oil
1 package (small) vanilla pudding
3/4 C sherry
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Put ingredients in bowl. Beat for 5 minutes. Pour into greased tube cake pan or mold. Bake for 45 minutes.
OLD-FASHIONED MEAT LOAF
A.K.A. ‘BASIC’ MEAT LOAF
This is from Paula Deen on The Food Network website.
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Active Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.
Topping:
Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.
VEGETABLE-CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Recipe Yield: Servings: 6 (Serving = 1-1/2 cup)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
6 cups 1/3-less-salt chicken broth, divided
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (white part only)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup peeled and chopped turnip
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces uncooked "no-yolk" broad noodles
1 cup diced cooked chicken
Directions
Place 1/3 cup chicken broth, celery, leek, carrot and turnip in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in remaining 5 -2/3 cups chicken broth, parsley, thyme, rosemary, vinegar and black pepper. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender; stir in chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until heated through.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 98; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 73 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1 Lean Meat, 1/2 Vegetable
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
RED VELVET CHEESECAKE
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Total: 2 hr; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 40 min; Yield: 10 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 28 cookies)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
For the filling:
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Transfer 2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour the red batter into the crust, then pour the white batter on top. Using a spoon, pull some of the red batter up from the bottom of the cake and swirl. Bake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven but keep the cake inside to cool, 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan (don't remove the springform side), then transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing.
RAO’S MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE
This comes from Adam Nagourney in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Adam wrote, “This is one of the signature dishes at Rao’s, the East Harlem red-sauce joint that is best-known for a loyal, boldface-name clientele that makes it difficult to get a table. The restaurant now has satellites in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: About 1 1/2 hours
This was featured in “At Rao’s In Los Angeles, Red Sauce And Rivalry”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 28-ounce cans imported Italian crushed tomatoes
6 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground lean beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, lightly smashed
Preparation
Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.
Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.
THE CAKE
This recipe was given to my mom by a friend, who worked as a lawyer for years. She was married to an Episcopal priest; both were involved in the civil rights movement.
This can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 package (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 egg, unbeaten
3/4 C oil
1 package (small) vanilla pudding
3/4 C sherry
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Put ingredients in bowl. Beat for 5 minutes. Pour into greased tube cake pan or mold. Bake for 45 minutes.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Mexican Recipes - Double-Post Thursday
Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Today's post has six yummy Mexican recipes, including Enchiladas Con Carne and Apple-Chicken Quesadillas. Enjoy!
ENCHILADAS CON CARNE
O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.
(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.
Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili Con Carne:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.
Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.
Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.
Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.
When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.
WARM MOLE BEAN DIP
Yield: Makes 8 servings.
View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/706.shtml
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup mild, medium or hot chunky salsa
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
3/4 cup (3 ounces), shredded, reduced-fat Jack cheese
One (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
In a food processor, whirl beans until pureed but still slightly lumpy. Scoop beans into a mixing bowl and set aside.
In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and jalapeno until onion is soft, 5 minutes.
Add chili powder, cocoa, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Mix in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add contents of the pan to the pureed beans.
Add tomato, salsa, cilantro and salt, to beans and mix to combine all ingredients. Spread bean mixture in an even layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and beans are heated through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately, accompanied by a bowl of baked tortilla chips.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 100; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 3.5 g; Sodium: 370 mg; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
FREEZER CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
This recipe is from Chungah on her wonderful cooking site, Damn Delicious®. I love looking through her site, and I’m sure you will, too. Go ahead and check it out; I’ll wait.
This recipe begins, “Simply assemble your enchiladas ahead of time and freeze. IT GOES STRAIGHT FROM FREEZER TO OVEN! No dishes required!”
Yield: 4 servings; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes
To view this online on Damn Delicious, go to http://damndelicious.net/2017/08/27/freezer-chicken-enchiladas/.
Ingredients:
2 cups leftover diced rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, cilantro and diced green chiles.
To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and set aside, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce onto the bottom of 4 5″ foil disposable aluminum pans. Add 3 enchiladas per pan; top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.*
Place into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly.
Serve immediately.
*MAKE-AHEAD: Cover enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 25-30 minutes.
*TO FREEZE: Cover enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
ZUCCHINI ENCHILADAS
This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “No tortillas? No problem. Take advantage of summer's squash bounty and wrap your enchilada filling up in zucchini.”
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min; Active Time: 35 min; Yield: 4 servings (3 enchiladas per person); Level: Easy
To view this line, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin discarded)1 1/2 cups salsa (not chunky)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 to 4 medium zucchini
Several dashes chipotle hot sauce, plus more for serving, optional
2 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the chili powder and cook, stirring, until the scallions are coated and the oil is brick red, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Set aside.
Halve the zucchini lengthwise and arrange cut-side down on a work surface. Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to shave off ribbons the entire length of each zucchini and as wide as possible (the first few may be too skinny). Make 36 zucchini ribbons total.
Lay out 3 ribbons, slightly overlapping to make a rectangle (think of this as your "tortilla"). Pile about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down along one of the short ends of the zucchini tortilla and then roll up to enclose the filling. Put in a 2- to 3-quart baking dish. Roll up the remaining zucchini ribbons and filling and arrange in the dish. Top the rolls with the remaining 1 cup salsa. Add several dashes of the hot sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Thin the sour cream out with a little water and drizzle over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens and serve with more hot sauce if you'd like.
APPLE-CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
This recipe begins, “You may be surprised at the idea of combining chicken and apples inside a crispy tortilla, but the taste will amaze you.”
This is from Diabetic Connect.
Click here to view this online.
Ingredients
2 medium tart apples, sliced
1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 low-carb tortillas, fajita-sized, warmed
3/4 cup shredded lettuce
3/4 cup salsa
6 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place about 3/4 cup on half of each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling and secure with toothpicks.
Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Carefully turn quesadillas over; bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Discard toothpicks. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve with lettuce, salsa, and sour cream.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 12; Calories – 121; Total Fat – 5 g; Saturated Fat – 3 g; Sodium – 196 mg; Carbohydrates – 13 g; Fiber – 2 g; Sugars – 4 g; Protein – 7 g
ENCHILADAS CON CARNE
O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.
(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.
Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili Con Carne:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.
Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.
Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.
Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.
When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.
WARM MOLE BEAN DIP
Yield: Makes 8 servings.
View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/706.shtml
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup mild, medium or hot chunky salsa
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
3/4 cup (3 ounces), shredded, reduced-fat Jack cheese
One (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
In a food processor, whirl beans until pureed but still slightly lumpy. Scoop beans into a mixing bowl and set aside.
In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and jalapeno until onion is soft, 5 minutes.
Add chili powder, cocoa, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Mix in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add contents of the pan to the pureed beans.
Add tomato, salsa, cilantro and salt, to beans and mix to combine all ingredients. Spread bean mixture in an even layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and beans are heated through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately, accompanied by a bowl of baked tortilla chips.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 100; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 3.5 g; Sodium: 370 mg; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
FREEZER CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
This recipe is from Chungah on her wonderful cooking site, Damn Delicious®. I love looking through her site, and I’m sure you will, too. Go ahead and check it out; I’ll wait.
This recipe begins, “Simply assemble your enchiladas ahead of time and freeze. IT GOES STRAIGHT FROM FREEZER TO OVEN! No dishes required!”
Yield: 4 servings; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes
To view this online on Damn Delicious, go to http://damndelicious.net/2017/08/27/freezer-chicken-enchiladas/.
Ingredients:
2 cups leftover diced rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, cilantro and diced green chiles.
To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and set aside, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce onto the bottom of 4 5″ foil disposable aluminum pans. Add 3 enchiladas per pan; top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.*
Place into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly.
Serve immediately.
*MAKE-AHEAD: Cover enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 25-30 minutes.
*TO FREEZE: Cover enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
ZUCCHINI ENCHILADAS
This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “No tortillas? No problem. Take advantage of summer's squash bounty and wrap your enchilada filling up in zucchini.”
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min; Active Time: 35 min; Yield: 4 servings (3 enchiladas per person); Level: Easy
To view this line, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin discarded)1 1/2 cups salsa (not chunky)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 to 4 medium zucchini
Several dashes chipotle hot sauce, plus more for serving, optional
2 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the chili powder and cook, stirring, until the scallions are coated and the oil is brick red, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Set aside.
Halve the zucchini lengthwise and arrange cut-side down on a work surface. Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to shave off ribbons the entire length of each zucchini and as wide as possible (the first few may be too skinny). Make 36 zucchini ribbons total.
Lay out 3 ribbons, slightly overlapping to make a rectangle (think of this as your "tortilla"). Pile about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down along one of the short ends of the zucchini tortilla and then roll up to enclose the filling. Put in a 2- to 3-quart baking dish. Roll up the remaining zucchini ribbons and filling and arrange in the dish. Top the rolls with the remaining 1 cup salsa. Add several dashes of the hot sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Thin the sour cream out with a little water and drizzle over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens and serve with more hot sauce if you'd like.
APPLE-CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
This recipe begins, “You may be surprised at the idea of combining chicken and apples inside a crispy tortilla, but the taste will amaze you.”
This is from Diabetic Connect.
Click here to view this online.
Ingredients
2 medium tart apples, sliced
1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 low-carb tortillas, fajita-sized, warmed
3/4 cup shredded lettuce
3/4 cup salsa
6 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place about 3/4 cup on half of each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling and secure with toothpicks.
Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Carefully turn quesadillas over; bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Discard toothpicks. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve with lettuce, salsa, and sour cream.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 12; Calories – 121; Total Fat – 5 g; Saturated Fat – 3 g; Sodium – 196 mg; Carbohydrates – 13 g; Fiber – 2 g; Sugars – 4 g; Protein – 7 g
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Double-Post Thursday
Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Crockpot Maple BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Enchiladas Con Carne. Enjoy!
HUMMUS
Several years ago, one of my sons had a medical incident that convinced him (and the rest of the family) that maybe it would be best to really eat healthy. Isn't that how it goes, though? Most of us need something to smack us up side the head to get our attention.
Years ago, I found an online bunch of vegetarian recipes, called Healthy Heart Handbook. This recipe, as well as the next two (Potato Pearls and Kool Kim Chee) are from the Healthy Heart Handbook.
This recipe begins, “A Mediterranean spread for dips, sandwiches & hors d'oevres.”
4 C (or 2 cans) cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 C fat-free no-egg mayonnaise (see note)
1/2 t ground cumin
juice of one lemon
2 t Dijon mustard
The following are optional and reflect the various preferences of different Mediterranean cultures. Add any or all to your taste:
1/8 C fresh parsley or cilantro
2 T sweet pickle relish
2 green onions
cayenne pepper or hot sauce
pinch of salt (omit for sodium restricted diets)
Drain and reserve liquid from canned beans, if used, and mix in a blender or food processor, adding reserved liquid or water to the desired consistency, a little thinner than peanut butter. Flavor improves if refrigerated in a closed container for a few hours or overnight. Makes about 4 cups.
8 servings, each 195 calories: 10% from fat (2.5 g), 69% from carbohydrates (34.2 g), 21% from protein (10.4 g). Sodium 154 mg, Fiber 0.1 g.
Healing Heart Hint:
Hummus is traditionally made with tahini (sesame seed paste), which is very high fat. For a hummus closest to traditional, a few drops of dark sesame oil or a 1/4 t of tahini can be added, although this will raise the fat content slightly.
If using canned beans, be sure to use the ones with no salt added.
Note: My favorite is Nayonnaise brand. This, as well as other vegetarian mayo substitutes can be found in health food stores. The taste is a little different, so my advice is to buy the smallest jar until you find one that you like.
POTATO PEARLS
These tasty appetizers can be prepared in advance, frozen, and baked later
1 pound potatoes
1/2 C chives or green onions, finely chopped
1/2 C wheat germ
1/2 t paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cover potatoes with water and boil until soft. Peel and mash, adding onions, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls. Mix the paprika and wheat germ together in a dish and roll potato balls in mixture until coated. Coat baking sheet with 1 second of a non-stick spray and spread with a paper towel. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve hot, a toothpick in each.
10 servings, each: Calories 54, Fat: 0.64 g, Carbohydrate 10.02 g, Protein 2.46 g (18%)
Healing Heart Hint:
Many foods that were formerly fried can be baked or broiled. Vegetables can be coated with a savory coating and heated till golden brown. For an easy shake-bake coating mix 1/2 C corn flakes. finely crumbled, 1 t light seasoned salt, 1/2 t each: paprika, sage, onion powder, 1/4 t each: garlic powder, thyme, pepper. The foods to be coated can be moistened or dipped a mixture of 4 T EnerG egg replacer and 8 T water, beaten to a foam. Bake at 375° F. for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Serve and eat immediately.
KOOL KIM CHEE
Less spicy and lower sodium version of Korean cabbage slaw
6 C Napa or Won Bok (Chinese) cabbage, shredded
1 t salt
3 T ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (see Hint below)
1/2 C cilantro (Chinese parsley), chopped
2 T vinegar
In a large ceramic or plastic bowl, add cabbage and sprinkle on salt, tossing well. Place a weight on the cabbage (a bowl or plate with anything heavy on it) and let sit a half hour. Drain. Add all other ingredients except the vinegar and mix well. Add vinegar and mix thoroughly. Let sit 30 minutes (overnight in refrigerator is better) before serving.
4 servings, each 38.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.2 g), 74% from carbohydrates (8.5 g), 22% from protein (2.5 g). Sodium 138 mg, Fiber 2.8 g.
Healing Heart Hint
Red jalapeno pepper adds color, but green will work as well. Remove stem and seeds before using. If fresh jalapeno is not available, canned will work, or use an Asian hot sauce, starting with 1/2 t and increasing to the hotness you prefer.
When working with hot peppers we recommend wearing rubber gloves and to be careful not to touch near one's eyes.
CROCKPOT MAPLE BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES
This is from the Weight Watchers crockpot email list from several years ago. The plan has changed several times since I got this recipe in that email, but this recipe is still one that's good to try. The recipe had 5 points per serving; 4 servings = 225 calories, 4g fat, 1g fiber.
1/2 C. maple flavored syrup
2 T. prepared mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
4 boneless, skinned chicken breasts
Place all ingredients in crockpot & cook on LOW for about 7 to 8 hours or until chicken is done.
You can either eat the breasts whole or shred them on buns or rice for more points.
ENCHILADAS CON CARNE
O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.
(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.
Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili Con Carne:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.
Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.
Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.
Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.
When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
HUMMUS
Several years ago, one of my sons had a medical incident that convinced him (and the rest of the family) that maybe it would be best to really eat healthy. Isn't that how it goes, though? Most of us need something to smack us up side the head to get our attention.
Years ago, I found an online bunch of vegetarian recipes, called Healthy Heart Handbook. This recipe, as well as the next two (Potato Pearls and Kool Kim Chee) are from the Healthy Heart Handbook.
This recipe begins, “A Mediterranean spread for dips, sandwiches & hors d'oevres.”
4 C (or 2 cans) cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 C fat-free no-egg mayonnaise (see note)
1/2 t ground cumin
juice of one lemon
2 t Dijon mustard
The following are optional and reflect the various preferences of different Mediterranean cultures. Add any or all to your taste:
1/8 C fresh parsley or cilantro
2 T sweet pickle relish
2 green onions
cayenne pepper or hot sauce
pinch of salt (omit for sodium restricted diets)
Drain and reserve liquid from canned beans, if used, and mix in a blender or food processor, adding reserved liquid or water to the desired consistency, a little thinner than peanut butter. Flavor improves if refrigerated in a closed container for a few hours or overnight. Makes about 4 cups.
8 servings, each 195 calories: 10% from fat (2.5 g), 69% from carbohydrates (34.2 g), 21% from protein (10.4 g). Sodium 154 mg, Fiber 0.1 g.
Healing Heart Hint:
Hummus is traditionally made with tahini (sesame seed paste), which is very high fat. For a hummus closest to traditional, a few drops of dark sesame oil or a 1/4 t of tahini can be added, although this will raise the fat content slightly.
If using canned beans, be sure to use the ones with no salt added.
Note: My favorite is Nayonnaise brand. This, as well as other vegetarian mayo substitutes can be found in health food stores. The taste is a little different, so my advice is to buy the smallest jar until you find one that you like.
POTATO PEARLS
These tasty appetizers can be prepared in advance, frozen, and baked later
1 pound potatoes
1/2 C chives or green onions, finely chopped
1/2 C wheat germ
1/2 t paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cover potatoes with water and boil until soft. Peel and mash, adding onions, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls. Mix the paprika and wheat germ together in a dish and roll potato balls in mixture until coated. Coat baking sheet with 1 second of a non-stick spray and spread with a paper towel. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve hot, a toothpick in each.
10 servings, each: Calories 54, Fat: 0.64 g, Carbohydrate 10.02 g, Protein 2.46 g (18%)
Healing Heart Hint:
Many foods that were formerly fried can be baked or broiled. Vegetables can be coated with a savory coating and heated till golden brown. For an easy shake-bake coating mix 1/2 C corn flakes. finely crumbled, 1 t light seasoned salt, 1/2 t each: paprika, sage, onion powder, 1/4 t each: garlic powder, thyme, pepper. The foods to be coated can be moistened or dipped a mixture of 4 T EnerG egg replacer and 8 T water, beaten to a foam. Bake at 375° F. for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Serve and eat immediately.
KOOL KIM CHEE
Less spicy and lower sodium version of Korean cabbage slaw
6 C Napa or Won Bok (Chinese) cabbage, shredded
1 t salt
3 T ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (see Hint below)
1/2 C cilantro (Chinese parsley), chopped
2 T vinegar
In a large ceramic or plastic bowl, add cabbage and sprinkle on salt, tossing well. Place a weight on the cabbage (a bowl or plate with anything heavy on it) and let sit a half hour. Drain. Add all other ingredients except the vinegar and mix well. Add vinegar and mix thoroughly. Let sit 30 minutes (overnight in refrigerator is better) before serving.
4 servings, each 38.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.2 g), 74% from carbohydrates (8.5 g), 22% from protein (2.5 g). Sodium 138 mg, Fiber 2.8 g.
Healing Heart Hint
Red jalapeno pepper adds color, but green will work as well. Remove stem and seeds before using. If fresh jalapeno is not available, canned will work, or use an Asian hot sauce, starting with 1/2 t and increasing to the hotness you prefer.
When working with hot peppers we recommend wearing rubber gloves and to be careful not to touch near one's eyes.
CROCKPOT MAPLE BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES
This is from the Weight Watchers crockpot email list from several years ago. The plan has changed several times since I got this recipe in that email, but this recipe is still one that's good to try. The recipe had 5 points per serving; 4 servings = 225 calories, 4g fat, 1g fiber.
1/2 C. maple flavored syrup
2 T. prepared mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
4 boneless, skinned chicken breasts
Place all ingredients in crockpot & cook on LOW for about 7 to 8 hours or until chicken is done.
You can either eat the breasts whole or shred them on buns or rice for more points.
ENCHILADAS CON CARNE
O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.
(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.
Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili Con Carne:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.
Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.
Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.
Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.
When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Wednesday Recipes
Here are today's six recipes. Enjoy!
QUICK AND EASY STRAWBERRY RHUBARB FOOL
This comes from Diana Rattray of About.com’s Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “If you're watching calories and fat, try this dessert with low-fat whipped topping or vanilla yogurt in place of the whipped cream.
“This is an easy and elegant dessert, a wonderful way to celebrate spring rhubarb and strawberries.” Prep Time: 8 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 18 minutes; Yield: Serves 4
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound rhubarb, washed and sliced in 1/2-inch pieces, about 4 cups
4 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint strawberries, sliced
Preparation
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine rhubarb with orange juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes longer, until the rhubarb mixture is very soft. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Beat cream in an ice cold bowl until it begins to thicken. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
Layer some of the rhubarb mixture and some sliced strawberries, then a layer of whipped cream, repeating until the fruit and cream are used.
This will make about 4 servings, depending on the size of your dessert dishes.
SPICY SLOW COOKER CHICKEN WINGS IN BARBECUE SAUCE
This also comes from Diana Rattray, who wrote, “Spicy chicken wings are cooked in the crock pot with honey and barbecue sauce, along with spicy seasonings.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 200 minutes; Total Time: 220 minutes;Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 Dozen Pieces
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken wings (about 16 to 20 whole wings)
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups any variety barbecue sauce, or use homemade
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons prepared mustard or spicy mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce or another hot sauce, to taste, optional
Preparation
Rinse chicken wings; pat dry. Cut off and discard wing tips then cut each wing at the joint to make two sections from each wing. Sprinkle wing pieces with salt and pepper; place the wings on an lightly oiled broiler pan.
Broil (550° F) about 4 inches from the heat for 10 minutes on each side, or until the wings are nicely browned. With tongs, transfer the wings to the crockery insert of a slow cooker.
In a bowl, combine barbecue sauce, honey, spicy mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Pour sauce over chicken wings.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on High 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Serve hot, directly from slow cooker, keeping temperature on LOW.
ENCHILADAS CON CARNE
O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.
(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.
Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili Con Carne:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.
Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.
Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.
Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.
When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE
Yield: 10 slices
Serving Size: 1 slice
Source: Great Healthy Food - Diabetes
View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/613.shtml
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
1/2 cup reduced-fat margarine, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease the base of an 8-inch non-stick baking pan and line with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Beat the eggs until they are light and frothy.
Beat the margarine and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, beating well between each addition. If the mixture shows any signs of curdling, beat in a little of the flour mixture.
Stir in the flour mixture together with the ground almonds, almond extract and orange zest and mix lightly to a thick, fluid (but not runny) consistency, adding a little orange juice or water if necessary.
Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Strip off the parchment paper and leave the cake to cool on a wire rack.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 122; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 99 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 2/3 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Fat
BAKED ZITI
This was originally posted on April 2, 2010. Great for a yummy, easy meal.
What to fix when you've just gotten home from work and you want something good, hot and with a minimum amount of effort? Baked Ziti fits the bill on all three counts. And if you're like me, chances are you have all the makings in your cupboard and fridge.
Here's what it takes:
16 ounce box of ziti
26 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
1 jar-full of water
2 C shredded cheese
Okay, I can hear you asking, "What brand of spaghetti sauce? What type of sauce? And the cheese...Cheddar? Mozzarella? Can it be the stuff already shredded and in a bag or does it have to be a block of cheese that I grate and measure?" Here's the good part: Use what you have.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Take a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Dump the dried ziti into the pan. (No, no, do NOT cook the ziti first. Dump the ziti uncooked straight from the box.) Pour the spaghetti sauce into the pan and add one jar-full of water into the pan. Stir to mix. Add most of the shredded cheese, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of cheese. Stir to mix. Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes for a total time of 40 minutes.
Serve with a salad and possibly garlic bread.
See? Simple, hot, good and with at minimum amount of energy. What could be better for an after-work or weekend dinner?
QUICK AND EASY STRAWBERRY RHUBARB FOOL
This comes from Diana Rattray of About.com’s Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “If you're watching calories and fat, try this dessert with low-fat whipped topping or vanilla yogurt in place of the whipped cream.
“This is an easy and elegant dessert, a wonderful way to celebrate spring rhubarb and strawberries.” Prep Time: 8 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 18 minutes; Yield: Serves 4
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound rhubarb, washed and sliced in 1/2-inch pieces, about 4 cups
4 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint strawberries, sliced
Preparation
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine rhubarb with orange juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes longer, until the rhubarb mixture is very soft. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Beat cream in an ice cold bowl until it begins to thicken. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
Layer some of the rhubarb mixture and some sliced strawberries, then a layer of whipped cream, repeating until the fruit and cream are used.
This will make about 4 servings, depending on the size of your dessert dishes.
SPICY SLOW COOKER CHICKEN WINGS IN BARBECUE SAUCE
This also comes from Diana Rattray, who wrote, “Spicy chicken wings are cooked in the crock pot with honey and barbecue sauce, along with spicy seasonings.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 200 minutes; Total Time: 220 minutes;Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 Dozen Pieces
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken wings (about 16 to 20 whole wings)
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups any variety barbecue sauce, or use homemade
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons prepared mustard or spicy mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce or another hot sauce, to taste, optional
Preparation
Rinse chicken wings; pat dry. Cut off and discard wing tips then cut each wing at the joint to make two sections from each wing. Sprinkle wing pieces with salt and pepper; place the wings on an lightly oiled broiler pan.
Broil (550° F) about 4 inches from the heat for 10 minutes on each side, or until the wings are nicely browned. With tongs, transfer the wings to the crockery insert of a slow cooker.
In a bowl, combine barbecue sauce, honey, spicy mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Pour sauce over chicken wings.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on High 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Serve hot, directly from slow cooker, keeping temperature on LOW.
ENCHILADAS CON CARNE
O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.
(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.
Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili Con Carne:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.
Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.
Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.
Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.
When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture
1 small white onion, cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Salsa Verde:
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped
4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
For the Enchiladas:
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.
Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.
ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE
Yield: 10 slices
Serving Size: 1 slice
Source: Great Healthy Food - Diabetes
View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/613.shtml
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
1/2 cup reduced-fat margarine, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease the base of an 8-inch non-stick baking pan and line with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Beat the eggs until they are light and frothy.
Beat the margarine and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, beating well between each addition. If the mixture shows any signs of curdling, beat in a little of the flour mixture.
Stir in the flour mixture together with the ground almonds, almond extract and orange zest and mix lightly to a thick, fluid (but not runny) consistency, adding a little orange juice or water if necessary.
Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Strip off the parchment paper and leave the cake to cool on a wire rack.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 122; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 99 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 2/3 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Fat
BAKED ZITI
This was originally posted on April 2, 2010. Great for a yummy, easy meal.
What to fix when you've just gotten home from work and you want something good, hot and with a minimum amount of effort? Baked Ziti fits the bill on all three counts. And if you're like me, chances are you have all the makings in your cupboard and fridge.
Here's what it takes:
16 ounce box of ziti
26 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
1 jar-full of water
2 C shredded cheese
Okay, I can hear you asking, "What brand of spaghetti sauce? What type of sauce? And the cheese...Cheddar? Mozzarella? Can it be the stuff already shredded and in a bag or does it have to be a block of cheese that I grate and measure?" Here's the good part: Use what you have.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Take a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Dump the dried ziti into the pan. (No, no, do NOT cook the ziti first. Dump the ziti uncooked straight from the box.) Pour the spaghetti sauce into the pan and add one jar-full of water into the pan. Stir to mix. Add most of the shredded cheese, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of cheese. Stir to mix. Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes for a total time of 40 minutes.
Serve with a salad and possibly garlic bread.
See? Simple, hot, good and with at minimum amount of energy. What could be better for an after-work or weekend dinner?
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