Jen's Caprese Panini with Prosciutto

I had something completely different planned for dinner today, but I changed my mind. I have a good excuse. I am weary.

I went to Trader Joe's this morning with my friend Claire and our boys. All was well, until my son decided it was time to start acting up in the store. He pulled out all the stops. I am telling you...he used every dirty, low down, toddler trick outlined in The Big Picture Book of Bad Toddler Behavior: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques To Drive Your Mother To Drink (no...that is not really a book). To put it mildly, he pretty much misbehaved all day; until he fell asleep about an hour ago.
Anyway, we shopped and then ate lunch with the boys at a restaurant...big mistake. Again, my son's behavior was atrocious. We were in public, so my discipline choices were limited...by that point I was worn out...so I just opted to sound like a broken record.

"Stop jumping. Stop jumping. Eat your lunch. Stop
jumping. Sit down. Stop jumping. Stop jumping. Don't
touch. Stop kicking. Stop jumping. Be quiet. Eat your
lunch. Stop jumping. Sit down. Sit down. Stop
jumping."

You get the picture...

So what does all that have to do with dinner, you ask???? Well, due to the above description of events...I am weary. I am not going to cook what I had originally planned, because I don't feel like it. I will probably make that recipe tomorrow. Tonight, it is all about quick and easy. So, we are having sandwiches. More accurately...paninis (grilled, pressed Italian sandwiches). I use an indoor grill pan and my panini press. The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and there is nothing to thaw. Furthermore, there is not a recipe...just sandwich construction and cooking.

Ahhh...easy, quick panini. Yum.

Jen's Caprese Panini with Prosciutto

Ingredients:
ciabiatta bread or rolls
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
minced garlic
balsamic vinegar
prosciutto de Parma
fresh tomato slices
fresh basil leaves
slices of fresh mozzarella

Tools:
grill pan
cooking spray
panini press or heavy bottomed skillet

Method:
Cut bread in half and top as you would a normal sandwich, with ingredients listed above. Coat indoor grill pan and press/skillet bottom with cooking spray. Heat indoor grill pan and panini press/skillet bottom until very hot. Place assembled panini on grill and top with press/bottom of skillet (sandwich is smashed between the two pans). Let cook about 4 minutes; until cheese is melty, sandwich is warm throughout, and grill marks are noticeable. Serve immediately.

The Result: Guy's Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Eh.

The best way to describe this recipe is, "eh". It was okay...actually, less than okay. Mediocre would be more accurate. First, the process was way more labor intensive than I originally planned. The steps were relatively easy; it was the timing (of how the dish came together) that was a pain. It was a bit of a balancing act. When I read through the recipe at first, I thought the process seemed less complicated than it was in reality. Now, please do not misread me. I do not mind a complicated dish...if the dish itself turns out to be magnificent. This dish was not magnificent. This dish was "eh". Therefore, in my esteemed opinion, it was too much trouble for just "eh".
Second, the flavors were boring. It was a dish that I had tasted before, almost in the exact same format. It was nothing new. It was filling, but completely blah and familiar. It was not under-seasoned...but it was not impressive either. I would describe the overall taste of this meal as flat, in a 'been-there-done-that' kinda way.
Also, I want to go on record as saying it was not operator-error. I did not adjust or change the recipe, at all. I followed it as written and used ALL of the proper ingredients/equipment, including the correct blackening spice and a cast iron skillet. So, it was not me. I will even go as far as to say that it looked good on the plate, garnished with fresh Parm-Reg and chopped scallions. The chicken was moist and perfect, the noodles were cooked al dente, etc. I will own up to a goof when I screw something up...and I can say with confidence that this dish was prepared perfectly. So, to be clear...IT WAS NOT ME.

As my husband said, it would be "something that he might order at Applebee's". I think that is the perfect description. It belongs on a Applebee's/TGI Friday's/Olive Garden menu. (PS-we do not eat at Applebee's, TGI Friday's, or Olive Garden...for the record). I feel a bit disappointed...and, if truth be told....irritated. Yes, folks...a recipe reminiscent of something you could possibly get at Applebee's, irritates me. I don't like Applebee's. In fact, I hate Applebee's. It's my blog, so I can sneer at Applebee's if I want.
The other thing about this recipe is that I am baffled by all the glowing reviews on the website. Baffled! To be fair, this dish was not terrible (just "eh")...but it certainly did not deserve glowing, 5 star reviews either. I guess I now know who actually eats at Applebee's...and why one of their restaurants (and I use that term loosely) is located in every other strip mall parking lot, in America.

In summation, Applebee's stinks...and I will not be making Cajun Chicken Alfredo again.

Guy's Cajun Chicken Alfredo

This is a recipe that I have been hanging on to for a while. I keep meaning to try it, but it always gets put on the back burner for something different. I found it on foodnetwork.com a few months ago and copied it. At that time, I went to the store and bought all the specialty ingredients just so I would have everything I needed on hand. Even after I bought all the stuff for this dish, I still did not make it. Well, the wait is over. I am going to finally make this tonight, because it does not require my leaving the house. I am not sure if I will change anything or not...I will decide if it needs any adjustment when I am preparing the recipe. Since this is my first time making it, I will let you know how it turns out later.


Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup blackening spice (recommended: Paul Prudhomme's Chicken)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cooked fettuccine
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slice in strips on the bias and set aside.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. De-glaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.
When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.
Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Episode#: GI0102 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

The Result: Honey Baked Chicken II

I was really skeptical of this recipe. All afternoon, I kept thinking about changing it to something different. I am typically not a fan of ‘sweet’ meat, and I was unsure about the overall flavor combination…particularly the use of so much honey. I set all my reservations aside, and made it anyway.
I am really glad that I stuck with it, because this dish was delightful! I kept the suggested cook time and made a few adjustments with the seasoning (see list of variations below). The chicken was moist and the flavors were well balanced. The curry was enough to satisfy my craving. Everyone really liked it! The husband and I both had seconds (which we normally try not to do). This recipe was a nice surprise; it is definitely a dish we will make again.

Here are the following changes I made, in addition to the recipe ingredients/directions:

2 teaspoons of curry powder total (double the suggested amount)
1/3 cup of mustard total; but I combined stone ground mustard with regular yellow mustard for an additional flavor and textural component.
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a little bite.
½ cup of honey
2 cloves of minced garlic
½ teaspoon of onion powder
1/3 of a cup of chicken stock (use less if you want a thicker sauce or leave out all together)
Salt and pepper to taste

I patted chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. I placed the chicken in a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish. Then, sprinkled top of naked chicken with about 1 teaspoon of Lawry’s seasoning. I mixed sauce in a bowl (including my changes) and poured it over the chicken. I covered with foil and baked at recommended temp. I removed the foil halfway through the cooking process (after 40 minutes) and cooked the rest of the time uncovered so the sauce would thicken. I did remember to baste every 15 minutes.

Honey Baked Chicken II

I have gotten my dinner plan together early today. While the boy was wrapped up in a thrilling episode of Go Diego Go! , I decided to check out allrecipes.com for dinner ideas. I had a hankerin' for Indian curry...but I did not want to make a full-fledged curry dish. Also, I want something with chicken, rice, and some sort of sauce. I am having a very specific type of taste craving...so I just searched for those recipes that fit that criteria. I found this recipe while I was poking around and thought I would give it a whirl. This dish has some curry in it, but not a whole lot. The predominant flavors are honey-mustard. It seems to fit what I am looking for, in theory. There seem to be a lot of flavors in this dish...so it will either be really, really good...or really, really bad. There are some notes from other cooks advising on how to adjust the spices & cooking method for a better result. I think I may try some of their suggestions. If you haven't noticed, I hardly ever make a recipe as written. I am a firm believer that recipes are just guidelines, and are never written perfectly. There is always room to adjust and make a recipe to suit your tastes. I will indicate what changes I actually made in The Results, later on. I am encouraged by all the positive user reviews and I hope this dish does not disappoint. I will serve this recipe with rice and a side of green beans. I will let you know how it turns out.


Honey Baked Chicken II

Yields: 4 servings

"INGREDIENTS:
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut
into pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up. Combine the melted butter or margarine, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear.


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Jen's Notes:
I am using boneless, skinless chicken breast and thighs instead of the whole chicken. Since I am using different cuts, I will probably reduce the cooking time. I don't want the chicken to dry out, so I will cover with foil for the first half of the allotted time.

The Result: Jen's Steak Fajitas

The fajitas were as lovely as I had imagined. I really stuck to my method and did not deviate. I made a couple of funky changes, but nothing radical. I put red wine, instead of red wine vinegar in the marinade. Also, a splash of cider vinegar. Other than that, I decided not to make a side dish of black beans. Instead I put black beans in the sauteed veggies. I rinsed and drained the beans as usual, then sauteed for a few minutes with the onions and green peppers. When the mixture looked a little dry, I put about 3/4 cup of beef broth in the skillet and simmered it down until it almost evaporated. This gave everything a nice cohesive flavor. It turned out really good. I did make glazed carrots as my side item. Surprisingly, the carrots went very well with the fajitas. Simple and satisfying!

Jen's Steak Fajitas

I am a sucker for fajitas. I love them. I love them at home. I love them at restaurants. I love to hear them sizzle. I love their smell. Do you understand? I LOVE fajitas. It does not matter if they are chicken, steak, shrimp, or veggie...I love them all, equally. Ahhhh....fajitas. Whenever I eat fajitas, I totally overindulge and then complain I ate way too much all night long. That is the beauty of fajitas...they just keep on giving, long after the meal is over.

I do not have a set recipe for fajitas. This is really just a process or method, not a set recipe. I typically concoct a spicy marinade for the meat, grill it, then saute some onions and peppers separately. I think I will go through my pantry and fridge to see what I can throw into the marinade mix. It is always slightly different, based on what I have in my stores. I am not going to give you measurements at all today...I just use a splash of this, and a pinch or a shake of that. Adjust and use whatever you like. I will say that I am heavy-handed with the spices, so the meat flavor comes out very robust. I have never ruined a marinade, so I think my strategy works very well.

When I do make them at home I generally stick with using steak as the protein. Specifically, flank steak or skirt steak. These are cheap and flavorful cuts of meat that respond well to the grill. Tonight, I will serve either refried or black beans as a side dish, and some sort of vegetable. Usually, I make a green salad, but I do not have any salad items on hand. I think I will go with glazed carrots instead.

Finally, fajitas are not complete without tortillas. I use either whole wheat or flour for this application. I set up all the ingredients buffet-style and let everyone fix their own plate.

Jen's Steak Fajitas

For marinade:
Combine the following ingredients with steak in a 1 gallon plastic storage bag and marinate in the refrigerator for minimum 1 hour. I try to marinate mine for 4 hours, turning every 1/2 hour. Discard marinade/bag when finished.

Olive or Canola Oil
Red wine vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Steak sauce (A1 or Heinz 57...or both)
1-2 garlic cloves, smashed
1-2 chipotle peppers, with some adobo sauce
garlic powder
onion powder
ancho chile powder
paprika
cayenne pepper
lime juice
fresh cilantro
dried oregano
salt
pepper

For fajita veggies:
Below, I have listed some of my favorite accompaniments to go with the meat. Use what you like, and let me know if you find anything different that is tasty & unusual. I tend to use the basics. I always cook the veggies until soft and slightly caramelized.
On the occasion that I use bacon; I cook that first, until crisp and all the bacon fat is rendered out. Then, I take the bacon out and set it aside, leave the dripping in the pan and saute the veggies in the bacon fat. Healthy? No. Tasty? Yes! When everything is cooked, I unite the bacon with the veggies back in the pan. Yum.

mushrooms
onions
peppers (green, red, yellow, or a combo)
green chiles
bacon (sometimes)

Instructions:
Grill meat to desired doneness over medium high grill. We like medium rare meat, so we do approximately 4 minutes on each side (sometimes time varies more or less depending on how hot the grill is and how thick the meat is). Once meat is off the grill, let rest for minimum 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow meat juices to redistribute. Always slice against the grain of the meat.

In a separate skillet, drizzle a little olive or canola oil in pan (approximately 1-2 tablespoons) and saute veggies.

Build fajita tacos with meat and veggies. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

The Result: Spaghetti alla Carbonara

The husband actually cooked dinner tonight! He wanted to see how easy it was to follow one of my recipes. He did extremely well and the end result tasted very close to mine. He followed the Carbonara recipe/instructions step by step, but he did have to make some adjustments as he cooked. He did want me to note a few things that would make the process go a little smoother for the first-time cook making this dish.

1. Get all your prep work done first, because once you start cooking the recipe comes together very quickly.
2. Read through the ingredients and directions thoroughly before you start cooking; this will give you an idea of how the steps flow together.
3. Add about 1 1/4 cup of cheese with the egg mixture. Also, grate an additional 1/4 cup of cheese for garnish.
4. Use 5-6 strips of bacon, diced.
5. Use 1 finely minced clove of garlic; add it when the onions are softening and do not burn.
6. Make sure you use plenty of salt. Salt the pasta water generously, and use a little more than the recommended amount in the recipe.
7. Use about 3 to 4 ladles of pasta water to get the right sauce consistency.
8. Garnish each portion with a little more cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top.

It was nice to have the husband cook for me, and I really liked the hands-on feedback that I would not have gotten, normally.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This is one of my favorite, simple Italian meals. I love to make this dish, since it is not very time consuming and the results are absolutely decadent. This recipe was originally published in Gourmet magazine in 2003, and I found it in my beloved copy of The Gourmet Cookbook. We make this recipe quite a bit, since the ingredients list is short and it is stuff that I always have on hand. Of course, I have to put my own twist on everything, so I added some notes in italics to the recipe itself. The biggest difference is my use of bacon instead of pancetta or guanciale (an unsmoked cured hog jowl). Bacon is recognized in The Gourmet Cookbook notes as an acceptable substitute. I have occasionally found pancetta at a specialty shop, but I have never found guanciale. Here in AZ, pancetta is not cheap, and I am sure, neither is guanciale (if you could, in deed, find it). My dream is to some day find and cultivate a relationship with an Italian grocery/deli/specialty cheese and gourmet foods shop...but, in the meantime, I will have to stick with bacon.
I also want to stress the absolute, vital importance of using real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in this recipe. You can find small wedges of Parm-Reg in the normal grocery store's international cheese case for about $8-$10 bucks. You are probably thinking that is crazy talk. However, I really need to impart that there is a world of difference between real Parm-Reg and that grated, green-canned stuff. It is worth the extra money, and since it is more flavorful, you will use less of it overall. Buy the wedge and grate it yourself. It is totally worth it. As I said before, there are not that many ingredients in this recipe, but the ingredients you do use need to be top quality or the flavor will suffer. We are already substituting bacon...so we cannot compromise the cheese. I will beg if I have to...please, please, please do not skimp on the cheese!
One other cheese related note: the real Parm-Reg has a Italian government stamp on the rind, and that is how you tell it is the real deal. The stamp looks like letters made of perforated pin marks. If there is no stamp then it is a different kind of Parmesean..and not as good. I promise you can find real Parm-Reg at the normal grocery store or in larger, pricier, wedges at Costco.

Back to Carbonara. The directions do indicate the use of raw eggs mixed in with the cheese. I know, I know, it sounds iffy...but trust me it is not. In fact, it is fabulous! Seriously, Italians know food and this is a staple in a lot of Italian homes. You cannot taste the raw eggs, per se. The eggs and cheese combo form a thick sauce, and combined with the cooked noodles, onion mixture and (my addition) of a little pasta water it turns into a rich sauce. Not eggy...just delicious. The eggs don't 'cook' with the hot ingredients, so if you are pregnant or have other health concerns this may not be a dish for you. I do want to say that I am comfortable feeding this meal to my family, including my son, who goes crazy for it. If you are a pasta/cheese/bacon lover this is a good recipe to try.

Okay, enough chit-chat...let's get down to business.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
5 oz guanciale (unsmoked cured hog jowl) or pancetta OR BACON
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine OR DRY VERMOUTH
1 lb spaghetti
3 large eggs
1 1/2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (3/4 cup)
3/4 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated (1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
pasta water

Cut guanciale/ pancetta OR BACON into 1/3-inch dice, then cook in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fat begins to render, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add wine OR VERMOUTH and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano , Pecorino Romano (1/3 cup), 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Drain spaghetti in a colander and add to onion mixture, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated.

Remove from heat and add egg mixture, tossing to combine. ***Add pasta water in 1/2 ladles until sauce reaches desired consistency.****

Serve immediately.

Cooks' Note: The eggs in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may be of concern if there is a problem with salmonella in your area.

Jen’s Notes:
I stick with using one type of cheese, since I do not often have Pecorino Romano on hand. I add the total cheese measurement together ( i.e. 3/4 cup + 1/3 cup...or you could add up the ounces) and use that total quantity of Parm-Reg only. If you happen to have Pecorino Romano too, then certainly use both types of cheese.

You can add frozen peas, mushrooms, broccoli, yellow squash and zucchini with the onion mixture and sauté for a few minutes. This will add nutrition and color. Although, the recipe is good enough to stand alone, as-is. I feel guilty if I don't serve some sort of vegetable somewhere. As always, I add minced garlic…what can I say, I love garlic!

Dinner at My In-Laws

The boy went to Grandma and Papaw's Party Palace today, since Greg and I attended a memorial service this morning. Connor loves spending time at G-ma and P-pa's pad, so he was very excited to hang out at their house all day. After the service, the husband and I grabbed some lunch and spent a few precious hours of child-free, couple time at the mall. It was a really nice break to have the person I married all to myself for the better part of the day. Anyway, we went and picked up the boy and stayed for dinner at the Party Palace. We had Chalupa and a lot of laughs. My in-laws are a very entertaining pair, and we always have fun visiting them. I was off the hook for dinner tonight, but I will be back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

Well, I figured out what to do with the hamburger. I know, I know...you all were on pins and needles. I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman website and it has become a staple at our house. The title refers to Pioneer Woman's husband...they call him the Marlboro Man. Strange, yes...but if you visit the website you will understand.
This sandwich is really easy and super flavorful. The original ingredients list calls for cube steak, but I decided to change it up and use (drum roll, please) hamburger. I made a couple of minor adjustments, besides the hamburger...just see the notes below. As anticipated, this was as yummy as the original version. Fresh corn on the cob and baked potatoes rounded out this meal.

Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich
2 to 3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized)
(--OR-- Jen's version: use 1 lb. ground beef )
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions
4 French/Deli rolls
Butter, man (see directions for quantity)
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, to taste
½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
5-6 shakes Tabasco

-Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
-Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s to taste.
-Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
-Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
-Add ½ cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
-Butter halved French rolls and brown on skillet.
-To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!


Jen’s Notes:
As indicated, I substituted 1 pound of ground beef for cube steak. The only other deviation I made was that I reduced the amount of Worcestershire to about 1/3 of a cup and then added another 1/3 cup of beef stock. I wanted to tone down the Worcestershire flavor just a little and diluting it with the beef stock was perfect. I let it reduce and thicken for a few minutes on medium high heat to give the sauce a nice consistency. I put a couple cloves of minced garlic in this time, too. Why? Heck...why not! Other than that everything else was the same.

If you do not like spicy food, only put 1 or 2 Tabasco shakes in this dish. I hate to tell you to leave it out all together, because the Tabasco flavor really does add something to this sandwich. I say, be brave and leave it in...just use less.

Cooker's Block

I am experiencing something similar to what a writer would call "writers block". My particular type of "block" is not associated with putting words on a page, but rather...hamburger. I just cannot decide what to make for dinner. Let's call it "cookers block". Plain, boring, versatile, innocuous hamburger is plaguing my very existence!

Earlier today, I took a chance and just picked a protein ingredient quite randomly. I said to myself, "Self...you could thaw some hamburger and worry about what to do with it later". This sounded like a reasonable plan. After all, when this conversation-in-my-head took place it was still morning. I had plenty of time to figure it out. I had things to do, and I knew that an idea would come to me sooner or later. I was really not stressing about it. Until now.
Here we are...it's later...and I still do not know what I want to do with my thawed, ground hamburger. I have options, but none sound like an appealing choice.

I am in one of those indecisive kind of moods, and my hamburger is suffering for it.

So, I needed a new plan. I said to myself, "Self...you could start writing your blog post and then decide what to do with the hamburger". Eureka! That sounded really good! So, here I am...typing away...still not knowing what to do with my hamburger. Ugh. Typing has not inspired any grand hamburger ideas.

Rest assured that I am not trying to be coy...I just need some more time to (procrastinate) figure it out.

So, we WILL be having something with hamburger for dinner.

That is all I can give you today.

Leftovers

Last night was leftover night again. I think I have reached some sort of leftover record...three times in one week! The husband and I finally got to go to a movie last night, so we wanted to do something really quick for dinner. We ate reheated Thai Peanut Pasta, dropped the boy off at the Party Palace, and then went to see the new Batman movie. Both the reheated pasta and movie were very good. Wow...a food AND movie review all in the same blog...you are the luckiest readers ever!
I am not sure what I am making tonight for dinner, but I will figure it out and then post during Connor's nap time today (keep your fingers crossed that he actually takes a nap).

The Result: DeCio's Thai Peanut Pasta

Thai Peanut Pasta is definitely a keeper. I was really pleased that this turned out as well as it did. The sauce was a perfect consistency, and the flavors were very well balanced.
The biggest surprise was that my son LOVED it. He just gobbled it up! Needless to say, when my picky toddler actually eats well, it makes me a very happy mommy.

The added veggies were a nice touch. I ended up stir frying the chicken, then I removed the chicken to a platter, and stir fried the frozen veggie mix in the same wok. When the veggies were cooked, I put them on the platter with the prepared chicken and made the sauce. After the sauce was finished, I put all the cooked ingredients back into the wok and combined. Everything was very well coated, and not overly saturated with the sauce. I think this dish would not have been as tasty without the veggie mix, and just the red peppers. I used Bird's Eye Asian Vegetables. The mix had a combo of sugar snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, red peppers, baby corn, and water chestnut. The extra vegetables made the whole thing a little more substantial. The recipe itself turned out to be very filling and I did not serve the spring rolls, as planned.

I would recommend making this dish, even if you do not have the DeCio pasta on hand. The sauce was flavorful enough to serve with regular rice or noodles. The flavored pasta was just icing on the cake. Don't get me wrong, the Szechuan Orange Spice linguine was really tasty and smelled very fragrant. The scent reminded me of herbal orange tea. Overall, I am glad I tried this recipe. It certainly was not boring and my family really loved it.

DeCio's Thai Peanut Pasta

DeCio pasta is a fresh, dried, linguine pasta that is sold locally at specialty shops. I discovered it at our downtown Phoenix Farmer's Market, but they sell it online too. There are many different flavors to choose from; tonight I am going to try a new variety called Szechuan Orange Spice. This recipe came off of the DeCio website and it sounds really good. I wanted to try something out-of-the-ordinary for our dinner, but I did not want to run to the store to buy anything. I have everything on hand for this recipe...with some minor changes. I think this dish would work well with white or brown rice, as a substitution for the pasta. I will serve this meal with some vegetable spring rolls and dipping sauces that I purchased from Trader Joe's. I am looking forward to this recipe, since I love Thai flavors. I will let you know how it turns out.

DeCio Thai Peanut Pasta
1 pkg DeCio Orange Szechuan pasta (or serve with rice/noodle of your choice)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into pieces
1 red or yellow bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
juice of 2 limes
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions:
Cook pasta to al dente, drain and set aside. Coat skillet or wok with non-stick cooking spray. cook chicken until lightly browned. Add the bell pepper, cook 2 minutes. Set aside. in small bowl dissolve cornstarch in cold coconut milk. Pour into skillet. Cook stirring for 2 minutes, until thickened. Reduce heat. In small bowl combine peanut butter, garlic, honey, lime juice, orange juice, ground red pepper, soy sauce and honey. Add to skillet stirring until smooth. Add chives, cilantro, and reserved chicken and peppers. Toss with pasta to coat. Garnish with toasted peanuts. Can also toss 1/2 cup of toasted peanut gems in with pasta.

Jen's Notes:
Another substitution would be to use the cheap, Ramen noodles instead of the flavored DeCio pasta. I would just ditch the MSG-laden 'seasoning' packet that they come with, and cook the plain noodles. Angel Hair pasta would work...man, I am just full of ideas today. At any rate, plain noodles or rice would be a workable change.
I am going to steam some frozen, Asian-style, veggies to toss into this dish. I may make extra sauce so everything gets coated. I will omit the red peppers, since the Asian-style veggies that I bought already have red pepper in them.

I don't have fresh ginger, so I will use the dried ginger that I have in the pantry instead. It is important to note that dried spices are always a little more pungent than fresh. I just adjust my recipe accordingly, and use a little less than the recommended amount. Also, I don't have fresh oranges to squeeze for fresh orange juice; I will have to make due with good, old OJ from concentrate.

Jen's Hummus: Spinach/Garlic Flavor

This morning I hosted my MOMS Club monthly board meeting, and I decided to make hummus for a snack. I had an abundance of spinach leftover from salads last week, so I thought that spinach/garlic hummus sounded really good. I typically use the same base recipe, and then flavor it with whatever ingredients I happen to have on hand. In the past I have made jalapeño/cilantro, sun dried tomato, roasted red pepper, and plain. I find that homemade is better than store bought; and much cheaper to make. Garbanzo beans are very inexpensive, so I just keep them stocked in my pantry.
I served this with some Stacy's Pita Chips and soft, Garlic Naan bread cut into triangles. Everyone seemed to really like it, and most of the kids ate some too. I especially feel good about giving it to Connor and his pals, because hummus is an exceptionally nutritious snack.
This is another recipe where I don't measure all of the ingredients. I typically add one thing at a time, taste, and then adjust the seasoning.

Jen’s Hummus: Spinach/Garlic Flavor
Base Recipe:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (aka garbanzo
beans)
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or light sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
zest of 1 lemon

Flavor Variation:
4 additional garlic cloves
1 cup of spinach
¼ cup of fresh basil (approximately 4 leaves; stems okay)
¼ cup feta cheese

In food processor blender, puree all the ingredients with 1 tablespoon water. Add more olive oil and salt, if needed.

Jen’s Notes:
This recipe can be easily doubled. All measurements are approximate.

Leftovers

We are having leftovers again, because our refrigerator is still bulging at the seams. Frankly, I miss some of my storage containers. I will go to put something away, and look for a particular piece, but it is already in use. The one that I had in mind was the perfect size, but it is occupied with other food. Blast! Then, I have to scrounge through the cabinets and find a lesser container to supplement my needs. The lid is never attached to the container that I find to use. Never. Total pain-in-the-neck situation. So, we are having leftovers, again tonight... solely for the containers.

Jen's Sauteed Zucchini in Red Wine Reduction

Zucchini. I love it. The squash family is underrated, in my humble opinion. This preparation is new to me. I did not want plain vegetables, and I noticed that the short rib sauce had red wine in it. I wanted something with a homogeneous flavor to the main dish; so I started to formulate a plan. I thought that this might be a good way to dress up zucchini in an interesting way. I sometimes feel like a mad scientist, concocting and experimenting with food. My scheme was in motion!
I have a green bean recipe that employs the use of red wine in a similar manner, so I decided to try the same preparation with my zucchini. Since the flavor of zucchini is relatively mild, I thought that the red wine reduction would compliment it nicely...and I was right!

Jen's Sauteed Zucchini in Red Wine Reduction

2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add zucchini and saute for approximately 3 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt. Add garlic and reduce heat to medium. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Do not burn garlic (garlic should be barely browned and have very little color on it). Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and stir in red wine. Put pan back on heat, and reduce mixture until most of liquid has evaporated and red wine has formed a light syrup. Turn off heat and serve immediately.

Jen's Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I was long-winded on the short rib post, so I am going to keep comments to a minimum. My poor fingers are getting cramps. I just have so much to share...

Jen's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
6 cloves of garlic, minced and smashed into a paste with olive oil, salt
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of creme fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

Drop potato pieces in pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until fork tender. Drain water and place potatoes in large bowl, set aside. Mince garlic and add a big pinch of salt and approximately 1 Tbsp of olive oil directly on cutting board. Mash and scrape garlic repeatedly with the flat side of a large chef knife (not blade) until garlic paste is formed. Combine garlic mixture in bowl with potatoes. Add all other ingredients. Using a potato masher, break up any large potato pieces by smashing in bowl. Once all large pieces are broken down, whip potatoes using an electric mixer. Potatoes should not be completely smooth, but should not have large lumps either. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm.

Jen's Notes:
These potatoes will be more on the rustic side (i.e. a little lumpy), and not completely creamy/smooth. It is important that you do not over-beat them or they will turn glue-like. They should have a soft texture and mouth feel, but not sticky.

Slow Cooker German Short Ribs

The birthday dinner surprise went very well, and the main dish turned out delicious. The gravy was amazing. We had some leftover after everything was packaged up and put away, and I literally ate two spoonfuls of just the gravy. Greg just shook his head. Apparently, eating gravy straight out of the crock pot was not one of my most attractive moments. Oh well, it was worth loosing some points on the classy scale.
I bought some good-looking beef short ribs a while back at Costco, but I was waiting for the right time to cook them. Tonight was the night. Short ribs are great for long, slow cooking or braising. They have a good mixture of fat and meat, and they respond well to rich sauces. I like to save them for special occasions, because the need a little bit of extra attention. If done properly, they taste absolutely decadent. We first fell in love with the short rib on our trip to Hawaii this past April. We ate at a swanky, James Beard award-winning restaurant in Honolulu called Alan Wong's Hawaii. I ordered the tasting menu, and I was lucky enough to have beef short ribs as one of my courses. The rest is history. Needless to say, I buy them whenever I can find them. Please note that it is important to get the bone-in short ribs to get the full benefit of flavor. I have tried the boneless variety and I was less impressed with the final outcome. If you are gonna try these, make them with bone-in and you will not regret it. They usually finish out so tender the bone just falls out anyway.

I found this recipe on the allrecipes website. Allrecipes is a spot that I frequent often when I need an idea for an ingredient. I just type in what I want to use in the search field, and a list of recipes with that featured item pops up. The nice thing is that you can sift through the list by user ratings. This recipe that I found for short ribs was rated 4 out of 5 stars and did not disappoint. I served this with my homemade garlic mashed potatoes and zucchini sauteed in a red wine reduction. This meal was terrific.

Slow Cooker German Short Ribs
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black
pepper
3 pounds beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 slice onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown
sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the short ribs with the flour mixture.
2.In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown short ribs in olive oil.
3.In a slow cooker, combine onions, wine, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Transfer the short ribs from the skillet to the slow cooker.
4.Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
5.Remove ribs, and turn the slow cooker control to High. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup water, and stir into the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Jen's Notes:
I made only a few deviations from this recipe. The first was out of necessity. I did not have any chili sauce on hand, so I had to wing it. I made my own chili sauce, and it turned out really good. I don't think I will buy the bottled stuff ever again (recipe below).
Also, I added a little bit of beef stock to the party...but not very much...maybe only 1/4 to a 1/2 cup total. I was not sure if the liquid was going to be sufficient, so I played it safe by adding the beef stock.
For the 3 tablespoons vinegar: I used 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Again, this change was necessary since I was low on white vinegar; I just supplemented with the white wine vinegar.
My slow cooker runs hotter than most, so 4 hours on low was sufficient enough cook time for me. I find with crock pot recipes, it is best to shoot for the low end of the recommended time and check it often. I tested the meat after 4 hours and it was done perfectly.
Finally, I want to let you know that despite the spices in the Chili Sauce, this recipe is not really spicy. The chili sauce lends a complex flavor, but not overly spicy. See...I don't make everything spicy...just most things.

Jen's Chili Sauce (no measurements):
To 1/2 cup of ketchup add the following spices:
salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and Tabasco.

Stir to combine. Add a little spice at a time and taste as you go along.

Birthday Surprise Dinner

HA! You probably thought that I forgot to post today, but I did not. Tonight, I am making my husband a special birthday surprise dinner, and I did not want to spill the beans and ruin his surprise. So, I am making dinner for my husband's birthday...AND....it is a surprise....AND....I am not going to post the recipe(s) until tonight, after we eat, to ensure that the surprise birthday dinner stays a surprise. Also, the main dish is not something I have tried before so I really hope that it does not suck. With that being said, it is already cooking away and it smells very promising.

Leftovers

With all the food in my fridge, tonight is leftover night.We really need to eat up what we have saved to make room for next weeks menu items. I will be back on Monday with something yummy and homemade.

Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings

Here is the last recipe for my Saturday night dinner. I truly saved the best for last! This was unbelievable (in a good way). The homemade whipped cream was the perfect way to top this dessert off. Here is the link to the Pioneer Woman website. The cooking section is amazing. The best part about her website is that she includes beautiful photos of the food. It's like porn for cooks! Both Claire and I frequent this site daily for inspiration. Thanks again Claire (and PW) for bringing these into my life.

Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Jen's Roasted Potatoes: Fiesta Style

Here is the nitty gritty of the recipe. I am getting tired of typing...so comments will be kept to a minimum. I use this method all the time, but I do change how the potatoes are flavored. This time, I seasoned them to accent what I was already serving.

Jen's Roasted Potatoes: Fiesta Style
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon Mexican dried oregano
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Tamazula brand)
Plenty of salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place all ingredients in zip-top one gallon bag and knead/shake to combine. Let ingredients marinate for at least 1 hour. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Pour contents of bag onto sheet pan and spread in an even layer. Bake in over for approximately 20-30 minutes, OR until potatoes are fork tender. Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle evenly with fresh cilantro and serve.

Jen's Pinto Beans

Another one of my creations....flavored pinto beans. This dish is just doctored-up, canned, whole pinto beans with some extras. These went very well as a side dish to my fabulous chicken.

You may see that I use some of the same spices over and over again in a lot of my recipes. That is because I like to use what is on hand, and I like there to be a continuity of flavor within a meal. Using some of the same spices, in different applications, throughout several recipes, is one of my biggest cooking secrets!

Jen's Pinto Beans
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 14.5 oz cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of Ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon of hot sauce (Tamazula brand)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular dried oregano)
1/2 cup of Jen's Homemade salsa (or any salsa you like)
1 chipotle chile, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon of lime juice
3/4 cup of beef stock
plenty of salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, to finish
1 tablespoon of butter, to finish

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add beans and stir for approx 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients (except for cilantro and butter) to pan. Stir to combine. Heat until simmering. Turn heat to medium and reduce mixture until slightly thick and sauce is formed. Add butter and cilantro, stir to combine, and serve.

Jen's Notes:
You could use dried pinto beans for this recipe too; however dried beans must be soaked in water beforehand to soften. Just follow the package directions for soaking and the result should be the same, if not better.

Jen's Homemade Salsa

I originally got this recipe from another mom I know who made it for a Mexican themed party that I attended a few months ago. I have tweaked it to my liking and changed up some of the ingredients. It is now different enough from the original recipe that I can claim it as my own. I served this as an appetizer with some corn chips, and I also used this to mix in to my pinto beans.

Jen's Homemade Salsa
1 14.5 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (I use Hunt's brand)
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 4oz. can diced green chiles
1 4oz. can diced black olives
2 diced fresh tomatoes
5 green onions chopped
1-2 chipotle peppers, seeded and diced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of coriander
1 teaspoon of Ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of hot sauce (I like Tamazula brand)
1 small pinch of dried Mexican oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a storage container and stir lightly to combine. Let mixture stand for at least 1/2 hour before serving so flavors may blend. Salsa will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Rick Bayless' Grilled Roadside Whole Chicken

On Saturday night, we had some friends over to our house to swim and have dinner. I decided to make one of my new, favorite Mexican dishes that I gleaned from my new, favorite cookbook, Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. Have I mentioned before that I deeply love this book??? Well, I do. I really do. Since we had several dishes with our meal, I will have to do a few posts (following this one) for each individual dish. The main item was Rick Bayless' Grilled Roadside Whole Chicken (aka "Sinaloa" Chicken). It is grilled awesomeness. So, so good. I also made some pinto beans, homemade salsa, roasted potatoes, and a green bean/carrot vegetable dish to round out our meal. All in all, dinner was great. By the end of the evening we were all very full and very happy people.

I also must mention the highlight of the evening. My friend Claire (who has her own blog Cooking Claire) brought a dessert that we have both been dying to try called Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings. Oh man! These were fantastic...actually, beyond fantastic. My vocabulary is not big enough to describe how absolutely fan-freakin'-tastic these apple dumplings actually were. You are just going to have to take my word for it and make them yourself. As if the dumplings were not delicious enough as it was; Claire made homemade whipped cream to go with them. I almost went into a dessert induced coma. So, so, so good.

So below is the grilled chicken recipe. Stay tuned for the others!

Rick Bayless Grilled Roadside Whole Chicken
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
1-1/2 tablespoons ground Ancho chile powder
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
A big pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
3 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider vinegar gives a Mexican flavor)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt

1 large (3 lb) chicken (sometimes called a large frying chicken, or a small roasting chicken)
About 1 cup roasted Tomatillo Salsa, for serving

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.
Heat one side of a gas grill to medium. If you have a grill with three burners, heat the outer two to medium, leaving the center one off. Or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with white ash and about medium-hot; bank half the coals to one side of the grill, half to the other.

While the grill is heating, remove the giblets (if there are any) from the cavity of the chicken. Flip the chicken onto its breast. Using poultry shears, cut down both sides of the backbone from tail to neck; discard backbone. Or, if you don't have shears, lay the bird on its back, insert a long heavy knife into the body cavity and press down hard with a rocking motion to cut down through both sides of the backbone. Open the bird out onto your work surface, breast side up. Make sure that the legs are turned inward. Using your fist or a mallet, wallop the bird on the breast, hard enough to dislodge the center bones and flatten out the breast. Twist the last joint of the wings up over the breast and then down behind the "shoulders," tucking them in firmly to keep them in place during grilling.

Smear both sides of the chicken with the marinade. Lay in the center of the grill (it will not be over direct heat). Cook, without turning, basting from time to time with any remaining marinade, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced deeply with a fork (an instant-read thermometer should register about 160 degrees when inserted at the thickest part of the thigh), about 45 minutes. If you're cooking over charcoal, you'll want to add more charcoal to the fire after an hour or so - the internal temperature of the grill should stay at about 325 degrees. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. It will lose less juice if you cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters (or smaller pieces). Transfer a portion to each of four dinner plates and you're ready to serve. Pass the salsa separately.

Jen's Notes:
The original cookbook version of this recipe includes instructions for grilled knob onions. I omitted the grilled onion portion, since I chose not to make those for this particular meal. I have made the grilled onions in the past, and let me say that they are worth the extra effort. The onions are a perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

I read somewhere that preparing a chicken in this manner is sometimes called 'spatchcock' (i.e referring to the method). The husband loves this term. Whenever I make this dish he gleefully runs around (for at least three days before and after the meal) randomly shouting "SPATCHCOCK!" in a very strange voice. It is quite funny.

The Result: Hamburgers

The hamburgers were hamburgers. Greg put some mesquite chips in with the charcoal, so the burgers ended up having a nice woodsy, smokey flavor. Very nice, very nice. My only exception was that the burgers could have been on the grill for a few minutes longer. Greg's was slightly under done to his liking. Mine and Connor's were fine. The carrots were the highlight of the meal, for sure. I love glazed carrots, and the husband agrees. The boy ate most of his meat, one forkful of potatoes, and a couple carrots. We had two ears of corn on the cob leftover that we reheated again and ate. Reheated corn on the cob is definitely not as good as fresh...a very weak facsimile. All in all, a solid dinner choice. The best part was that it was easy with very little clean up.

Hamburgers, Potatoes, and Glazed Carrots

Tonight is a no-frills dinner. I wanted something quick, since I knew I would be out most of the morning with Connor's last swim class and a Moms Club event. Also, it is ridiculously hot outside today. I have decided that it is too hot to fuss over dinner. This is a standard fall-back recipe,which I make quite often...just varying the protein element. It is literally just hamburgers on the grill, Yukon gold potatoes microwaved until soft (poke holes in the potatoes first), and carrots that are peeled, sliced, and steamed. We use standard baked potato fixings such as butter, salt, pepper, shredded cheese, and sour cream for the spuds.
The only semi-interesting thing I do with this meal is make a simple glaze for the carrots. After the carrots steam until fork-tender, I put them in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of butter, a pinch of kosher salt and another pinch of plain white sugar. That is it. I think we will grill the burgers outside, so as not to heat up the kitchen with the indoor grill pan. Also, I will serve the burgers with the standard mustard, ketchup, and mayo on whole wheat buns. I think we are out of sliced cheese...so just plain, old hamburgers for us tonight.

The Result: Jen's Green Enchilada Surprise

Well, Jen's Green Enchilada Surprise was really good. It was a familiar dish at our house; so no big surprises...unless you count some of the ingredients that I do not normally add. It was pretty spicy, even by my standards (that is a good thing). It was very filling and completely satisfying. I think I am good on my Mexican food cravings for at least a day or two.
I did change up the creme fraiche a little by just mixing equal parts creme fraiche and sour cream. The creme fraiche is buttery and rich, and the sour cream is a little tart so they both complimented each other nicely. I did not thin it out either; I like the texture of a thick sour cream. Overall, I was really happy with all aspects of the dish.
The husband indicated that he did not care for the addition of pickled jalapenos, but I disagree. I told him I would note his objection. Spicy/vinegary is a flavor combination that I love and the pickled jalapenos were a perfect vehicle for that taste. He said that he like regular, non-pickled jalapenos much better. Other than that, Greg said that he liked it a lot. Connor really did not eat all that much. He ate 1/2 of a tomato while we were eating our salads and drank all of his milk. By the time I served dinner, he was full and took only one bite of his enchilada. The filling ended up being enough for exactly eight rolled enchiladas and we have about 1/2 the pan for leftovers. It looks like we will be having enchiladas for lunch for a couple of days.

Jen's Green Enchilada Surprise

Tonight’s dinner selection is born out of the necessity to use ingredients that I have on hand, and my current obsession with South of the Border cuisine. I have been on a major Mexican food kick lately, thanks to my recent purchase of a tortilla press and my Mexican Everyday cookbook by Rick Bayless. If you get a chance, this is one of the easiest to follow, authentic, Mexican cookbooks that I have seen in a while. All the recipes are fairly healthy, completely flavorful and geared toward the quick weeknight meal. I digress….back to our dinner.
I had some chicken thighs thawed to use last night. Since I preempted last nights dinner in favor of Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, I had to figure out something to do with the chicken thighs I had thawed. After all, I cannot justify wasting perfectly delicious chicken parts! I was worried about keeping them uncooked until today, so I just baked them in the oven at 375 degrees with just a little salt, pepper, and olive oil for about 45 minutes, yesterday afternoon. Then, I reserved the cooked, bone-in, skin-on thighs in a plastic container for tonight’s meal. Today, I took the skin and bone off the chicken and shredded the meat with a fork.
I also have some fresh cilantro, corn on the cob, whole wheat tortillas, and crème fraiche to use up (which is similar to sour cream or Mexican creme, but thicker). I dug in my pantry and found the rest of the ingredients that sound pretty tasty to me, so I am going to concoct my own version of green chile chicken enchiladas.
This is a recipe that I have made before, but since there is no official recipe I usually vary it based on what I have and what needs to be used. This will be the first time that I am actually writing out the directions and ingredients in a recipe format. Since I don’t actually measure anything when I cook, all measurements will be approximated and can be adjusted to your individual tastes. Also, feel free to add or delete ingredients as you wish. My ingredient list is long, since I am trying to use some things up. For example, I like super-spicy food. If you think something may be too spicy for your taste, just leave it out. How easy is that! This is a useful idea for leftover chicken that you may have on hand. Are you excited???? I know I am. Let’s Cook!

Jen’s Green Enchilada Surprise
2 Tbsp of canola oil
1-2 cups of boneless, skinless cooked chicken, shredded or diced into cubes
5 cloves of minced garlic
1 diced yellow onion
1 small (7.76 oz) can of green salsa, medium (I use La Cosenta brand)
1 small can of diced green chiles
½ small can of diced jalapeños or pickled, sliced jalapeños
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and diced
1 large can (1 lb. 12 oz.) of green chile enchilada sauce (I use Macayos or Las Palmas brands)
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp coriander
1 tsp Ancho Chile Power
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Approx. 6 -12 tortillas of your liking, depending on size
(I usually use Guerrero Whole Wheat tortillas)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sour cream (or Mexican creme, or crème fraiche thinned with a little milk)
2 cups of shredded jack cheese, divided
¼ cup of queso fresco and 1/4 cup of Cotija cheese, combined (for garnish)
Cooking spray
Water, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a larger skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté diced yellow onion until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for additional 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn. Add cooked chicken, green chiles, chipotle peppers, jalapeños, green salsa, cumin, coriander, Ancho chile powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add water, as needed. I use the small salsa can and add 1 can of water to mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly. Turn heat down to medium simmer, and heat mixture through until all ingredients are warmed/sauce thickened; approximately 5-10 minutes. Turn heat off and set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Open can of green enchilada sauce and pour approx 1/3 of can in bottom of glass casserole dish. Spoon chicken mixture into each tortilla to desired filling amount. Take 1 cup of shredded jack cheese and sprinkle a little bit of cheese in each tortilla with chicken mixture. Roll filled tortillas and place into glass casserole dish, seam side down (on top of green enchilada sauce). Pour remaining green chile enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas, covering evenly. Take remaining 1 cup of shredded jack cheese and sprinkle over top of enchiladas. Bake uncovered for approximately ½ hour at 350 degrees; until cheese is golden and bubbly and edges of tortillas are very slightly browned and crisp.

Remove enchiladas from oven and let cool for approximately 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle top with queso fresco/Cotija cheese mixture and chopped fresh cilantro. Cut and serve with a dollop of sour cream (or Mexican creme, or thinned crème fraiche instead) on top of each portion.

Jen's Notes:
I think I am also going to top ours with a few diced tomatoes and mashed avocado. I typically like to mash my avocado with some lime or lemon juice and kosher salt and serve as a topping on each portion.

For a side dish, I just serve this with a simple salad. I have some baby spinach to use up, so it looks like we will have a spinach salad on the side and maybe some corn on the cob that we have had for a while.

Again, this seems labor intensive but it is really easy. Just put ingredients in a skillet, heat through, stuff tortillas, and bake. I am looking forward to this dinner, since we have not had it in a while. Yum!

The Result: Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

The Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice was so, so, so good. This was a very comforting dish, and something that would be great during wintertime (albeit a little heavy for summer in Phoenix). Nonetheless, totally yummy. My only critique is that I think it could have used more salt in the recipe. I don't think 1/2 a teaspoon of salt for an entire crock pot full of beans is enough. I am of the opinion that seasoning should happen during the cooking process. I don't like to have to use table salt or pepper after I serve a dish. On this one, we had to use a little table salt while we were eating it to get it where it needed to be, seasoning-wise. Also, I had to add about a cup of water at the end, since it dried out and was starting to burn on the bottom. I think I saved it at just the right time, because it was not burnt at all. Whew! I did not really make anything for a side dish, since the main course itself was so filling. I just served with the chopped green onions on top and a small pat of butter for a little extra richness. It was exactly how I imagined it to taste! This was the first time my husband has had Red Beans and Rice and he really liked it. Connor ate a few bites of meat and rice and that was it. I am chalking that up to typical two year old picky eating. I will definitely make this again.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

I totally stole this recipe from my friend Claire's blog. Originally, she notes that it came from Cooking Light magazine. I was salivating when I saw that she was making this, and I had to ditch my original dinner idea in favor of this one. Being from the South, I love me some Red Beans and Rice! This version is super easy since it employs the use of a slow cooker. There are a few minor changes that I have made, based on the ingredients that I had on hand today. For example I threw in a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning for additional spice and I used hot beef sausage. My house smells so good right now...I cannot wait to eat. Since this is my first time trying this recipe out, I will post the results on how it turned out later. For those of you who read Claire's blog this will be a duplicate. Thanks Claire for a great idea!

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
3 cups water
1 cup dried red kidney beans
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (14-ounce) package turkey, pork, or beef smoked sausage, thinly sliced (such as Healthy Choice)
1 bay leaf
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine first 12 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 5 hours. Discard bay leaf; stir in salt. Serve over rice; sprinkle servings evenly with green onions.

For Starters

I started this blog to catalog and share the recipes that I use on a daily basis. Since cooking is my major hobby, I wanted an easy way to inform my friends and family of what I am doing in the kitchen. I will post my old stand-bys (the dishes I turn to time and time again) and any new recipes that I decide to try out. I thought that a blog format would be the best way to sift through my collection of tested and untested menu items. I typically use the Internet, cookbooks, family recipes, friends' recipes, and dishes that I have created myself to comprise our family meals. I often cook by throwing things together to see what happens. If it is a successful dish, then I go back and write an official recipe. You will recognize these original recipes by the word 'surprise' or my first name somewhere in the title (i.e. Jen's Beef Stew Surprise). Since not everything turns out exactly the way I want it all the time, I sometimes have disastrous (but comical) errors. On those nights we dine on hot dogs. I hope you, dear reader, find my blog both useful and entertaining. Enjoy!