7/30/2010

Chicken Enchilada Mummies


Photo is from the Betty Crocker website.

I have been wanting a really good enchilada recipe. In Oct of 2007 I found a little Halloween cookbook at the check out stand. There was a recipe for enchilada mummies in there, the enchiladas looked so good so I came home and looked all over the internet trying to find the recipe with no luck, so I forked up the 4 bucks and bought the little cookbook. I made the enchiladas and they were so good. It is now my go to enchilada recipe. This week Christie and I both couldn't find the recipe and were dying, we can't lose this recipe. Then we found them and said we need to get this on the blog. So again I googled the recipe and this time I found it, oh well.

It makes 1 9x13 pan and a 8x8. The original recipe has roasted red peppers in it which I have never added and last night when I made them I forgot the green chilis.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 lb), cut into 1-inch pieces(I like my chicken shredded so I either cook it in the oven or poach it and then shred it.

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)(I have never put these in)
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
3 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (12 oz)
2 cans (10 oz each) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
12 Old El Paso® flour tortillas (8 inch)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) and 8x8-inch (2-quart) baking dishes with cooking spray.
2. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in cumin, garlic salt and oregano. Cook 1 minute longer; drain if necessary. Pour chicken mixture into large bowl.
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons sour cream in small bowl; refrigerate. Into bowl of chicken mixture, stir remaining sour cream, roasted peppers, chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese blend.
4. Spread heaping 3/4 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; arrange 8 seam-side down in 13x9-inch baking dish and 4 seam-side down in 8x8-inch baking dish.
5. Top each baking dish evenly with enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Spray 2 sheets of foil with cooking spray; cover each baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.
6. Bake about 50 minutes or until enchiladas are hot. Place reserved 2 tablespoons sour cream in Ziploc® Brand snack bag. Seal bag; cut off 1 corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe eyes and mouth on each mummy. ( I did make them mummies once)

They are really good served with fresh tomatoes, guacamole or sour cream, and cilantro on top.

7/26/2010

Chicken Souvlaki Gyros

These make for a tasty (and reasonably healthy) summer meal.

Souvlaki Marinade

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Fixins
• 4 large pita bread rounds
• Romaine lettuce
• Diced tomato
• Sliced red onion
• Pepperoncini
• Feta cheese crumbles
• Tzatziki Sauce (see below)

In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinaigrette, lemon juice, oregano and black pepper. Place chicken in a shallow dish or large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade and place on prepared grill. Discard remaining marinade. Cook chicken until juices run clear, about 8 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from heat, and allow to sit for a few minutes before slicing into thin strips.

Place pita rounds on the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until hot, turning frequently to avoid burning. Stuff pitas with chicken and toppings to serve.



Tzatziki Sauce
• 1 (8 oz) container plain yogurt
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze the cucumber with a paper towel to remove any excess water. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix to desired consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

7/07/2010

Gelato di Cioccolato (Chocolate Gelato)

Gelato differs from American ice cream in that it has lower butterfat and sugar content. It also has a more dense texture with more intense flavor. The author of this particular recipe notes that it isn't totally authentic because real gelato doesn't use whipping cream, but this is "the best way to re-create it at home with the kind of ice cream makers most people can afford to have in their own kitchens." For more detailed instructions with plenty of photos, definitely check out her original article.

• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 3.5-oz high-quality chocolate bars (I used Lindt 50% Cocoa Bars)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Mix-in of your choice (optional)

Put the beaten egg yolks, sugar, and milk into a small saucepan, then turn the heat onto a relatively low setting. Cook this mixture, stirring regularly until it is slightly thickened and starts to coat the spoon and sides of the pan as you stir. Remove from heat.

As the milk/sugar/egg mixture is heating up, break up the chocolate bars into pieces and put the pieces in a microwave-safe dish. Melt slowly in the microwave on a medium power setting in 30 second intervals, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted.

Add the vanilla and whipping cream to the melted chocolate and mix it thoroughly. The chilled cream may cause some of the chocolate to solidify. If so, briefly return the mixture to the microwave to maintain a smooth texture. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the saucepan with the milk/sugar/egg and mix until well-blended.

Pour the mixture into a container and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic actually touches the liquid. This will keep a skin from forming in the cooling process. Put the mixture in the refrigerator and cool it to at least room temperature, then freeze it according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Eat it straight out of the machine if you like it soft, or let it set in the freezer for a couple of hours if you want it more firm. Store the finished gelato in an air-tight container.

7/06/2010

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here is the recipe for the muffins I made at the cabin, which I found on All Recipes as usual. Depending on the size of your muffin tins, this should make somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-18 muffins.

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.