Steak Diane

Wow. Great meal. The recipe suggests making this with a side of Parmesan polenta. Blech! I, instead, made just regular old mashed potatoes. Delicious.

The only thing, and I stress only, I would change in this recipe is I'd lessen the amount of red pepper flakes. It was a tad too spicy for me. But otherwise, this recipe was delicious. Oh and I BBQ'd the steak instead of pan fry it. I'm a BBQ girl, I can't help it.

Steak Diane

Photo courtesy of Cuisine at Home

Courtesy of Cuisine at Home

Serves: 4

• 4 beef tenderloin filets, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 5 c button mushroom, quartered
• 1/4 c shallot, minced
• 1 T red pepper flakes
• 1 c beef broth
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Sear both sides of filets in oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat until deep brown; about 5 minutes per side. Transfer filets to a plate and tent to keep warm.

Saute mushrooms, shallots and pepper flakes in butter in the same pan. Cook until mushrooms are golden and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 15 minutes. (Note: don't salt the mushrooms until they are cooked. Salt makes them release their juices and makes them harder to brown.)

Combine broth and dijon,then deglaze pan with the mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice, then return the filets to the pan. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes, turning meat a few times to coat.

Bombay Chicken and Parmasan Orzo

Not that the two of those were served in one meal. No. Instead they are two of the three recipes I've picked out of the bowl this week.

Parmesan Orzo - good but not fantastic. I most likely won't make it again, but stranger things have happened. Of course, in typical Jenn fashion, I added/deleted from the recipe.

Parmesan Orzo
Makes 3 cups

• 1 c dry orzo
• 1/4 c Parmesan or Asiago cheese (I used Parmesan)
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt to taste

Cook the orzo according to the package. Put it in a bowl. Add Parmesan, olive oil and salt.

I added 1 T of butter. It helped with the consistency and made it creamier.

Bombay Chicken
Quite a good recipe. I didn't let it marinade for as long as it should have (read: I didn't read the recipe correctly at first) and wonder how that would have changed the flavor.

Bombay Chicken

• 1 1/2 c fat free plain yogurt
• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T paprika
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (I didn't have this and so didn't use it. See my note below.)
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 lbs bone in chicken thighs and legs; skin removed (big shock, but I used chicken breasts instead)

Note: I didn't have cardamom and didn't want to spend $14 for an entire bottle. I checked a few websites and they said a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg will give you the same flavor. So I used the required cinnamon in this recipe and used 1/8 tsp of nutmeg.)

In a large ziploc bag, combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Mix well. Add the chicken and let it marinade overnight. (I let it marinaded for 2 hours)

Grill chicken, covered over direct medium hot heat for 15 minutes. Turn, grill for 10-15 minutes longer until juices run clear.

MMM. Enjoy!

Mom's Enchiladas - Secret Family Recipe

You should feel special. It's not every day I decide to post a super secret family recipe. But after having Mom's Worlds Famous Enchiladas last night I feel obligated to share.

The story goes, that WAY back when, before the dinosaurs, there was a little Mexican restaurant on the corner of my mom's childhood street called El Patio. Mom says, the "mother" or "grandmother" who was the main cook there invited her into the kitchen to witness the miracle of making enchiladas. And thus the recipe was born. Not sure how close this recipe resembles that of El Patio, but I don't really care since it's delicious.

Special note - these are not lo-cal, nor should they be. Period.

Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas (a dozen or two depending on how many you want to make - 20 fit in a 13X9 inch Pyrex)
• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 can chopped olives - drained
• 12 c shredded cheese, more if you like cheese.
• 1 can Enchilada sauce (DO NOT use taco sauce/salsa. La Victoria - I think - has Enchilada sauce.)
• 1 chopped onion
• Optional: I can green chili's diced. Mom uses this. I didn't, but do now.
• 1 pint sour cream
• Vegetable oil - about 2 cups

Okay, ready for this.
First - turn on your oven to 350F.
Second - cook your ground beef and season with salt and pepper and about 1 T chili powder

Side bar on the super secret ground beef recipe:
Mom never EVER used the taco seasoning from a packet. Instead, cooking the ground beef using salt and pepper as seasoning, once it's cooked and drained - hit it with chili powder. That's your seasoning. I guarantee you you'll never use taco seasoning again.

Put enough oil in a skillet to submerge a tortilla. It depends on the size of the skillet. I usually use about an 8 in skillet. You'll be using this to "relax" the corn tortillas. See, corn tortillas are not very flexible when you get them out of the bag. This is how they did it at El Patio, so that's how we do it now.

When your oil is hot ( I usually pop in a small piece of a tortilla to see if it'll sizzle.) One at a time, dip the corn tortillas in the oil just long enough to make them flexible. Use tongs to flip it carefully to not break the tortilla.  Less than 3 seconds per side. DO NOT over cook - you're not making tostadas. If your oil is hot enough it is literally put the tortilla in, coat it, flip it, and bring it out. Drain them on paper towels.

Now - set up your assembly line. In this order

• Sour Cream 
• Ground beef 
• Cheese (in a bowl makes it easy to grab)
• Onions chopped
• Open the olives and green chili's if you're using it.

SHAKE the enchilada sauce. I use a can opener to pop a hole in the top to make it easy for pouring. So before you open it, shake it. Put a couple of tablespoons in the dish to coat the bottom. 

Take a tortilla on a flat surface (mom rolls them in the Pyrex she's baking them in - I use a cutting board and move them to the Pyrex).
Slather with sour cream down the middle. Just enough to coat it. A spoon full should do it. Make sure the sour cream extends to both sides. You want to be sure to get sour cream in each bite.
Next - put a spoonful of beef over the sour cream.
Next - cheese, onions, olives and green chili's if you're using them.
Roll the tortilla into a tube. Transfer it to the pyrex with the seam down.
Repeat until all the tortilla's are used.

The key is to not over stuff them. You'll get the hang of it. 

Family tradition, according to mom, is the cook gets to "test" one. So after you roll it and put all the goodies in it, the cook gets to eat it. Her theory was "Just n case, cuz you never know if it'll be good or not."  Plus, there's always one tortilla that gets a hole in it or ripped.

Now that you've got them all in a dish. Pour over the enchiladas covering each one of them, from end to end, completely. Don't just pour it over haphazardly, take your time. Use a small stream of sauce and cover each one lovingly.

Cover with cheese and remaining olives and chili's.

Bake at 350 until the cheese is bubbling. Let stand for as long as you can stand it (5 minutes) and dig in.

Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo

It's been WAY too long, I know. But I'm about done with the challenge of a lifetime, and I promise to add more recipes as the fall sets in. Cross my heart, hope to die.

Many moons ago I lost all my recipes to a tragic computer crash. Since that time I've been putting them back into my computer and finding some great ones that I tried, but neglected to share with you. This is just one of those.

As I recall I made this for a bunch of people - which included the crush at the time - and it was overwhelming good.

Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo

Courtesy of FoodNetwork

Courtesy of FoodNetwork
Servings 6

For marinade:

• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup Chopped flat leaf parsley

For the grill:

• 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp; peeled and deveined
• 2 ears corn; husked and cut into thirds
• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper halved and cored
• 1 yellow bell pepper halved and cored
• 1 orange bell pepper halved and cored

Safron Orzo

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 pound dried orzo
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine half the marinade with the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and shrimp. Toss to combine. Cover and let marinate for at least 1 hour. If marinating for longer than 1 hour, make sure to refrigerate.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the corn with reserved unused marinade and wrap in foil. Toss the mushrooms with 1/4 cup of the reserved unused marinade. Grill the chicken breasts and thighs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 7 minutes a side. Grill the corn inside the foil, for about 5 minutes a side. Grill the peppers for about 5 minutes a side. Grill the shrimp and the mushrooms, about 2 minutes a side. Brush the grilled peppers with the last of the reserved unused marinade. Slice the peppers and mushrooms before serving, if desired.

Arrange grilled meats and vegetables over the saffron orzo on a large platter and serve immediately.

For Saffron Orzo:

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the stock to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir, and allow the saffron to bloom, about 5 minutes. Return the heat to medium and the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain orzo and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to combine.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mushrooms

Blueberry was over for walking tonight. After we took to the kitchen. I actually let her in the kitchen with me today. Not sure why yet, but it still worked out just fine.

A couple of years ago I bought this massive cookbook called Cover and Bake. It's full of casserole type dishes. I'm not a big casserole fan so I'm unsure why I bought it. Still, the recipe I picked from the bowl today was this one. It was bomb-diggity.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mushrooms
Serves 6-8 - Um yah it does. I have 14 gallons of left overs. Anyone hungry?

• 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
• 2 T Unsalted butter, melted
• 1 bunch broccoli, stalks discarded, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieced
• 3/4 pound penne
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds cremini Mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 8 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 T minced fresh thyme
• 1/4 c flour
• 1 c white wine
• 2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds Boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 ounces Asiago Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the topping: process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground, about six 1 second pulses.

For the filling: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400F. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a dutch oven over high heat.

Add pasta and cook to al dente. Do not over cook. Drain and toss with 1 T olive oil; leave in the colander and set aside.

Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 2 T oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the cremini and 3/4 tsp salt; cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and are brown around the edges; about 10 minutes.

Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off the heat stir in broccoli, asiago and pepper.

Add the cooked pasta; stir to combine. Transfer to 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake until casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly brown, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

Rachael Ray...oh how she sometimes comes up with a quick, simple, and delicious recipe.

I picked this recipe out of the bowl and made it last night. Naturally I couldn't just follow the recipe. I had to "enhance" it. But I only enhanced it by adding mushrooms. I had them and they needed to be used.

Piccata is a meal with a quick cooking time, but there are a lot of stages to get to that quick cooking time. This recipe took out some of those steps. It also a bit lighter. Traditional piccata is done with butter and is quite heavy. This is done with chicken stock and makes it lighter.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

• 1 lb penne - cooked al dente
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 lb chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 2 T flour
• 1/2 c white wine (if you don't cook with wine, just use chicken stock)
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chicken stock (add another 1/2 cup if you're not using the wine)
• 3 T capers (I didn't have capers so I substituted green olives)
• 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
• Chives for garnish.

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

I switched up the recipe here. I browned and sauteed some mushrooms in oil before this next step. Took them out and added them to the bowl of chicken before the next step.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes.

Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

Beef Bolognese

Last week I got 4 new cookbooks from Cuisine at Home. I heart Cuisine at Home. It's my favorite magazine ever and they do some damn good cookbooks.

I'm a huge fan of Bolognese. Whenever I get a chance, I try a new recipe. Tonight I tried a speedy Bolognese. I wasn't sure it would have that all day taste that I love in standard Bolognese. But I was pleasantly surprised that it did have that taste and then some.

Beef Bolognese
Makes 6 cups

Brown in 1 T Olive oil:

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1/2 lb Italian sausage

Add and saute:

• 1/2 cup each onion, carrot, and celery - all grated or diced finely
• 3 T tomato paste
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 1 Bay leaf

Deglaze and reduce; Stir in:

• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with:
Chopped fresh parsley
Grated parmesan

Brown ground beef and sausage in oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

Add onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, garlic and bay leaf. Sauté until onions soften, about 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with wine; bring to a boil and simmer until almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes and cream and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over spaghetti.

Garnish with parmesan and parsley.

Jenn's Kick Ass Stroganoff

So for many years now I've been trying to master THE perfect stroganoff. I think I finally have it. Tonight, I witnessed history as I cooked, what I consider, the most BESTEST stroganoff in all the world.

Jenn's KickAss Stroganoff

• Beef - some type of beef, sirloin or flank or whatever, sliced in thin strips
• 1lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• pinch and a half of Cayenne
• 8 oz sour cream - I used low fat
• Salt and Pepper
• Cornstarch
• Water

If the beef is wet, dab it with paper towels. Slice the beef into thin strips. Sprinkle cornstarch on beef and dust beef.

Heat 1 T vegetable oil in a skillet on high - as if you are going to stirfry the beef. When it's hot, toss in the beef. Salt and pepper to taste.

When beef is just about done, toss in the onions and mushrooms.
Cook for a minute or so on high. Stir constantly so the onion doesn't burn.
Salt and pepper to taste. You should season in layers to make sure its solid flavor.

Lower the heat to medium high, sprinkle beef with ground mustard and cayenne. Stir.
Add Dijon mustard, stir. Cook for 3 minutes or so.
Put in the cream of mushroom soup. Stir.
Put in about 1/2 cup water, to make it the consistency of say chowder.
Cook for a minute or so. If it's too thick, add water to keep the consistency of chowder.
Add Worcestershire sauce and sour cream.

Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add your favorite pasta or rice to the mixture. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. In fact, if you're in town, I'll be glad to cook for you.

French Spaghetti

It was a good week for recipes. In my natural Jenn fashion I "followed" them as close as I could. I can't help it. I'm just sure I can improve them.

French Spaghetti
Serves 8

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 T butter
• 1 can whole tomatoes (16 oz), undrained and chopped (no shock here I just used a can of diced tomatoes.)
• 1 can sliced mushrooms (I had some mushrooms in the fridge so I chopped them up and used them. I'm not a big fan of canned mushrooms anyhow.)
• 1/4 c sliced pitted ripe olives; drained
• 4 tsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c whipping cream
• 3/4 c milk
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese; grated

Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.

For tomato sauce: Cook onion in butter in a skillet until tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and drained olives.

For white sauce: Melt 1 T butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour and salt. Cook it slightly. Your nose will know it's done cooking (30 seconds) as it'll smell kinda nutty. WHISK in cream and milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Arrange pasta in a 2 quart square baking dish. Top with white sauce, then tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes in a 350F oven.

Now, what I didn't do. I am not a fan of baked pasta, so I simply mixed the white and tomato sauce together and put it over the spaghetti. I topped mine with some parsley too since I had it on hand.

Spicy Szechwan Chicken

ZOMG...so goood! I know I say that about almost every recipe I try. But seriously! I kicked white ass tonight making this.

Though mine looks nothing like the photo in the cookbook, it was gosh, darn golly gee whiz good.

And despite what the title says, it wasn't spicy at all. I can see how you can make it more spicy, but this batch wasn't. I'm not a huge fan of "burn your lips off" spicy. I like my spicy to be more flavorful than hot.

Spicy Szechwan Chicken
Serves 4

2 Frying chickens, cut into pieces ( I don't do fryer chickens. Too much food for a single girl, and I hate dark meat. So I did this with two chicken breasts)

Spicy Szechwan marinade:

• 3 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (yah so I misread this and used rice wine vinegar - not a big deal I don't think as it still kicked ass)
• 3T hoisin sauce
• 3 T thin soy sauce (I have no idea what "thin" soy sauce is. I used my ordinarily every day soy sauce - low sodium)
• 2T oyster sauce (didn't have oyster sauce, so used fish sauce)
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T dark sesame oil (um yah, don't like sesame so used just regular cooking oil)
• 1 T Asian chili sauce (here is where you can add more if you want it more spicy)
• 2 T sugar (as I mixed this I thought brown sugar would be good here as well)
• 1 T finely minced garlic
• 1 T very finely chopped minced ginger
• 2 whole green onions, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Mix all the ingredients together, besides the chicken.
Put the chicken in a resealable zip loc bag; pour the marinade over it. I reserved 1/4 cup of it to put on the chicken as it cooked. Let marinade for 30 minutes; or up to 8 hours. I did it overnight and it was sooo good.

Grill; bake; broil; do whatever you do with chicken. I slow grilled it. DELICIOUS! Doused it with the reserve marinade on each flip.

Though looking back at the recipe and what I "changed" in it, I now wonder what it would have tasted like had I actually followed the recipe. Huh! Oh well, maybe next time.

Enjoy!

Spanish Chicken & Rice

Today is Easter, and for my Easter dinner I'm having the not so traditional Spanish Chicken and Rice. I'm a BIG fan of Paella, except I usually don't like the fishy part of it. Which is, as you may know the reason for Paella. No matter. I found a substitute. And by "found a substitute" I mean I changed the recipe up some.

Spanish Chicken and Rice
Serves: 4, but it does serve more than that.

• 3 lbs chicken
• 2 T flour
• Salt and pepper
• 4 T vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 14 oz can of tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes, but you could use tomato sauce too)
• 6 oz canned pimientos, drained and sliced (so I just used the green olives stuffed with pimientos)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 8 stuffed green olives (Right! only 8. Whatever)
• 3/4 c long grain rice
• 1/2 lb chorizo sausage; cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 cup frozen peas

Toss chicken pieces in flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet, brown the chicken on all sides and remove. Add the onion and fry until golden brown.

Here's where the recipe got weird for me. It says to drain tomatoes and add enough water to make 3 1/4 cups. Since I chose to use crushed tomatoes, I used a 28 oz can instead and the made sure I had 3 1/4 cups total liquid. I like more tomato flavor than not.

Return chicken to pan. Add the tomato juice (see above note), olives, pimientos, bouillon cubes, rice, and chorizo.

Cover pan tightly and simmer gently for 45 minutes, forking carefully through the rice occasionally to prevent it sticking.

Add peas to pan, cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Adjust seasoning before serving.

Okay, and here's some more adjustments. I like my chorizo to have a browned texture to it. So I generally brown the chorizo separately and have it ready. I also do not include the bouillon cubes. Earlier when I said I add enough water to the crushed tomatoes, I've added chicken stock instead on some occasions, and it tastes just fine. I didn't find the bouillon cubes added any other flavor.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

It's been recently pointed out to me that I've been slacking on my duty to post recipes here. It's not because I have lost the love...it's because Jenny Craig doesn't really accommodate my type of recipes. Though I think they should!

Anyhow, for the said person who was complaining (and I'm sure it was her husband who was complaining and not her. She seems so nice and docile unlike his grumpy self.) I give you one of my all time favorite recipes. It's quick and easy and oh so delicious. Not to mention created by my future husband (as soon as he dumps his current model like wife), Tyler Florence.


Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
Courtesy of Tyler Florence, FoodNetwork
Serves 4



Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa (I totally cheat on this and buy two jars of the tomatillo chile salsa made by....um...er... someone...). The first time I made this I made the salsa and it was simple, but I found the jarred version just as nice.

• 1 lb tomatillos, husked
• 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 tsp ground cumin (I'm not a big cumin fan so I cut this in half)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (didn't even use the cumin in this)
• 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 2 c chicken stock, store bought
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded (You can also use left over chicken if you should have any after baking up a chickee)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 large flour tortillas
• 1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 c sour cream
• Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa: On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. or blender. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute.
Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute ( I had to look up what this was the first time I made it)

Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens.
Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish.
Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa.
Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or microwave them briefly like I did. You just need to make them plyable).

Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas.

Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.

Parchment Halibut with Pesto, Zucchini and Carrots, Garlic and Ginger Rice, Sweet and Sour Green Beans

I'm going to try to be better about posting my recipes this next year. I sure tried a lot last year and plan on doing more this year.

New Year's Eve dinner was delicious. Parchment baked Halibut with pesto, zucchini and carrots; Sweet and Sour Green beans, and Garlic And Ginger rice. All three were delicious. I can't say the Asian flare of the sweet and sour and garlic/ginger fit with the Italian pesto, but I heard no complaints. They wouldn't' dare.

Parchment Halibut with Pesto, Zucchini and Carrots
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Servings 4

• 4 sheets parchment paper
• cooking spray
• 4 halibut steaks (6 oz each)
• 1/2 pesto sauce
• 1 c shredded carrots
• 1 c shredded zucchini
• 3/4 tsp salt; divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper; divided
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp dry white wine

Preheat oven to 450F. Fold parchment in half; cut into heart shapes. Place ingredients near the fold. Spray cooking spray on parchment before placing ingredients on fold.

Place fillets on one side so that it touches the fold; but not the ungreased border. Spread 1 T pesto over fillet; top with 1/4 cup carrots and 1/3 cup zucchini, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle fillet with olive oil and 1 tsp wine.

Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds.

Place packets on baking sheets. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. To serve open packets and transfer the fillets with their vegetables topping to plates.

Garlic and Ginger Rice
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Servings: 8

• 2 c uncooked Jasmine Rice
• 1 T vegetable Oil
• 1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 c Asian chicken stock
• 1 c chopped cilantro

Place rice in a colander in a bowl. Cover rice with water, stir rice until water turns white. Lift colander, drain liquid in bowl. Repeat procedure twice. Drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans
Courtesy of AllRecipes.com
Servings: 4

• 4 slices Bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 1/4 c sugar

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. With tongs transfer to a paper towel (reserve skillet drippings).

Add onion to skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to brown. Add green beans and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing occasionally, until beans are bright green and tender, about 10 minutes.

Crumble bacon into skillet; add vinegar and sugar. cook until syrupy sauce forms, 2 minutes, tossing to coat.