White Chicken Enchiladas

This appeared to be an easy meal to prepare so I chose to make it on a week night - ummm this turned out to be incorrect. There is a lot of prep work in this meal, however, it is definitely worth it because the flavors are fantastical. So all in all I would most definitely make this again, but on a weekend when I am not worn out tired from work all day - ha! We didn't end up eating until almost 8 because it took my that long to prepare - whoops! I have such a bad habit of not reading the entire recipe before I start! Anyway this will make enough for 8 people but leftovers are great. I ended up having a ton of cheese sauce and the chicken mixture after making the enchiladas too. Some ideas for this could be breakfast, cheesy pasta or rice dish. We will see if that happens over the next few days...

I substituted the bell peppers with green and only used 1 red to save some money. I used 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts. I seasoned them with Salt, pepper, cumin, chile powder & garlic powder. I seared both sides in a cast iron skillet over high heat and then cooked them about 20 minutes in oven on 375º. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes and then shred with 2 forks. Try not to eat all the chicken while you are shredding like I did! :-)

White Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 8

White Chicken Enchiladas

ingredients

• 3 bell peppers (I used 2 green & 1 red)

• 1 each jalapeno, serrano & Fresno chile pepper

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced

• 1 T canola oil

• 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

• 3 cups chicken broth

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tsp paprika
• Dash of salt
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups grated pepper jack & cheddar combined
• 1 cup sour cream
• 16 small corn tortillas
• cilantro & salsa for serving

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Roast the bell peppers, Serrano, 1 jalapeno & Fresno chiles over gas flame on stove until charred on all sides. You can also do this in the broiler, just turn them every minute or so. Keep an eye on them in the broiler though because they can go quick. Remove from flame and put in a large bowl and cover/seal with plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Remove charred skin with a paper towel, chop the chiles and set aside.

2. In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and remaining jalapeno pepper with some S&P in the canola oil. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.Add the shredded chicken,  1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 tsp paprika, salt and half of the chopped roasted peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

3. In another skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then sprinkle in the flour. Whisk around for 1 minute until the flour is golden in color. Slowly pour in 2 cups of the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring then pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese. Stir in the sour cream and the remaining chopped roasted peppers. If the sauce seems too thick, splash in some chicken broth. Turn heat to low and stir occasionally until you are ready to use. Taste and add some salt if needed.

4. Toast the tortillas over gas stove until warm and slightly charred. It's time to assemble these babies!

5. Place small amount of chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla, top with some cheese sauce (not too much!), roll and place seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat until all 16 tortillas are stuffed. I had to use a 9x13 baking dish and an 8x8 dish to accommodate all of them! Pour the sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and golden on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with cilantro and sour cream on top of each serving and refried beans on the side.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Carnitas Pizza

Another great recipe from The Pioneer Woman - what can I say I really like this cook book! I made the entire amount of meat so we could use the leftovers for tacos - can't every have enough Mexican food leftovers in this house. I used the pineapple juice and it worked out great- gave the meat plenty of juice to cook in and a lot of flavor. I will definitely be making this pizza again!

Carnitas Pizza

Carnitas Pizza

Serves 4-6

ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough (at room temperature)

• 3-4 lb boneless beef chuck roast

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp each ground cumin, dried oregano & kosher salt

• 2 Tbsp canola oil

• 24 oz pineapple, papaya, mango juice or beef stock

• Olive oil, for drizzling

• 1 cup tomatillo salsa, plus more for serving

• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly

• 1 onion & 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced & sauteed
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Sliced jalapenos, Sour Cream & Guacamole for serving (optional)

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300º and move a rack to the lowest section of the oven. Let meat rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off before cooking. Mix the spices together in a small bowl with your fingers. Rub the mixture on both sides of the meat.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Sear both sides of the meat until browned, about 2 minutes per side. I also seared the sides in addition to the bottom and top because my roast was very thick.

3. Turn off the heat and pour the juice over the top of the meat in the dutch oven. Cover and roast in the oven for 4 hours until the meat is falling apart and tender. Remove from dutch oven and shred, put back in the pot until ready to use. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, saute the onions and peppers and let cool slightly. Once meat is done, increase oven temperature to 450º to cook the pizza. Make sure to let it come to temp before putting pizza in.

4. Roll out the pizza dough until very thin and drizzle a baking sheet with some olive oil. Place dough on the baking sheet. Spread tomatillo sauce all over in a thin layer. Lay the mozzarella slices on top then the pepper & onion mixture. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melty and gooey.

5. Lay the warm meat on top along with some juices from the pot. Sprinkle the green onions on top. Slice and serve with extra salsa, jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream.

I cooked the roast in anticipation of using half the meat for lunches to make tacos so if you want to you can make 2 pizzas with the above list of ingredients or just cut the measurements in half to make one pizza (except the dough).

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman

Tasty Chile Rellenos, Refried Beans & Rice

This was our second go around to try to make authentic Chile Rellenos at home and it was a success! When we told Quinton's dad that our first attempt at trying to make them he sent us a recipe from Debbie Lackey and it was great! I also made some crock pot beans that have the same consistency as refried beans and basic rice mixed with some green chile sauce. I concocted a green chile sauce from one can of Hatch Green chile sauce, onion, garlic and chopped green chiles. It was a great meal. I reduced the original recipe to make enough for 4 rellenos since it was just the two of us.

Chile Rellenos

Serves 2

Chiles stuffed with Cheese

Green Chile Sauce

 

Chile Rellenos, Green Chile Sauce, Refried Beans & Rice

ingredients

• 4 green chiles, roasted & peeled

• 1/2- 3/4 cup combination of pepper jack & cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 cup flour

• 1/2 T sugar

• 1 t baking powder

• 1/2 t salt

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• Green chile sauce

• refried beans and rice

directions

1. Heat 1-2" of canola oil in a deep cast iron skillet until oil gets hot, turn heat down to medium high.

2. Cut a small slit in each chile and gently stuff with the cheese. We left the stems on and the seeds in.

3. Prepare the batter by whisking the eggs and then adding the next 6 ingredients together in a bowl. This should be the same consistency as pancake batter.

4. Dip each stuffed chile in the batter and coat thoroughly, tap gently on side of bowl to get rid of excess batter.

5. Drop a dollop of batter in the oil - if it floats the oil is ready for cookin!

6. Gently put chiles in oil and brown on one side then turn over and brown the other side. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and EAT EM UP!

I served some green chile sauce on top of each with rice & beans on the side. They were so good, I'm ready to make them again. Q was so happy while we were eating and kept saying how these reminded him of back home - that made me happy tooooooo!

Enjoy!

This recipe adapted from Debbie Lackey.

Beef & Pork Chili

Last week my local Publix had coarsely ground beef for chili and it was on sale so I snagged a few packages and now I am wishing I would have grabbed more while they were on sale. The coarse grind really does make a difference because the meat was so soft it was really incredible. I added some Hot NM chopped green chile to this as well to add a bit more heat. I also like to combine some chile powders to add more flavor so I combined ancho and regular chile powder. This dish is really hearty and we ate it with Fritos. I personally like tortillas chips but wanted to try the Frito route but they were a bit too thick for me. There's just something about dipping a tortillas chip or tortilla into some chile when you take a spoonful - yum!

Beef & Pork Chili
Serves 16 

Chili for a Crowd

ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups dried pinto beans 

• 2 1/2 lbs coarsely ground set chuck

• 1 lb lean ground pork

• 3 cups chopped sweet green bell pepper

• 2 cups chopped white onion

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 2 Tbsp chopped roasted green chilies

• 3- 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes undrained

• 1/3 cup chile powder (I mixed ancho and regular together)

• 2 tsp each kosher salt, pepper & cumin

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped

Topping ideas: avocado, cilantro, red onion, roasted pumpkin seeds, green bell peppers, cheese, tortilla chips

directions

1. Combine beans in a dutch oven with just enough water to cover them. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

2. Combine the beans and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the liquid. Return beans to pot with the reserved liquid. Add the undrained tomatoes, peppers, onions, green chile and garlic.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown the ground beef and pork, one third at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan. Drain off fat. Add the cooked beef to the pot with the beans and veggies. Stir in seasonings and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour stirring occasstionaly. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes more, stirring occassionally. Stir in the parsley.

Serve each portion with some of the toppings mentioned above.

Beef & Pork Chili

This WILL make a ton of chili but I love that because it freezes really well and makes a terrific lunch! So I would definitely recommend making the full batch. Or this would make a wonderful dish for pot luck and you could also make this in slow cooker as well. 

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.

Maple-Bacon Roasted Wings

As I've mentioned before every month Food Network puts a 4 page booklet in the magazine entitled "50 Somethings". One of which is "50 Wing Recipes"... I keep this one handy as we always get the 10 lb wings at Costco so we can make our own at home. Don't get me wrong I love going to Taco Mac to grab some wings but these will be much healthier because you know what you are putting in them. Q was reading through it last week and picked this one out - of course it has bacon in it! So we decided to give them a whirl and they were really tasty. The original recipe calls for bourbon and we don't drink that so I just used whiskey and they were great!

Maple-Bacon Roasted Wings

Serves 2 

Maple-Bacon Roasted Wings

ingredients

• 18 wings (combination of drums & flats)

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

• 4 slices apple wood smoked bacon

• 1/2 Tbsp bacon drippings

• 1/8 cup pure maple syrup

• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tbsp Whiskey or Bourbon (I used Crown)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Line a large baking sheet with foil and a wire rack on top of the foil. Coat the rack with nonstick spray as well. Season the wings with some S&P and roast for 45-55 minutes to your desired doneness. We like ours extra crispy so we tend to go more towards 50-55 minutes. It also depends on the size of your wings too. The bigger they are the longer it takes for them to cook!

2. Meanwhile cook the bacon in a large cast iron skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and crumble, set aside. Reserve 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings. Whisk the bacon drippings in with syrup, vinegar and whiskey. Set aside. Note: I did mine in a glass bowl and set it on the back of the stove while the wings were cooking otherwise the bacon drippings will begin to solidify if they get to cool. 

3. Toss the wings with the sauce and bacon crumbles.

I also served these with the roasted french fries that I am now obsessed with because they really do taste  like the fried ones! You can find the recipe on my blog here:  French Fries. I also whipped up a tasty dipping sauce for the fries by mixing equal parts mayo & ketchup and a few shakes of Sriracha Sauce. Yum!

Maple-Bacon Roasted Wings & Fries

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.

BBQ Pulled Pork & French Fries

I really love this version of Homemade BBQ sauce - it's fresh and tastes incredible. Last time I made it, I froze a bunch of it so I could have it on hand to make easy peasy meals like this one. The original recipe for the sauce can be found here: BBQ Sauce.

I had some pork shoulder in the freezer and decided it was a good day to make some pulled pork. I spiced it up with some chopped chipotle in adobo. I was thrilled to see that they now sell it in jars so you can store in fridge. It's already chopped up and ready to go which is a major plus when you are in a hurry. I discovered a new french fry recipe that is so amazing and they went perfectly with this dinner as well.

BBQ Pulled Pork

Serves 4

Pulled Pork Sammies & Fries

ingredients

• 2.5 lb Pork Shoulder

• 1 - 1.5 cups homemade BBQ sauce

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 white onions, diced

• 2 Tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

Put all ingredients into the slow cooker, except pork shoulder. Stir until combined, then add the pork and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Pull the pork out and shred, removing any excess fat. Put back in slow cooker and cook for 20-30 minutes.

Serve this on potato buns or flour tortillas and top with cheese.

This recipe was adapted from Me.

I found the next recipe on Pinterest and it appears to be one of Gwyneth Paltrow's recipes. I decided to give it a whirl and can't believe how much they taste like "fried" french fries and they are baked! The trick seems to be to soak them so that they potatoes lose most of their starchiness and they end up crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This will become a staple in our house now 1) they are so easy and 2) much healthier alternative. Here's how to make em...

Baked French Fries

Serves 2

French Fries

 

ingredients

• 3 medium russet potatoes, washed & sliced

• Sea Salt to taste

• 1-2 Tbsp EVOO

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450º and line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
2. Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for 1-2 hours, drain and pat dry.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes, EVOO & Salt until well coated. Place on baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow

Rice and Peas with Salmon

This was one of those dishes that I questioned - making rice in the oven??? and the combination of ingredients made me wonder how it was really going to be. But to my surprise it was a fantastic dinner and we both really liked it so I would definitely make it again. It's a new take on making a quick risotto which I didn't think any risotto dish could be made quickly. I was wrong! Here's how you make it...

Rice & Peas with Salmon

Serves 2  

Rice & Peas with Salmon

ingredients

• 1 tbsp EVOO

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2c arborio rice

• 1/8 cup Pinot Grigio

• 3/4 cup chicken broth

• 3/4 cup frozen peas

• 1 tbsp horseradish

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 6 oz pan seared salmon, flaked

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• Baby arugula

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. Heat the EVOO in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring constantly until glossy for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste.

2. Pour the broth and 3/4 cups water over the rice and bring to a simmer, 4 minutes. Stir, then cover and transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

3. Meanwhile, cook the peas in 4 cups of salted water for 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid and drain the peas. Set aside.

4. Remove the rice from the oven. Stir in the peas, horseradish, Parmesan, S&P to taste. Sir in enough reserved liquid until the rice is creamy. Serve each bowl with rice then salmon, some horseradish and the baby arugula on top. Drizzle with some EVOO.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.

Baked Penne with Fennel

Pasta is one of my favorite meals as most already know but this one was really tasty... it's loaded with 3 different kinds of cheese which makes it even better. I have to say after trying pancetta multiple times in various dishes I really don't like it. I prefer to substitute bacon. I used the pancetta in this dish and it was very good dish overall but I would have liked to use thick cut bacon instead. Just my opinion plus bacon tends to be cheaper especially when it's on sale. Anyway if I were to make this again - bacon would be substituted. The fennel is an awesome addition as it gives a mild kick and combined with the onion and garlic how could you go wrong. You can serve this with a side arugula salad as arugula goes really great with cheesy dishes.

Baked Penne with Fennel

Serves 6 

Baked Penne with Fennel

ingredients

• 3 Tbsp EVOO

• 1/2 lb pancetta or bacon, diced

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed & thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced

• 28 oz can plum tomatoes

• 1/2 cup half & half

• 12 oz penne

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 3/4 cup grated fontina cheese

• Kosher Salt 

directions

1. Position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat at 350º. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp EVOO in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the pancetta/bacon and cook, stirring until fat renders - 4 minutes. Pour off the fat, except 1 tbsp. Add the fennel, garlic & onion to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Crush the tomatoes in a bowl with your hands and then add to the pan. Fill the empty can with 1/2 cup of the boiling pasta water and add to the sauce. Stir in the cream and simmer while you cook pasta.

2. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until almost al dente. Drain and add back to hot pot. Add the sauce to the pasta pot. Stir in basil and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp EVOO, S&P to taste.

3. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Layer the pasta, alternate cheeses, until all is in dish. Top with 1 tbsp EVOO. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes. Put a baking sheet under the baking dish just in case it bubbles over so you don't have a mess. 

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.

Turkey Dinner

Two weeks ago I decided to make an Early Turkey Dinner - I mean why only eat turkey one day a year right? I got all the recipes from one of my many Everyday magazines (Rachael Ray). They can all be found online and I've provided links below. Since I didn't change the recipes at all, I thought that would be the easiest way to show you how I made them. I did take some fabulous pics so you can drool over how amazing our meal was. Since it was just the two of us that night, I decided to whip up the most amazing turkey soup I've made in a long time. That post will follow with how I pulled that one off. Ah, homemade stock from the bones is really the most perfect way to make soup.

Turkey Dinner

Turkey, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls

The main event in any meal like this is always the bird... I had a 10 lb bird in my freezer that I used for the recipe and I used the same measurements and it turned out fantastic! It was juicy and the butter makes the skin oh so crispy. The recipe can be found here:  Kiss of Lemon Roast Turkey.  I also used her recipe for homemade stock for the gravy in this meal and the recipe can be found here:  Easy Turkey Stock.

Kiss of Lemon Roast Turkey

Now onto the savory, delicious, make your mouth water gravy... you basically make it in the pan you roasted the turkey in and it picks up the drippings and yumminess the bird left behind. My mom and grandma used to make their gravy this way so it brought back memories at the stove with this kind of meal:  Old Fashioned Pan Gravy.

Old Fashioned Pan Gravy

The mashed potatoes turned out creamy and decadent.... not too many ingredients but lots of flavor. The recipe is as follows:  Buttery Mashed Potatoes.

Buttery Mashed Potatoes

This was a really great "green side" dish, the original recipe called for green beans but the asparagus was on sale so I picked that up. It was really delicious. I kept everything the same and the crunchiness of the salty pumpkin seeds is a great touch... here is how to make it:  Sauteed Green Beans with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. 

Sauteed Asparagus with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

For the cranberry sauce, I had leftover fresh cranberries in the freezer from last year and they tasted just as fresh as can be. So, buy those when they are on sale and you just freeze them in the bag they came in. We didn't love this recipe because it was way too tart for our tastes - reminded me of how tart margaritas are and I really don't like those. It's good - if you like the tartness factor. Here's how to make it: Cranberry-Lime Relish.

Cranberry Lime Relish

All in all this was such a great meal - you can do so much with the leftovers - sandwiches, pasta dishes, turkey soup - just have to use your imagination or a cookbook :-).

Enjoy!

These recipes were adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray.

Seared Steak with Kale Salad

The original recipe called for Swiss Chard and ummm we've tried that stuff and it just isn't our thing - but we love Kale salads so whenever I have a recipe for Chard - I sub out for Kale. Yum. The trick is you have to let olive oil wilt the kale while you are cooking so it isn't so tough. I also like to sear our steaks on the stove top in a cast iron skillet and then finish them in the oven. The cooking time depends on how thick the steak is though so I can't give an exact time. I set my oven tempt o 375º though no matter the thickness of the steak.

Seared Steak with Kale Salad

Seared Steak with Kale Salad

Serves 2

ingredients

• 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into bite size pieces

• 2 Tbsp EVOO

• 1 cup crusty bread cubes

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

• 1 Tbsp anchovy paste

• 1 clove garlic, smashed

• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 3/4 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, fat trimmed

• 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped

• 1/4 cup diced mozzarella cheese

directions

1. Put the Kale in a large bowl. Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp EVOO and bread cubes and season with S&P and maybe even some garlic powder. Cook tossing, 4-5 minutes until golden and toasted. Remove from skillet and add to the Kale.

2. Add the anchovy paste to the skillet, stirring, Add the garlic and 1 Tbsp EVOO and cook until garlic is golden. Add the maters and warm slightly, then whisk in lemon juice and season with S&P. Pour the dressing over the Kale and toss, set aside to wilt.

3. Wipe out the skillet carefully with a paper towel and turn up the heat to high. Season the steak with S&P and mint on both sides. Add remaining 1/2 Tbsp EVOO to skillet and sear the steak until browned for about 5 minutes. Turn the steak and transfer to the oven for 10-12 minutes for medium depending upon thickness of steak. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes to rest. Slice against the grain and serve with Kale salad. Note: Add mozzarella and tomatoes to the salad as well while the steak is cooking.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

I've really been slacking on the blog lately - whoops! It's just been really busy around here planning a wedding ya know!!! :-) So this is a really healthy salad that is not lacking any flavor - it sounds kinda strange to grill lettuce right??? Well, try it because it's delicious!!! And.... are you scared of using anchovies like I used to be? So there's now a tube of anchovy paste that you can buy so you don't have to touch or smell those hairy fishies - and seriously they add a salty flavor that isn't fishy - so just try it. Plus the tube can be stored in the fridge for a recipe that calls for anchovies later on, ya know?!? Sidenote, we don't have a grill right now so I used my cast iron grill pan indoors to make this meal. If your house doesn't have proper ventilation like mine, open a window because it'll get smokey. Awright, Awright here's how I made it...

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Serves 2

ingredients

• 2 large cloves garlic (we like garlic in dis house)

• 1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for brushing

• 2-4 anchovy fillets or 1/2 TBSP anchovy paste

• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus zest

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

• French bread cubes, toasted about 1 cup

• 2 romaine lettuce hearts, halved lengthwise

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions

1.  Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Make the dressing by combining garlic cloves, olive oil, anchovy paste, lemon juice/zest in a blender until smooth and season with S&P.

2. Pound the chicken with a mallet until about 1/8" thick. Season with S&P, garlic powder and some dressing on both sides. Grill the chicken until golden brown and crispy (3 minutes per side), set aside to rest before chopping.

3. Toss the toasted bread cubes with some olive oil, S&P and garlic powder in a non stick skillet until tasty. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Brush the romaine with some dressing on both sides and grill until charred, 2 minutes on each side. Chop and place in a large bowl. Chop up the chicken and add to the bowl with the romaine along with some Parmesan, croutons and some dressing. I also added some halved grape tomatoes to ours as well but that is optional. It's all about what you like! Season with S&P and add more dressing as needed.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.

Chille Relleno Burgers & Cheesy Chile Rice

Well we finally busted out some green Chile (the hot) for this meal and we barely talked to each other while eating dinner because it was that good. I mean really when green Chile is involved, the taste buds are happy in this house. With this recipe I was introduced to 2 new techniques of cooking/making burgers. First off, was sprinkling the salt in the pan before cooking the beef - this created a delicious crust on the meat. Secondly, was the spice mixture on the bun. Such a simple way to add more flavor to an already amazing burger. The original recipe called for tomatoes and I substituted them for roasted red bell peppers because it's what I had on hand and we didn't miss the tomato at all. In fact, I would recommend just using the red bell peppers if you have them.

Chile Relleno Burgers

Serves  2

Chile Relleno Burgers

ingredients

• 2 Hot roasted green chiles, seeds removed and halved lengthwise

• 2 roasted red bell peppers, seeds removed and chopped

• 1/2 small onion, quartered

• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 2 burger buns, split open

• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

• 1/4 tsp each dried oregano, Chile powder & ground cumin

• 1/2 lb ground beef chuck

• 2 slices pepper jack cheese

• Kosher Salt

directions

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil and non stick spray. Place the onion and garlic on the sheet and broil for 5-6 minutes until charred. Cool slightly, then peel the garlic. Chop the garlic, onion and tomatoes and toss in a small bowl with salt to taste.

2. Preheat the oven to 350º. Brush the bun tops with egg white. Mix the oregano, cumin & Chile powder in a small bowl with your fingers, sprinkle on the bun tops and put the tops and bottoms on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Form your beef patties, make an indention in the centers of each patty. Sprinkle the skillet with coarse sea salt or kosher salt, cook the burgers until browned on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip, then top burgers with green Chile, onion/pepper mixture and then a slice of cheese on top to keep it all in place. Cover and cook 3 minutes, turn off heat for medium cooked burgers and let them rest on a plate. Serve on spiced buns and leftover onion/pepper mixture on side as well.

Cheesy Chile Rice

Serves 4

 

Cheesy Chile Rice

ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 cup chopped white onion

• 4 oz chopped green chiles

• 1 cup shredded chipotle cheddar cheese

• Salt & cayenne pepper to taste

• Grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450º. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except Parmesan and butter.

2. Butter a casserole dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spread the rice mixture in the dish and top with more Parmesan cheese. Dot the top with butter and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.