Cochinita Pibil, Part 2

After being in the slow cooker for 5 hours, I turned the pork down on warm.  It was definitely tender by then, being boneless.  Those banana leaves, I have to say, don't smell all that grand, but they do a wonderful job at keeping the moisture in.  The finished product was beautiful and delicious!

I served the Cochinita Pibil with warm tortillas, shredded cheese, pineapple salsa, tomatillo salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, limes, and grilled corn on the cob.  We have enough pork left over to make burritos, tamales, or enchiladas.  I highly recommend not only this recipe, but the entire book!

Cochinita Pibil, Part 1

I bought a cookbook by the brilliant Rick Bayless not too long ago in the quest to make more Latin-based meals.  This book is gorgeous.  Do not crack it open if your stomach is on empty.  Or even near empty.

For two weeks I wondered what to make from this cookbook until I spied the recipe for Cochinita Pibil.  This is usually a chicken dish, but this recipe called for a pork roast that is cooked in a banana leaf-lined slow cooker.  For years I've wanted to do a pig-in-the-ground party, and this recipe allowed me to do something similar but in my slow cooker.  Genius!!!

I cannot post the recipe as I do not own it or the right to publicly share it.  If you need specifics, shoot me an email.  Cooking experiments can make me pretty nervous. There's so much at stake - cost, time spent prepping and cooking, and then the wonder if the meal will even be any good.  I feel good about it this time.  So far, it's been really simple to make.  The most difficult part was locating banana leaves and the achiote block. I purchased the achiote from Mexgrocer.com.  Later, I found out I could have gotten it for half the price at my local Asian supermarket.  Where I also was able to find banana leaves in abundance.

I lined the slow cooker liner with banana leaves that I had frozen.  Prepping them was simple.  I ran them into a hot water bath for about 10 minutes, then trimmed them up well. Line your slow cooker however best suits the bowl of the cooker.

I made the achiote marinade with lime juice and salt, but since one of my limes had gone bad in the center, I used the juice of one clementine in order to make 1/2 cup juice.  I like the flavor of orange and pork, and the  clementine will bring a slight sweet flavor to the tart limes.  I love limes, and this meal brings about so many flavors I adore in one sitting.

If you've never seen achiote before, it is a paste of annatto seeds, garlic, vinegar, spices, and salt.  You can refrigerate it up to a year, so buy the bigger block.  You'll use it, I promise.  I plan on using mine for more cochinita pibil as well as seafood dishes.

I was supposed to use a bone-in roast but my store had the boneless roasts on sale - buy one get one.  Frugality wins out this time!

This little pork baby has to cook six hours on high, and Part 2 of this post will reveal how it all turned out. I've got my fingers crossed and my taste buds waiting in anticipation!

One More Time...

Another soup recipe.  I know, I know.  You're probably sick of all the soup I've been making.  But this one is fast and flexible.  And, if you're having the same miserable weather I am, this soup will jazz up your day a tad.

I served my soup for lunch with a slice of reduced sodium Ezekiel Bread topped with 1/2 cup sliced avocado.

~ Food Science Time ~

I'm no Sheldon Cooper, so here goes...
People ask me how to keep avocado from turning brown.  I rinse my hulled avocado under running water, then I drizzle lime juice on it.  The water rinses away the component that helps oxidize the avocado flesh and the citric acid in the lime juice helps preserve it.  Our culinary nerd moment is now complete.


Quick Black Bean Soup
Serves 6 


Ingredients:

2 tsp. safflower or olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 Cubanelle pepper, diced
1 Serrano, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 (15 oz.) cans of seasoned black beans
1 (14.5 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
A bunch of cilantro, rinsed and chopped
2 tbsp. Hatch roasted green chiles, mild (optional)

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium.  Add onion, Cubanelle, and Serrano.  Saute for about five minutes.  Add garlic, oregano, and cumin.  Saute for one more minute.

Add in beans (entire cans, do not rinse or drain), tomatoes, broth, cilantro, and chiles.  Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.  Blend with an immersion blender until 2/3 of batch is blended.  Cook for 5 more minutes on a full simmer until heated through.  Serve immediately.

Weight Watchers Points+ per bowl: 3 per one cup bowl, the avocado sandwich was another 4+ points

Buffalo With A Twist

My youngest daughter (she's almost 14) loves buffalo wings.  It's a mighty good thing that there are two excellent wing joints within 20 minutes of home, otherwise, my kitchen would smell - like that restaurant where the girls wear the teeny orange shorts - on a regular basis.  While my kiddo is healthy and active, I'm not fond of feeding her greasy chicken wings where she's getting more sauce and slop than protein.

So this mom made Super Bowl Sunday a healthier version of Buffalo Wild Wings meets On The Border.

No, I won't make you ask how I did it.  The answer is - Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas! JACKPOT!

Low-carb tortillas, roasted boneless/skinless chicken breast meat, reduced-fat sharp white cheddar.  All the flavor you could ask for without any of the guilt.

I got the idea for this recipe first from Pinterest, then I find out a registered dietitian named Nicole had originally created the specific recipe, posting it to her website.  I didn't have blue cheese as in her recipe, but my hubby and I agreed it would have been perfect on the top of these enchiladas.  Next time, for sure!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4, Two Enchiladas Per Person


8 whole grain/low carb flour tortillas
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 cups 2% milk reduced fat white cheddar cheese
(or, 1 & 1/2 cups cheese plus 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola)
1/3 cup sliced/chopped bell pepper
Sliced black olives
Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a 9x13 dish with non-stick foil.  In a medium bowl, combine enchilada sauce and wing sauce.  Stir well.  Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken.  Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to chicken.  Mix well. If you're using the bell pepper, add to chicken mix now.

Drizzle some sauce in the bottom of the foil-lined dish, then begin to prepare the 8 enchiladas by placing a spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.  Keep one end open while rolling up.  

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.  It won't completely cover, and that's good. Sprinkle 1 & 1/2 cups cheese over, then black olives. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes. Top with cilantro and enjoy!

Sorry...it was too good to wait and "plate" it for you...

Weight Watchers: 3-4 Points+,  Per Enchilada

Shoe Shopping With Leftovers

Leftovers.  I have a love-hate relationship with them.  They come in handy when I don't want to cook, I just grab from the freezer and defrost.  But at the same time, my freezer is full of forgotten leftovers.  I'm a housewife, but leftovers usually are not high on my list of things to remember!  Anne Taintor makes me feel a tad better about this.  Apparently, I'm not alone!

Almost all kidding aside, the leftovers that have puzzled me the most are tortillas.  What do you do with them other than junk 'em?  You can rarely buy a pack with just enough for one meal.  It seems the manufacturers want you to make enough tacos to feed the world. I simply cannot feed the world.  Mama has shoes to buy.

Priorities, people.  Priorities!

Luckily, I've solved the problem - Chilaquiles.  And no, those are not shoes.

Normally, Chilaquiles is a casserole made with turkey and the tortillas are fried in oil, then portions of the ingredients are fried in the remaining oil.

I'm not ok with this, as all that frying is unhealthy and very messy.  I bake the tortillas for a few minutes - watch carefully, they burn, I know - and once they've cooled, I can begin to build this lasagna-like meal.

Once again, please give using pre-cooked chicken a try.  I grabbed two pieces from the freezer this morning and it took less than five minutes to shred them as the tortillas baked in the oven.  Getting into the habit of cooking the chicken beforehand will suddenly make cooking a breeze!

Chica's Chicken Chilaquiles
Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas (6-inch size)
2 tsp. olive or safflower oil
2 chicken breasts, shredded
½ red bell pepper, diced or small slices
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. onion powder
Several cracks of fresh black pepper
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 cups tomatillo salsa
¾ cup cotija or crumbled feta cheese
1/3-1/2 cup sliced scallions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Line two cookie sheets with foil.  Place 6 tortillas on each sheet.  Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over six tortillas, repeating for the second sheet of tortillas.  Using fingertips or pastry brush, distribute oil over the tops of each tortilla.  Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through.  Reduce heat to 375.

In a medium bowl, mix chicken through cilantro.  Add ¼ cup salsa and ¼ cup of cheese to chicken mixture.

Spray a 11x7 baking dish with cooking spray or line with non-stick foil (easy clean up!).  Place ¼ cup of salsa in bottom, then 4 tortillas on top.

Add half the chicken mixture, then 4 tortillas.  Add second half of chicken mixture, then remaining 4 tortillas.  Pour the rest of the salsa (1 ½ cups) over the top and sprinkle with ½ cup remaining cheese.  Top with scallions.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Ok, so maybe food isn't as nice as the rush in buying a new pair of kicks, but this comes pretty darn close.  Also, by using feta and not a fattier cheese, your legs will look fab in your next new shoe venture! Don't underestimate the power of leftovers.  More leftovers = more shoe shopping!

Did Someone Say Cheese???

I like cheese, sure, but this recipe will stop any cheese lover in their tracks.  Take a peek...

I'm calling these easy and fast enchiladas, "quick death".  Yeah, they're fast, but if you eat too much, you'll be experiencing heart failure for sure.  There's 12 ounces of queso blanco in this dish, and that's 6 ounces more than I'm ok with.  So in other words, use whichever kind of cheese you prefer, and as much or as little as to meet your needs.  Also, please shred the cheese yourself if you can.  Many bags of shredded cheese have chemicals added to them to reduce moisture and prevent the cheese pieces from sticking together.  Does that sound like melt-y goodness to you???  Take five minutes and grate it yourself.  It'll be a good arm workout before you indulge in punishing your arteries.

Muerte Rápida Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 small can of fire roasted diced chiles

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Several cracks of fresh black pepper

12 oz. Queso Blanco, shredded

2 cans of enchilada sauce, red or green

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil, preferably non-stick.  Add diced chiles, oregano, pepper, and half a can of enchilada sauce to chicken.  Add 2/3 of cheese to chicken mixture.

Fill each tortilla with just enough mixture in order to roll and not split the tortilla.  I did this with a few, we still ate them ;)  Fill entire dish with loaded tortillas that have been rolled up.

Pour remaining half can and the other full can of sauce over the top.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling.  

Again, this is a great moment where having pre-cooked chicken breasts in the freezer makes dinner snappy and happy.  We enjoyed this with avocado crema, lime wedges, and pickled jalapenos.  

In favor of keeping my healthy heart, I plan on using no cheese in the filling next time and some feta cheese on top.  Gotta keep our tickers ticking!