It's Complicated...But Not Really...

Sometimes, food blogging can get really, really old.  You cook and cook and take photos and wonder why you're doing all this.  I started this blog because it was the easiest way to share recipes with those I knew.  It's still a great vessel for that cause, and many of you have inspired me with your own recipes.  Thanks!  Lately, I've been looking for motivation to cook.  Not just new and interesting foodstuffs, but cooking in general.  It was becoming rather dull, day in-day out, until I watched one of my favorite films.

It's Complicated.

If you haven't seen this film, make sure you do so - immediately!  Jane's kitchen alone will motivate you to get cooking, and if that doesn't thrill you, her bakery sure will!

Not only do I want Jane's (Meryl Streep) house but her bakery AND wardrobe!  This movie had me feeling good in no time flat and as a bonus, I knew what to make for dinner. Croque Monsieur.  Jane makes it for Adam (Steve Martin) in her lovely kitchen.  I like to think of Croque Monsieur as a cross between French Toast and Grilled Ham & Cheese. Aka the Ham & Cheese Toastie.  Simple and comforting.  

Let's chat about cheese:

I'd like to say that this is an affordable recipe, but for me, it was a tad pricey.  A good friend of mine suggested I use Emmental-Swiss, but my grocery store didn't have that.  I used Ina Garten's recipe for Croque Monsieur and bought Gruyere ($11) and a French cheese called Fol Epi ($10), as it is supposed to be similar to Emmental. I knew we would use up the remaining cheeses, but it's still not budget-friendly stuff.  Supply and demand, folks.

The only changes I made other than the cheeses were 1% milk and I bought a nice whole grain bread from my grocer.  It was sliced for me and I like the texture and weight of this bread.  It tastes perfect with cheese! Feel free to either stick to Ina's recipe or toy with it like I did.  The one thing I made sure I used was real BUTTER.  Don't skimp on this part, my friends.

When it comes to French cooking, use the real thing, s’il vous plaît.  

I won't be posting Ina's recipe since the link is listed above, but I will photograph the steps.  I also made a salad to go with this buttery, cheesy dish.  It is a simple tossed green salad with matchsticks of Granny Smith Apple, as well as Martha Stewart's recipe for Champagne Vinaigrette. Feel free to make the salad more elaborate.  Walnuts, grapes, cucumber - whatever you like.  I wanted the salad to be bright but not reduce the star of the show - the Croque Monsieur.  I served this with an icy cold Angry Orchard Cider.  Mmm...C'est si bon.

Green Granny Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

And

Ina Garten's Croque Monsieur

Tip:

Rinse apple slices before making them matchsticks, then when done cutting, squeeze with fresh lemon juice.

Now onto the good stuff...

Yummmmmm.....

Cheers!!

I'm going to eat one of these beauties in the morning, with an egg on top...ah...the decadence....

Positively Pre-Cooked

If you've read my blog entries before, you know I love to use pre-cooked chicken breasts that I keep in my freezer.  I buy a large package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bake them for 45-60 minutes at 350.  Then I place them, usually by threes, into freezer bags.

This solves a lot of my dinnertime dilemmas.  I mean, A LOT.

I believe that by keeping staples at the ready - chicken broth, canned tomatoes, canned beans, onions, garlic, seasonings - that you have the ability to make any dinner easy and quick.  Please remember my first rule... (other than wash your hands before you cook)...KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Tonight's dinner is a product of this belief system.  YEA!!!!!

I didn't even defrost the two chicken breasts all the way, that's how simple it was.  The link of chorizo sausage is pre-cooked by the manufacturer.  I used the seasonings and veggies that existed already in my kitchen, and you should employ the same theory.  Don't have potatoes?  Use rice and cook it on the side.  Don't have the same seasonings?  Use ones you do have.  Some of my recipes are not versatile, they need to be made to the letter.  But most of my posts, such as this one, include recipes that you can make any which way but loose.  Give this meal a shot.  It's gonna spice up my Thursday quite nicely!


Chicken & Chorizo Stew
Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used a poblano)
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1 link Aidell's chorizo
1 & 1/2 cups Dutch Yellow Baby Potatoes, halved
2 pre-cooked chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 pinch of saffron threads
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. Bijol powder
(If you can't find Bijol, use a mix of cumin and turmeric)

Heat a Dutch oven on medium, adding olive oil.  Saute onions, oregano and pepper until soft.  Add garlic for one minute.  Add chorizo and potatoes.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken and saffron.  Stir well.  Add in tomatoes, broth, paprika, and Bijol.  Cook on medium to med-low until potatoes are fork tender.

This can be served with Queso Fresco (white crumbly Mexican cheese), Feta, or even a sharp Cheddar.  A nice piece of hard bread, a glass of wine, and you've got a meal that is more than worthy of the effort and the eating.  Bon Appetit!

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!

Greek Pizza & More

I love pizza night.

Sure, it means I have to make the dough and then roll out each pie.  But it's so worth it.  This is pizza the way we like it, without all the grease and the cheese that makes you question if it's really cheese.  Every time we order delivery pizza, I feel a little sick afterwards.  Making your own pies means controlling the chemical additives and junk that the pizza companies would rather you not know about.

Tonight was Greek Pizza night, and I threw in a Spanish one for the heck of it.  Bell peppers, tomatoes, black olives, prosciutto, feta, chorizo - all you need is a glass of vino and you're good to go!

I order my pizza flour from King Arthur Flour Company.  Trust me, this flour is worth it.  Your pizza dough will be smooth and elastic.  It will also be the perfect combination of crunchy meets chewy. If you cannot find the 00-style flour, buy a decent bread flour.  All-purpose flour just won't cut it.

You can find my recipe for pizza dough here.


The toppings we used were:

8 oz. Boar's Head Feta Cheese (I crumbled the entire block)
1 bell pepper sliced thin
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 slices purple onion, chopped
Small can sliced black olives
Parmesan, grated
McCormick's Greek Seasoning (no salt)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 link Aidells chorizo, sliced
3 oz. prosciutto, torn to pieces

The pizza dough recipe listed above (use the link) makes three pies.  Use the toppings knowing you'll need to split them three ways.  I wanted to do a chorizo/Granny Smith apple slice pizza, but I figured my family would not appreciate that.  At least it wasn't my usual fave - bell pepper and anchovy!

Use 1 tbsp. olive oil instead of pizza sauce

The last toppings are Parmesan, seasoning, and olive oil drizzle 

Bake on a pizza stone at 445 for 15 minutes

Finished Greek pizza

Some chorizo pizza goodness!!

Bottom line:  make these pies how you prefer.  The dough takes about an hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.  If you use the right flour, it takes seconds to roll out.  With a little planning, you can make meals you and your loved ones will be proud of.  Much better than delivery regret!

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