Delicious AND It Is Healthy!!!

So, you know how I feel about Mexican food.  I was watching Cooking Yourself Thin on Lifetime (don't judge me) the other day and came across the recipe for Green chili & chicken enchiladas.  Now, these are less like enchiladas and more like an enchilada casserole but I'm totally fine with that.  I made the sauce a day or so in advance.  Look how simple the ingredients for the sauce are:

Preparing the sauce is probably the most difficult part about this recipe;  roasting the poblanos, specifically.  I have a gas range so I just turned the heat to high and placed them directly on the stove top. Turn till they are  blistered and then blackened.  Scrape the black bits off the peppers, take out the seeds and toss in a blender with all of the other ingredients.  I thought the lime zest and the juice of the lime was a little too much so I added more cilantro and a little beer.  That seemed to do the trick.

I put together the casserole last night and check it out:

It kinda looks like a hot mess, but I promise you it is delicious.  Here, try it for yourself:

Serves 4
Calories per serving: 456

2 roasted poblano peppers, peeled
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, washed, stems discarded
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 corn tortillas
1 cup canned nonfat refried beans
3 cups of leftover roast chicken, shredded
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, such as Mexican-style, Monterey Jack or cheddar
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lightly oil a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or 1 teaspoon olive oil. In a food processor or a blender, combine the roasted and peeled peppers, cilantro, garlic, lime zest and juice, chicken stock, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth.

3. Spread 1/3 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of 6 overlapping tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas. Top the beans with the shredded chicken mixture, and add 1/3 of the sauce, followed by the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover with foil.

4. Bake the enchiladas until they begin to bubble on the sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle cheese and scallions on top. Continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

My favorite food

I've said for years that, were it an option, I would alternate eating pizza and Mexican food every day.  I realize it is plausible but I also don't want to be severely unhealthy.  I mean, as it is, I'm only somewhat comfortable with my current level of unhealthiness :-D

So, since coming back to New York from the land of Tex Mex, I am missing what I might have to call my favorite food.  That food is cheese enchiladas.  I've attempted this recipe at home before and the sauce was always lacking.  Before even getting back up here, I was on my phone looking up recipes for cheese enchiladas with chili gravy.  I came across a website by a woman calling herself "The Homesick Texan"!  I tried the recipe on Monday and this is it!

They aren't the prettiest things I've ever eaten but they were tasty. 

Chili Gravy
Ingredients:
1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil (I used Crisco, will buy lard next time to see the difference)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chili power
2 cups beef broth or chicken broth

Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux.

Add the black pepper, salt, powdered garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano and chili powder and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients. Add broth, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness.

Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (can make it with Velveeta for extra melting oomph and good ol' Tex-Mex authenticity)
2 cups chili gravy

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 and grease a large baking dish.

Pour the oil in a small skillet, and heat the tortillas one at a time. Keep them wrapped in a cloth until all 8 are heated.

Pour 1/2 cup of chili gravy in a baking pan.

Take a tortilla, put 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 tablespoon of onion in the center and roll it. Place rolled tortilla in baking dish, seam side down.

Continue with remaining tortillas.

Take remaining chili gravy, and pour it over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese and onions on top. Bake for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

I ended up making two batches of sauce, one when I actually made the dish and another the next day for reheating them because they seemed so dry the first time around.  I might make double the sauce next time, to be sure.  I also had larger tortillas so I should have used more cheese but as it was, I ran out on the filling alone.  I topped off the enchiladas with Velveeta slices :-)  Next time, I'm putting LOTS of cheese inside them.  I might try baking them covered to keep the exposed tortilla areas from getting crispy.  Lastly, the first batch of chili gravy was very salty.  It might be that I didn't have Kosher salt so I just used table salt but at any rate, I omitted the salt on the second batch. 

Clearly, I will be cooking these more to fill the cheese enchilada shaped hole in my soul.

Taco soup, thanks Mom!

The husband had 2 weeks off from work so we went back down south to visit friends and family.  The two big dogs went to "Summer Camp" up here in New York and the new, little guy got to take the road trip with us.  He was so much better in the car than I anticipated!  It was either sleeping on the floorboard at the passenger's feet or something a little like this:

Super cute, right?  I kept getting a bit car sick because I spent so much time looking down at him.  Worth it. 

So, before we left for vacation, my Mom sent me a recipe for Rumor's Taco Soup from Rumor's Deli in Cullman, Alabama.  Upon arrival at her house, she showed me a huge Dutch Oven containing the soup.  Holy moly, it was delicious.  I had made some seasoned oyster crackers to snack on during the drive down that were a perfect addition.  Second day back in New York, I made the soup.  It is delicious, makes SO MUCH and will be around for a quick meal for a while.

 
That picture doesn't do the massive quanitity this recipe yields.  That dutch oven ways a ton when it is empty.  Full, well, let's just say I had to get Husband to move it from the stove top to the fridge. 

Enjoy!

Rumor's Taco Soup - Rumor's Deli, Cullman, Alabama

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chuck

1 Medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 (1-oz.) envelope Ranch dressing mix

1 (1-oz.) envelope Taco seasoning mix

2 (16 oz.) cans pinto beans, undrained

2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, undrained

1 (14 ¾-oz.) can white creamed-style corn

1 (11oz.) Southwestern Style Corn

1 (4.5-oz) can chopped green chiles, undrained

Sour cream

Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Preparation:
Cook beef and onion in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in dressing mix and taco seasoning. Add 1 cup water (I used beer), pinto beans, and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 8 servings.

I deviated from the recipe a little bit.  I only had a 0.4 oz packet of Ranch dressing mix so I subbed in a 0.7 oz packet of Italian dressing mix.  For the taco seasoning mix I used about 6 tsp of my homemade mix that I just keep on hand.  I am not a huge fan of pinto beans, so I just left those out.

Taco seasoning mix

Ingredients:

1/4 cup instant minced onion
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. crushed dried red pepper flakes
1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. instant minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend thoroughly with wire whisk. Spoon mixture into a tightly closed container and label as "Taco Seasoning Mix". Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. Makes 6 packages (about 2 Tbsp. each) of mix. 2 Tbsp. equals 1.25-oz. pkg. purchased taco seasoning mix.

To make Taco Filling:
Brown 1 lb. lean ground beef in large skillet over medium heat; drain grease. Add 1/2 cup water (I often use beer) and 2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning Mix. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes enough filling for 8 to 10 tacos.

Seasoned oyster crackers

1-1/4 cups canola oil
2 Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic powder
1 pkg. Dry Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl to become a dressing.

Put the oyster crackers in a bowl and pour the dressing over the crackers, tossing to fully coat the crackers. 

At this point you can let them air-dry or pop them in the oven for a bit to speed the drying process.  I like to do the latter.

Crack noodles and Jurassic pork

I recently stumbled across a recipe for noodles that will keep you coming back for more and more.  They are so simple AND you only need one pot to make them.  That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!  We've already had them twice in two weeks.  Looks like I'll have to keep the ingredients for this dish on hand at all times. 

I didn't have scallions on hand and just used minced onion, but I really would like the way the green scallion would and a little pop of color to the bowl.  Same with the carrots that I *did* add.  It all would look even prettier in, say, a red bowl :-)

Ingredients:

7 ounces dry egg noodles
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup julienned carrots
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Maggi sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain the noodles and wipe the pot clean.  Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the butter.  When the butter is bubbling, add the scallions and garlic.  Fry for 1 minute until very fragrant.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

Stir in the brown sugar, Maggi/soy sauce and oyster sauce, mixing well.  Add the noodles and toss vigorously to get the good stuff evenly distributed throughout the noodles.

I like to prepare the ingredient portions while the noodles are cooking.  It makes it easier to avoid burning the garlic.  I also add chicken.  Shredded chicken from a rotisserie bird works really well, but whatever you have on hand will work. 

Unrelated, in that I didn't make it... we recently wandered down to Syracuse and ate at Dinosaur BBQ.  I had seen their Pork Sket sandwich on Man vs. Food and really wanted it in my belly.  Here's why: it's half a pound each of Texas-style brisket and pulled pork, with melted sharp cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos and homemade coleslaw ON A SANDWICH!  I've never really fancied myself a BBQ fan but this sandwich, this sandwich made me a believer. 

I don't know that I'll ever try anything else there.  I mean, what if it isn't as good and it ruins BBQ for me all over again!  Oh well, I know I won't be disappointed eating only that sandwich at Dinosaur.  Life's rough...

Mmmm, buttermilk

I bought some bananas a while back and they are starting to turn.

You know what that means...BANANA BREAD!!!  Ill admit it, sometimes I buy bananas just so that when they turn I can make banana bread, tsk tsk.  I'm always lacking one ingredient in my recipe when this happens.  Buttermilk.  I love buttermilk in baking recipes because it makes the good *so* moist.  This led me to the internet in search of a buttermilk substitute.  Success!  Milk and a tiny bit of white vinegar and (thanks to Husband's unquenchable thirst for milk) I've always got buttermilk! 

But I am currently typing this while my banana bread is in the oven?  Nope.  I stumbled upon a recipe for Brown Sugar Crumb Cake and I'm attempting that first.  I've never heard of it and never had it before.  It's brown sugar cake, how can it be bad?  Plus, lookie:

The Brown Sugar Crumb Cake called for "cutting in" butter.  Have you ever done that before?  Me either.  Apparently, you take cold butter and literally cut it into the mixture so that it is kinda clumpy and crumb-like.  I should have taken a picture of that step too...next time.

So, now it is on to the banana bread.  I've decided to make muffins instead of a loaf so I went back to the internet for tips.  I've decided to try an entirely different recipe than I usually bake and make some variations on it.  Instead of butter, I'm using strawberry/banana yogurt.  It'll be the first time for anything like that for me.  Well, it was a BUST:

I didn't really have enough flour so that might have been an issue :-)  I am definitely trying the recipe again though, with the yogurt. 

Recipes:

Brown Sugar Crumb Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces butter, cold, cut in pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine brown sugar, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl; cut in butter until the mixture is like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 scant cup of crumbs and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth; stir into the remaining crumbs in bowl. Spread in prepared baking pan. If desired, add chopped pecans to reserved crumbs; sprinkle crumbs evenly over the batter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter (sub. yogurt)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Preparation:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.