(Life Changing) White Bean & Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

I first met Rachel a few years ago when we were part of a bridal party for a mutual friend.  We've only actually hung out together 3 times.  The first time it was bonding over Cheetos, puzzles, the Twilight series and all things Boston (including some delicious Mike's pastries) during a bachelorette party.  The second time was at the wedding that featured a 30 minute round robin of Arrested Development quotes during the rehearsal BBQ and a team effort to zip up the dress of a bridesmaid who was 6 months pregnant with twins at the time (it literally required every member of the bridal party).  The third time was just this spring when I was in Vail for a ski trip.

Clara, Shannon and Rachel in Boston

Despite the fact that we've only been in the same geographic location together 3 times, we've become fast friends due to our shared interests in reading, cooking, and the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls.

We frequently toss recipes back and forth and while Rachel has tried a lot of my stuff (in her own words: "I would literally die without your corn chowder"), I have been a bit remiss in trying some of hers.  The number of ingredients and steps in her recipes are usually more than I'm comfortable with and some of the ingredients she uses give me the willies.  In short, I'm scared and quaking in my apron. 

In a weak moment when I was high on beautiful spring weather and the wonderful outlet that is cooking, I decided to to give this enchilada recipe from Rachel a shot.  Despite the fact that it included cumin, which I've never used before, and required you to make your own salsa verde.  I started a bit late on Sunday evening and experienced that feeling you get when you believe you've bitten off more than you can chew. 

Naturally, I coped with this by pouring myself a glass of wine.

Then I got down to business chopping veggies, making the filling, putting together a batch of my favorite corn spoon bread as a side dish, and making the creamy salsa verde. Then I got it all in the oven and crossed my fingers that the effort would be worth it.

And I'll be damned if those enchiladas weren't delicious.  Mind blowing, life changing, can't stop talking about it delicious.  Make me anxious and excited for dinner delicious.  Flavorful, filling, creamy, cheesy and remarkably HEALTHY - coming in at 230 calories a serving.  I was blown away. 

This is the kind of dish where you're sad when the leftovers are gone.  It was a delight to eat and they were as good the third night as they were the first.  I was naievely worried about this being too spicy with the jalapenos but the chiles, jalapenos, onions and cumin all play beautifully together.  They don't create heat.  They create warm Mexican-flavored deliciousness.

And I was shocked by the process of making the sauce.  When I added the flour the pan was relatively dry.  I thought for sure I'd messed something up and had visions of making quick omelets for dinner when this ended up being inedible.

But I added the chicken broth and it was like magic happened.  Things got thick and creamy and I knew we were going to be ok. 

For the chicken, I baked a single chicken breast for 20 mins at 400 degrees and then shredded it.  You could easily use leftover roast chicken, rotisserie chicken or even some of the Tyson's prepared chicken in the deli section of the grocery store although it will likely alter the nutritional facts in case that's important to you.  And technically this makes enough for 8 enchiladas but I only made 6 because I only had 6 tortillas.

As Rachel teased, I got owned, and I won't give her recipes the brush off any more!  Instead, I'll take advantage of these chances to try new flavors and ingredients.  I will make friends with Chinese five spice and agave and cumin (although not all in the same dish).  And I will be buying Rachel a beer the next time we hang out to thank her for bringing these things into my life.

I feel like I haven't done this recipe justice but I'm so in love with it I feel like there are no words.  It's the kind of recipe I'd want to make for you if you lived down the street and were coming over for dinner.  So I'll leave you with a very strong recommendation that you TRY THIS!  As soon as possible.  And then tell me what you think!

*****

(Life Changing) White Bean & Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde
From Skinny Taste 
35-40 mins active, 60-70 mins total

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 enchilada • Old Points: 4 • Points: 5
Calories: 230 • Fat: 7.3 g • Protein: 20.4 g • Carb: 28.7 g • Fiber: 12.2 g

For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles (I used diced)
15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 can water
1 chicken bullion
1 tsp cumin

For the Creamy Salsa Verde Enchilada Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
7 oz can chopped green chile (I used diced)
2 jalapeños, chopped 
salt
1/2 cup light sour cream

3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 medium low carb tortillas
optional - chopped fresh cilantro or scallions


Preheat oven to 375°.

For the Filling:In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to tatse. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Assembling the enchiladas:
Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Bread

It's no secret, I'm in love with all things blueberry...

...and lemon dessert related. 

Bonus points if they happen to be in the same dish, like this recipe for lemon and blueberry yogurt bread that I found on Pintrest.  I love the combination of flavors - the tartness of the berries, the sweetness of the lemon zest.  The recipe also seemed really easy (like this Cooking Light Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread) using ingredients I had on hand. 

As expected, it was very easy to put together!  And it was so hard to sit still and let it cool like the blogger said it would be.  But it was worth the wait. 

I've never baked a bread with yogurt before and it was an amazing addition!  The bread turned out super moist and dense, almost like a moist pound cake.  Only with less of the bad stuff, and more of the better stuff, like non-fat yogurt.  This came out of the oven at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon and by 3pm, half the loaf of bread had mysteriously disappeared.  Pretty impressive considering Roy doesn't really like blueberries and would prefer non-lemon flavored desserts. 

Despite coating the blueberries in flour, they still sank once they hit the batter and most of them ended up on the bottom, as you can see from photos.  Regardless, it was wonderful!

This is a great choice if you're hosting family or friends for brunch and it would be a fantastic hostess gift. 

*****

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Bread
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Ina Garten
20 mins active, 70 mins total
Makes 24 skinny slices or 12 regular slices


1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil.

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack and allow to cool.

Beef Kebabs with Grilled Veggies & Couscous

This recipe caught my eye when I was flipping through the April version of the Food Network Magazine.  The marinade seemed delicious yet easy and the combination of grilled veggies with Israeli couscous seemed like a fun departure from my normal style of cooking. 

It's been on my mind for a few weeks now and after a lovely span of cold and crappy weather, fondly known as "May in Chicago", I decided this was a great weekend to pour a glass of wine, fire up the grill pan and pretend like it wasn't actually 50 degrees and rainy.

This ended up being a tiny bit more effort than I expected, but in my opinion that's what Saturday and Sunday evenings are for.  I think it's one of those recipes that's easier after you've made it the first time, and it wasn't so much effort that I wouldn't do it again on a work night. It was definitely worth the few extra minutes!

There's a lot of flavor in a marinade that has such a short list of ingredients.  I loved the fresh rosemary and the little bit of tang from the mustard.  The red wine vinegar brightened things up just a touch without overwhelming the other components.  Everything smelled heavenly once I started cooking and the meat had some really nice layers of flavor. 

I was also pleasantly surprised by how much the marinade added to the grilled onion and tomato.  The savory complimented the sweetness of the red onion really nicely.  Personally, the grilled tomato wasn't for me which is surprising because I love tomatoes.  I think that by the time they hit the grill, the pan was covered in charred stuff from grilling the meat so it came away tasting of "burn".

I couldn't find regular plain Israeli Couscous (or "starry rice" as Roy calls it, despite the fact that it's pasta and not rice).  I opted for a roasted garlic and olive oil flavored version by Near East.  I added the parsley per the FN recipe and it was great.

Not only was this delicious, but it was pretty cheap too.  I was able to get the tri-tip steak (aka: top sirloin) for $5 a lb so that plus the veggies, couscous and herbs was probably under $15 for 4 people.  It leaves plenty of room in your budget for a bottle of wine!

Roy and I agree - three out of three stars.  This one will definitely go on the list to be made again this summer.  Hopefully on a real grill, with some REAL summer temperatures!

*****

Beef Kebabs with Grilled Veggies and Couscous
35 mins active, serves 4

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds tri-tip steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large red onion, cut into 4 thick rounds
4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise


Soak 4 wooden skewers in water, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, the vinegar, rosemary, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade, then add the steak to the bowl with the remaining marinade and toss; set aside at room temperature, 20 minutes.

Cook the couscous as the label directs; toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

While the couscous is cooking, preheat a large grill pan over high heat. Thread the steak onto the skewers. Toss the onion rounds and tomatoes in a bowl with the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade.

Brush the grill pan with olive oil and add the kebabs and onion rounds. Cook the onion, turning once, until charred and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Cook the kebabs, turning a few times, until charred all over, 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the kebabs and onion to a plate and season with salt. Add the tomatoes to the pan, cut-side down, and cook, turning once, until charred and softened, about 4 minutes. Serve the kebabs with the couscous, tomatoes and onion.

Per serving: Calories 589; Fat 28 g (Saturated 6 g); Cholesterol 98 mg; Sodium 314 mg; Carbohydrate 47 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 35 g

Update: Not-Guac Avocado Dip

Last spring I posted about a word-of-mouth recipe I got from my dad called "Not Guac Dip".  I rambled on and on about how you needed to embrace your adventurous side and give this recipe a shot because the flavors are out of this world.  It's been a little less than a year since I shared the recipe but so far, everyone who has tried it has loved it.

As we move into the season of grilling and sipping margaritas and cold beers on the deck, I wanted to share an updated version of this recipe along with a handy tip. 

This updated version uses a white balsamic vinegar instead of your regular dark balsamic.  It's an easy fix for those who are put off by the discoloration that the dark balsamic gives the dip.  Both my Mom and Roy prefer the taste of the white balsamic over the regular dark balsamic so it's a win-win for them.

And now for the tip... if you've ever made anything with avocado in it, you know how quickly it goes from green to brown when it's exposed to air.  Pressing plastic wrap onto the surface only helps so much.  However... if you hang on to the pit and add it back into the bowl after you're finished making the dip... it keeps the avocado from turning brown.  I tested it last week and the dip still looked fresh after 6 hours. 

This is great with tortilla chips but if you have leftovers, I highly suggest it over some undressed iceberg lettuce.  Add it to your list today. You won't be disappointed!

*****

"Not Guac" Avocado Dip
serves 4-6
2 ripe avocados
2 Roma tomatoes
Half a medium red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Garlic salt
Olive Oil
White Balsamic Vinegar

Roughly chop avocados into chunky pieces.  Roughly chop tomatoes into chunky pieces (remove seeds and watery insides).  Finely dice half a red onion.

Combine avocados, tomatoes and red onion in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of crumbled Feta cheese.  Give it a light sprinkle of garlic salt (remember, you can always add more).  Stir gently to mix.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and then with balsamic vinegar adding a bit more balsamic vinegar than olive oil.  Again, go easy.  You can always add more later.  Stir gently to combine.

Test with a tortilla chip and add more olive oil and balsamic vinegar as needed.  I like my dip to have more balsamic than olive oil since it gives the mixture an unexpected but fantastic flavor.

Enjoy!  Know that the longer this sits, the more the flavor builds.  And definitely try your leftovers on a salad, you won't be sorry.

Homemade Veggie, Margherita and Three Cheese White Pizzas

Chicago is a great place to live if you like to eat and we're very fortunate to have friends here who are fellow "eaters" like us. 

These friends, who also go by John and Kylie, have helped us dream up things like bacon wrapped buffalo wings, introduced us to the best Peking duck place for miles (Sun-Wah BBQ) and inspired the Thai challenge which is what happens when someone challenges the honor of your fave Thai joint and claims that theirs is better.  So you each order a noodle dish, a curry dish and an order of crab rangoon and meet on neutral territory with a bottle of wine to eat, compare and vote like it's an episode of Top Chef.  [FYI - our place, Opart Thai, won by a hair but John and Kylie have requested a rematch]

Anyway, back to the point - John and Kylie love to eat and Kylie is a wonderful cook.  Earlier in the year they hosted us for a fabulous French meal that included homemade French onion soup, greens with baked goat cheese and a mustard vinaigrette, coq au vin, rustic bread and a fresh apple tart. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 15. 

We repaid the favor by hosting John and Kylie along with Roy's sister Christine for some homemade pizza Saturday night. I checked my normal OCD at the door and decided that despite having never made pizza at home before, this would be a great time to go authentic with homemade sauce, dough from scratch and a pizza stone (which Roy bought approximately 60 minutes before the arrival of our guests, I told you I checked my OCD at the door).

Worst case I figured we'd call Home Made Pizza Co. and have them deliver some uncooked, plain dough.  Because that's the kind of friends John and Kylie and Christine are.  The kind that are happy to just have another glass of sangria and go with the flow.  Love those kinds of friends :)

John and Kylie enjoying some sangria and apps

Good friends also go with the flow when you get up from the table and the dog
takes your seat like he's a member of the dinner party

I grabbed my sauce and dough recipes from the New Best Recipe cookbook and was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were and thrilled at how delicious they turned out.  I did go through all 3 of my instant yeast packets (apparently that's why they sell them in three's) but I got it right the last time and everything came together beautifully.

I made a three cheese white pizza with a rosemary garlic olive oil that was AMAZING.  The flavor of the herbs and garlic was wonderful and light.  The fontina, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses got brown and bubbly and really sent this over the edge.  I think John ate almost an entire piece of the white pizza while walking with his plate from the kitchen to the dining room table.

I also made a half veggie / half margherita pizza with a traditional red sauce that was out of this world.  When John and Roy found out there was leftover sauce in the fridge they warmed some up in the microwave and used it to dip the crust.   

The recipes for the sauce, herb oil and dough are below.  Do as much or as little as you like with this recipe.  I think the dough, sauce and toppings are the perfect trifecta and worth the effort (which is actually pretty minimal).  But I wouldn't hesitate to buy some premade dough at the grocery store to keep this simple on a week night.

If you're not familiar with the New Best Recipe cookbook, it's a good one to consider adding to your collection.  It's done by America's Test Kitchen so it isn't just recipes, it's details on the how and the why behind cooking.  I highly recommend it.

And I highly recommend these pizza recipes, preferably with some good friends and some wine!

*****

All recipes are from New Best Recipe cookbook

Quick Tomato Sauce
20 mins active
makes about 3 cups

1 - 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I like Glen Muir organic diced tomatoes)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped basil
salt and pepper

Place tomatoes in a food processor and process until smooth (about 5 1-second pulses).  Heat the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is sizzling, about 40 seconds. 

Stir in the tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes.  Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.


Rosemary Garlic Herb Oil (for White Pizza)
15 mins active
makes enough for 3 medium pizzas

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves

Combine garlic, olive oil, and rosemary.  To make white pizza - brush herb oil over the dough and top with mozzarella, Parmesan and fontina cheeses.


Pizza Dough
30 mins active, 1 1/2 hours total
makes enough for 3 medium pizzas

1/2 cup warm water (about 100 degrees)
1 envelope of instant yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface and hands
1 1/2 tsp salt
olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

[note: if you can, use bread flour like the recipe calls for, it will give you the best texture and a crust that is chewy and crisp.  Using all-purpose flour works in a pinch but the crust will be less crisp.]

To make dough:
Measure the warm water into a 2 cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes.  Then add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle.  Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed.  Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook.

Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  The dough will be quite tacky, use a rubber spatula to form it into a ball and put it into a deep oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

When the dough has doubled in size, press it down in the middle to deflate.  The dough is now ready to use. 

To make pizza:
Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven.  Heat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use a chef's knife or dough cutter to divide the dough into three pieces. [I suggest two pieces, three pieces makes for pretty small pizzas]

Form each piece of dough into a smooth round ball and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax like this for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the others covered, shape the dough into a round that is about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer the dough to your pizza peel dusted with semolina flour or corn meal.  If the dough loses it's shape, readjust it on the peel. 

Add sauce and toppings, then slide pizza from the peel onto the hot pizza stone.  Bake until the crust begins to brown. This can be anywhere from 6 to 12 minutes depending on size and toppings.

Remove from the oven using the peel, slice and serve.  Enjoy with a glass of wine, you've earned it!

Fresh Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Like almost everyone else these days, I've got the Pintrest bug.  I've pinned a handful of recipes over the past month but this is the first one I've actually tried and it was AMAZING.  I'm not so sure if that's a result of Pintrest or the fact that it's also a cookie recipe contest winner.

I set out to make these last weekend with the intent to keep half for Roy and I and give half to some friends.  Only they were delicious.  And even Roy, who doesn't care for lemon flavored desserts, was sneaking away with two or three cookies at a time.  So being the flexible people that we are, we adapted and kept them all for ourselves :)

These cookies are a perfect afternoon snack and they're great with a cup of tea.  They're a bit chewier than regular sugar cookies and the lemon flavor is bright and fresh.  You can actually see the zest in the batter.  The sweetness of the powdered sugar is a beautiful compliment to the tart lemon.  There's a reason this was the winning cookie recipe! 

Foster joined me to catch some Sunday sun while I baked and he agreed, 3 out of 3 stars.

These are beautiful spring cookies, great for Easter Sunday, any kind of girls lunch or afternoon tea,  or for a break from your usual sweet chocolate treat. 

Now please excuse me while I go make a second batch to share with those friends I mentioned... 

*****

Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Makes 2-3 dozen
30 mins active, 60-70 mins total

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly.

Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny). Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Super Bowl-worthy Pepperoni Bread

Here is the recipe for one of my FAVORITE football foods - pepperoni bread with banana peppers.  It was one of the highlights of this year's Super Bowl for me. 

The original recipe comes from our old Chicago friends Dave and AY (aka: the other Lindsay) who now live in Cincinnati with their beautiful new daughter Alaina.  Like all of the other AY recipes that pepper my recipe box, this does not disappoint! 

The most complicated part of this recipe is putting the process of making this bread into words.  Fortunately, I have photos to make the process easier :) 

Start by bringing some pre-made pizza dough up to room temp for 20 minutes so it's easier to work with (you can find pre-made dough in the deli/fresh foods section of your grocery store).  Then roll it out on a floured surface to be roughly the size of a cookie sheet. 

Starting in the top left corner lay down the pepperoni in rows leaving a half inch border around the edge.  As you can see from the photo below, this isn't like pizza.  Don't use the pepperoni sparingly.  Cover the dough, let the edges overlap a little.  I use turkey pepperoni because I think it's a little less greasey and I can't tell a difference between turkey versus real pepperoni.  Cover the pepperoni liberally with mozzarella cheese. 

Drain a jar of banana peppers, tear up the larger chunks and sprinkle them across the dough.

Then slowly gather the edge on the far side and begin rolling it towards you.

Your roll should look like this. You'll be able to see the pepperonis under the dough and you'll be worried it's going to bust but it won't, just be gentle.

Pinch the edges and ends closed and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pair with warm marinara sauce, brownies (Duncan Hines chocolate chunk), beer, friends, a good football game, and enjoy!

*****

Super Bowl-worthy Pepperoni Bread

1 pre-made pizza dough

1 package of turkey pepperonis (or about 15 medium thickness slices of regular deli pepperoni)

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella

1 jar of mild banana peppers

flour

Let refrigerated dough come to room temp for 20 mins.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is roughly the size and shape of a cookie sheet.  Starting in the top left corner lay down the pepperoni in rows leaving a half inch border around the edge. 

Cover the pepperoni with mozzarella cheese. 

Drain a jar of banana peppers, tear up the larger pieces and the sprinkle over the pepperoni and cheese. 

Slowly gather the edge that's farthest from you and begin rolling it in.  Gently place the roll on a cookie sheet and pinch the edges and ends closed.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and crispy. 

Maple Glazed Salmon

Before the holidays I mentioned a cooking class that the Royfriend and I took with some friends.  We made a delicious sweet potato hash among other things like Gruyere fondue and pumpkin donuts with a chocolate dipping sauce.  This is the salmon that we made during the class, it's supposed to go on top of the sweet potato hash. 

It's covered in a fragrant maple and soy glaze that's incredible!

Not too sweet, not too salty.  Lots of flavor with the inclusion of garlic and fresh rosemary.  And definitely my new favorite salmon recipe.  It was one of those meals where the dinner table conversation was continuously interrupted by "this is so good...." "...amazing..." and "new. favorite. meal.".  Both of us remarked several times that this was better than we remembered. 

It's crazy easy to make.  Most of the ingredients are things you've already got in your pantry.  Just dump them in a small pot, heat to a boil, and let it simmer for 10 mins to reduce.  Then brush it on the salmon and bake.  Because I like to make my fish fresh each night, I have the fish monger wrap the 4 fillets separately into 2 packages.  Then I split the sauce in half and reheat it before glazing and baking the salmon on night 2.

The original recipe includes fresh grated ginger and a paste of roasted garlic.  Because I'm lazy I omitted the ginger and just used minced garlic instead of the roasted garlic paste.  Survey says that you can't tell and the modifications work just as well.  Do whatever works for you.

I served this with a side salad and some roasted asparagus sprinkled with fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese.  Very good - out of 3 possible stars, it got 4!

*****

Maple Glazed Salmon
4 servings, 20 mins active, 30 mins total

1/2 cup cooking grade maple syrup
1 Tbsp ginger, freshly grated (I omitted this)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
3 cloves roasted garlic, smashed into a paste (I minced 3 cloves garlic instead)
2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 5-6 ounce salmon fillets, boneless and skinless


Mix together maple syrup, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, and rosemary in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick and glazy, about 10 minutes.

Place the salmon fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste.   Generously brush the tops of the fillets with the maple glaze and roast in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.  Baste the fillets with additional glaze while they are roasting.  Serve immediately.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta

We got 6 inches of snow last Friday and I decided it was the perfect excuse for some "everything but the kitchen sink" pasta!

It's one my Mom taught me when I first moved to Chicago.  She came out the weekend after I moved and took me shopping to set up my kitchen with cute red pots and pans and baking dishes and groceries.  In exchange, Roy and I took her to dinner in boys town on Cinco de Mayo where a VERY inebriated lesbian fell and dry heaved at her flip flopped feet.  Ohhhh the different ending that story could have had.  Remember that time Mom?  It's totally the way you should thank someone you love after they outfit your kitchen :)

Knowing me the way mothers know their daughters, she wanted to make sure to teach me something using my new kitchen goodies to ensure they'd get used in the future.  So she taught me this.  Because of that, around these parts it goes by "Ma Rob's Tasty Pasta" in addition to "Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta".

It's fantastic!  A go-to crowd pleaser packed with lots of delicious ingredients like prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, peas, mushrooms, onions and pine nuts.  It's a bit salty and smoky with the prosciutto, the peas and pine nuts lend it some crunch and the mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes give it a subtle earthiness.  And it's so flavorful!  Try it the next time you want some good comfort food.

*****

Ma Rob's "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Pasta
serves 6-8, 40 mins

1 jar Vodka Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
6-8 slices of prosciutto, roughly chopped (cutting prosciutto with kitchen scissors is MUCH easier)
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 cup frozen peas
small jar of pine nuts
1 package (9 oz) of fresh linguine


Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add chopped onions and prosciutto.  Cook until onions are soft and translucent and the prosciutto is browned a bit. 

Add sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and peas.  Stir and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Add vodka sauce, turn heat down to low and cover.  Add linguine to boiling water and cook until al dente (linguine cooks VERY quickly, in 2-3 minutes). 

Reserve a cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta when it's done.  Add pasta to the pan and stir to combine with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, mix in half a cup of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.  When you're happy with the sauce, sprinkle pine nuts over and serve.

Updated: Corn and Sausage Chowder

Last week I talked about how I love fresh starts. There are lots of things on my list for 2012 which is why I'm backing off a bit from formal blog posting and going to a more helter skelter, stream of conscience format (think: Phoebe's style of running in Friends, which coincidentally, is exactly how I think Foster runs when we're at the park). 

This is one of my first new year, new rules "helter skelter" posts.  It's a link to one of my favorite meals that I posted about last spring, but with an update on timing.  I'm reposting this because it's amazing.  And if you haven't tried it yet, you should.  It's one of my all time family favorites and it's delighted all those who've tried it so far.  The mere mention of chowder is all it takes to make my younger brother jealous.  And somehow, Seth always finds his way over for dinner when I make this. 

"It's delicious!" -Seth, captured mid-bite by my lovely cell phone cam

As I mentioned in the original post, I always make this over the holidays.  Some families make Christmas cookies.  I make chowder.  This year, I made dueling pots and froze a batch to break out later this winter. 

that dark blob in the upper left corner is a bay leaf, I promise!

In making the dueling pots, I realized some of my timing was off in the original post. So I'm reposting the recipe with updated timing.  

I also wanted to toss out some of the suggested substitutes you guys made when you tried this in your own kitchen:

• For some spice - 1/2 lb chorizo and 1/2 lb Italian sausage
• For some "awesomeness" - 1/2 lb mild sausage and 1/2 lb hot sausage
• For something a bit lighter - use 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup half and half, 1 cup whole milk (chowder will be a bit thinner)

*****

Corn and Sausage Chowder

Serves 6-8
90 mins


Ingredients:
1 lb bulk pork sausage (I use mild, feel free to try hot to kick it up a bit)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
1/2 c. coarsely chopped celery
1/2 c. diced red peppers
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice (4 cups)
1/2 tsp. crushed dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. chopped basil
1 bay leaf
3 c. water
3 Tbsp chicken base or 3 bouillon cubes
1 - 17 oz can whole kernel corn (do not drain)
1 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. brandy
salt and pepper to taste

For the Roux:
Take 4 Tbsp flour and 4 Tbsp of butter (half a stick) and mix with a fork until pea size balls are formed.  When the recipe calls for it add 1/2 the roux at a time.

Directions:
In a large soup pan, brown sausage over high heat and drain the fat.

Add onions, celery and red peppers to the soup pot with the sausage.  Saute over high heat (if 1 is low and 7 is high, I go with a 5) until onions are transparent.

Add brandy and let it reduce until it's almost gone.

Add herbs, bay leaf, potatoes, water, chicken base or bouillon cubes, and corn.  Let simmer until potatoes are tender (takes me about 15 minutes).

Add milk and heavy cream, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and thicken to desired consistency with roux (takes 15 minutes to thicken after you add the roux).

Season with salt and pepper, serve with bread.