Cook - Chicken Enchiladas and Roasted Corn and Radish Salad

Last night we had Chicken Enchiladas and Roasted Corn and Radish Salad with Avocado-Herb Dressing. Both are Cooking Light recipes. And both would be made again. We went to Lowe's to pick up our gardening supplies for the season so we made the enchiladas the night before and then heated them up last night.

Chicken Enchiladas


This dish offers make-ahead options: You can assemble the enchiladas up to two days ahead, cover, refrigerate, and bake them before serving. And if your family eats in shifts, just make individual servings, as we did in the photo on the left. (We did the make-ahead option. I took them out of the fridge to get to room temp before we left and then threw them in the oven when we got home) Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 enchiladas) (We got 10 enchiladas out of this recipe so 5 servings [2 enchiladas is a perfect serving size]) Cost per Serving: $2.46 (I have no idea if this is accurate or not) Cooking Light, MAY 2010

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I used boneless skinless thighs)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese mixed with salsa [leftovers from tortilla wraps])
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (I used 1/2 tsp)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used Trader Joe's Organic Fire-Roasted Diced tomatoes with green chiles)
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided (I used 11)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced (I totally forgot about these but would use them next time)

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a medium bowl; stir in cream cheese, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

3. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion, and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove 3 tablespoons onion mixture; add to chicken. Add chili powder, red pepper, and cumin to remaining onion mixture in pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 3/4 cup water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Tear 1 tortilla into small pieces; add to tomato mixture. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour tomato mixture into a blender, and process until smooth. (Because Matty hates cleaning the food processor I skipped this and left if chunky, it was very tasty but next time I will blend it)

4. Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of an 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Warm remaining 8 tortillas according to package directions. (I skipped this but they did crack and again used 10 here) Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam-side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over filled tortillas. (I did up until here the night before then let them cool and put them in the fridge. The next day I took them out to get to room temp and then continued) Sprinkle filled tortillas with cheddar cheese. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. (About 35 minutes) Sprinkle with green onions. (Totally missed this!)

CALORIES 496 ; FAT 23.4g (sat 7.3g,mono 10.5g,poly 3.7g); CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 221mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42g; SODIUM 711mg; PROTEIN 30.9g; FIBER 6.4g; IRON 2.8mg

The salad was really good and went together really well. I did a modified half-batch of the dressing so we wouldn't have as much leftover (wasn't sure how well it would keep up and I forgot to check on it this morning but I will try to remember to let you know). The dressing was a little salty, but it may have been due to my modifications (see below). I think it would be really good as a veggie dip. We used frozen Roasted Corn from Trader Joes to save time and it worked really well, we just heated it up in the microwave with a little water for about 2 minutes and then added it to the salad. We also skipped the lettuce cup thing and just put all the lettuce in the salad. We aren't fancy like that.

Roasted Corn and Radish Salad with Avocado-Herb Dressing


Every summer, fresh ears of corn pile on roadside stands along the Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware. Riki Senn uses this abundance of local produce to bring bright sweetness to this recipe. The cool creaminess of a Hass avocado is the perfect addition to temper the spicy bite from the radishes and add extra flavor and texture. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 lettuce leaf, 1 cup salad, and 2 tablespoons dressing) (We got 2 dinner sides plus a lunch out of it)

Cooking Light, MAY 2010


1/2 ripe peeled avocado, sliced (we used 3/4 avocado because I made a half-batch of the dressing)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 ears yellow corn with husks (as mentioned, we used frozen corn)
2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup Avocado-Herb Dressing (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 450°. (we skipped this)

2. Combine sliced avocado and juice in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Trim both ends of corn cobs, leaving husks from corn intact. Place the corn on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until tender. Cool. Remove husks from corn; scrub silks from corn. Cut kernels from ears of corn; discard cobs. (we skipped this)

3. Reserve 4 whole lettuce leaves. Chop remaining lettuce to measure 4 cups. Combine chopped lettuce, avocado mixture, corn, and radishes. Spoon lettuce mixture into lettuce leaves. (we skipped the lettuce cup thing) Serve with Avocado-Herb Dressing.

CALORIES 151 ; FAT 7.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.6g); CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 38mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.9g; SODIUM 192mg; PROTEIN 4.4g; FIBER 4.8g; IRON 1.8mg

Avocado-Herb Dressing


Yield: 1 1/4 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon) Cooking Light, MAY 2010


1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I used 1/4 cup regular mayo [I had it])
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (I used 3 green onions)
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream (I used 2 Tbsp)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used ~ 1/2 Tbsp)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (I used ~1/2 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (I used 3 leaves of fresh basil)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (I skipped this)
1/8 teaspoon salt (I used the full 1/8 tsp since I left out the anchovies, would probably cut in half)
1/2 ripe peeled avocado (I used 1/4 avocado)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons water (I used 1 Tbsp)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I used 1/2 Tbsp)
3 drops hot sauce (I used ~1/4 tsp)

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. With the processor running, pour water, vinegar, and hot sauce through food chute, processing until blended. Store the dressing in an airtight container in refrigerator. (I just threw it all in at once, I didn't chop the herbs or the garlic first. That is what a food processor does!)

CALORIES 19 ; FAT 1.4g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.3g); CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.8g; SODIUM 87mg; PROTEIN 0.3g; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 0.1mg

Cook - Mediterranean Wraps and Brussels Sprouts

Last night we went a little Mediterranean with Mediterranean Wraps (from Eating Well) and Mediterranean Brussels Sprouts (of my own creation).

Mediterranean Wrap
From EatingWell: May/June 2010 (Picture is theirs)

This wrap is stuffed with chicken tenders and couscous with a hit of lemon and a healthy dose of fresh herbs. Save any leftovers to wrap up for an easy lunch. Serve with: Mixed green salad and a glass of crisp white wine.

4 servings (we got two dinners and probably 2 lunches from this)| Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup couscous, preferably whole-wheat
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound chicken tenders (we used chicken breasts that we cut into "tenders")
  
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 4 10-inch spinach or sun-dried tomato wraps or tortillas (we used whole wheat pitas)
  

Preparation

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in couscous and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, mint, lemon juice, oil, garlic, 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Toss chicken tenders in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of the parsley mixture and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the tenders in a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until cooked though, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Cut into bite-size pieces when cool enough to handle.
4. Stir the remaining parsley mixture into the couscous along with tomato and cucumber.
5. To assemble wraps, spread about 3/4 cup of the couscous mixture onto each wrap. Divide the chicken among the wraps. Roll the wraps up like a burrito, tucking in the sides to hold the ingredients in. Serve cut in half. (We just mixed the chicken right into the couscous-parsley mixture)

Nutrition -Per serving : 479 Calories; 17 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 11 g Mono; 67 mg Cholesterol; 49 g Carbohydrates; 34 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 653 mg Sodium; 382 mg Potassium

I know that brussels sprouts aren't really a Mediterranean staple but we were very excited to see them at Reading Terminal this week and they were so tiny and delicious looking I decided to try.

Mediterranean Brussels Sprouts

I made this up so I have no info regarding nutrition etc. We got sides for us for dinner last night plus a lunch out of it. It takes about 10 minutes to make. I love the way the sprouts turned out, more salad-y than whole but much less work than shredding. All measurements are approximate.

1 lb Brussels sprouts (as small as you can find), cleaned, cut into quarters
water
3/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c chopped fresh mint
1/4 c lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 c crumbled feta
1/2 c kalamata olives, chopped
sea salt to taste

1) Put quartered Brussels sprouts in a microwave-safe bowl with enough water to cover half of them. Cover and microwave on high 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with rest of ingredients.
2) Ta-da!

Cook - Pulled Pork and Beef with Coleslaw

In honor of our LOST-hosting duties last night we served Pulled Pork and Beef sandwiches with Coleslaw and Tater Tots. For dessert with had Margarita Cake. It was all delicious.

The Barbecue Beef and Pork sandwiches were based on a Betty Crocker recipe - Slow Cooker Beef and Pork Barbecue Sandwiches. The picture is from Betty Crocker.

1 4 lb pork shoulder (bone-in)
1 2 lb beef chuck roast (boneless)
6 small onions, sliced (we only had small onions)
3/4 c light brown sugar
1/2 c cider vinegar
2 T chili powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cans tomato paste
Cheddar cheese
Hamburger buns

1) Add onions to the slow cooker
2) Remove the skin from the shoulder if it is still attached.
3) Cut the pork and beef into as big pieces as possible but so that they all fit in the slow cooker. Add beef and pork to the slow cooker on top of the onions.
4) Mix sugar, vinegar, chili powder, salt, mustard and worcestershire together. Pour over the meat.
5) Cook on low for 10 hours.
6) Remove meat from the slow cooker, remove bones and shred meat.
7) Remove about 2/3 of the liquid (try not to remove the onions). We kept this, not sure what we are going to do with it yet.
8) Add the meat back to the slow cooker along with the tomato paste. Cook on high 15 minutes. Serve warm with cheddar cheese and coleslaw (see below, optional) on hamburger buns.

The coleslaw we made is a vinegar (not mayonaise) based slaw. It is from this recipe which is supposed to be based on the Primanti Bros recipe from Pittsburgh. Picture is from article.

Primanti Bros Coleslaw via The Washington Post

• 1 pound (about half of a medium-size head) green cabbage, shredded or finely chopped (about 6 cups) (we ended up with about 12 cups shredded from a medium-sized head)
  
• 1/2 cup sugar (we used 1 cup since we had twice as much cabbage)
  
• 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (we used 3 tsp)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (we used 1/2 tsp)
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper (totally forgot to add)
  

For the slaw: Combine the cabbage, sugar, salt and celery seed in a colander set over a medium bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours; the cabbage will be wilted (about 4 cups total). (We let this sit for about 2-2.5 hours and ended up with about 6 cups?)

Discard the draining liquid in the bowl; rinse and dry the bowl, then transfer the wilted cabbage to the bowl. Add the oil and vinegar; toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (We made this the night before. We didnt want it to be too overpowering so we only used 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup oil)

In honor of Cinco de Mayo we made a Margarita Cake (also Betty Crocker, their picture). I liked it but it was a little strange (something about lime and cake seem weird to me). The general consensus was that the pretzel crust was too much of a texture contrast but I actually really liked it. Go figure.

Margarita Cake

1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels (Matty did this in the Kitchen Aid mixer)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix
1 1/4 cups bottles nonalcoholic margarita mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
3 egg whites
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (We used fat free Cool Whip)
Additional grated lime peel, if desired (we didn't)

1) Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening and lightly flour (or spray bottom with baking spray with flour). In medium bowl, mix pretzels, sugar and butter. Sprinkle evenly on bottom of pan; press gently.
2) In large bowl, beat cake mix, margarita mix, oil, 1 tablespoon lime peel and the egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pretzel mixture.
3) Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown and top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Frost with whipped topping; sprinkle with additional lime peel. Store covered in refrigerator. (We baked it the night before and then topped with Cool Whip as we were serving it)

We roasted a chicken!

Yayz! So we did this before about 2 years ago and it was a disaster and we decided that it totally wasn't worth it all. But then I went to a nutritionist this week (my blood pressure is a bit high) and she was all about roasting chickens. I think it was mostly because she herself has been roasting chickens a lot recently. But anyway, I look cooking on Sundays and so we decided to try it out again. Because it is a bit ridiculous that I can't roast a chicken. We based our chicken on Jamie Oliver's My Perfect Roast Chicken from The Naked Chef.

My Perfect Roast Chicken

From "The Naked Chef" by Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver

Servings: 4 (We ate half of it tonight, so yeah I guess that is right)

INGREDIENTS

One 2 1/2-3 lb. free-range chicken (we used a 3.5 lb chicken)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 small handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, marjoram), finely chopped (basil and parsley)

1/4 cup olive oil (didnt measure)

1 lemon, halved (I quartered it)

4 bay leaves, torn (I left them whole)

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 bag of Teeny Tiny potatoes from Trader Joe's
1 onion, cut into eighths
cloves from 1 head of garlic
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 c vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven and a roasting tray (we used Jamie Oliver's [seemed appropriate] Baby Retro Roaster with rack) to 425 F. Wash the chicken inside and out, and pat it as dry as possible with paper towels. Some people remove the wishbone, but I like to leave it in and later make a wish. (We wouldn't know how to remove it) Rub the cavity with salt; then, being very careful, grab the skin at the tip of the chicken breasts, making sure that it doesn’t rip, and pull up gently. With your other hand, gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast. It’s normally connected by a little bit of tissuey-type stuff, and you can either leave this attached in the middle and make two little tunnels either side, or you can try to cut away the middle. (I cut it away down the middle) Sprinkle a little salt down the gaps that you have made (I missed that step) and push in the chopped herbs. (3/4 of them) Drizzle in a little olive oil. (I did this first) I don’t always stuff the chicken but when I do I generally go with lemon, bay and (2 sprigs) rosemary, which I push into the cavity at this point. Pull the skin of the chicken breast forward so that none of the actual flesh is exposed, tuck the little winglets under (under what?!) and tie up as firmly as possible with kitchen twine. (We didnt tie it up because I ran out of kitchen twine and forgot to pick some up today)

To me, the perfect roast chicken has tender moist breast meat, crisp skin and, dare I say it, overcooked thigh meat. So at this point, simply slash across each thigh about 3 or 4 times and rub in some of the leftover herbs (this didnt really work well so I stuffed the rest into the cavity), which allows the heat to penetrate directly into the thigh meat, enabling it to cook faster. With your hand, rub a little olive oil into the skin of the chicken and season very generously with salt and pepper. Remove the hot tray (roaster) from the oven and add a little oil. Put the chicken on one side, breast side down on the tray, and put back into the oven. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then turn it over on to the other side, breast side down. Cook for another 5 minutes and then place the chicken on its back. Cook for 1 hour. (We cooked for 15 minutes, then added the potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, stock and rosemary to the bottom of the pan. Then we put it back in the oven for another 40 minutes. Then we started checking the temp every 10 minutes or so. It ended up taking about 1 hr 20 minutes after searing the breasts.)

There is nothing like potatoes and garlic cooked in chicken fat. Mmmm! We will totally be roasting more chickens.

We are following this all-American meal up with the world's most adorable apple pie (3" round!) that we bought from the Fitler Square Farmer's Market yesterday and a vegan mint chocolate chip cookie from One Shot Coffee today after our lunch at Tiffin (which you are going to have to wait to hear all about!)

BMA quesadillas

That is bacon, mushroom and avocado to those of you not in the know . . . Ok, I just made that up. But we made pretty damn tasty quesadillas on Monday. This is based on this Smoked Turkey Quesadilla recipe from Betty Crocker that I would also highly recommend. I also made a side of salsa (see recipe below) that we had with chips on the side.

Bacon Mushroom Avocado Quesadillas

This made enough for us for dinner, but we were pretty hungry.

4 slices bacon
5 lg mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
1 ripe avocado, pitted and removed from peel (is it a peel? a shell?)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 chile pepper, chopped (I used one of our Anaheim's)
~1 cup shredded taco blend cheese
5 flour tortillas

1) Cook the bacon until crispy, let cool and then chop.
2) Drain most of the grease (which can be used to cook the quesadillas) out of the pan and add mushrooms and cook until done.
3) Mix all ingredients from bell pepper to chile pepper in a large bowl. Try to get pretty smooth.
4) Heat bacon grease, butter, oil, whatever you are going to cook with in a frying pan or skillet, add flour tortilla and cook until starting to brown. Sprinkle 1/5 cheese on half and spread 1/5 avocado spread on the other half. Add 1/5 bacon and 1/5 mushrooms and then fold over. Cook until cheese is melty. Repeat with remaining.

Salsa

This was just a quick thing I made to use up some tomatillos we had lying around.

2 tomatillos
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 chile pepper (I used one of our Anaheims)
4 leaves fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

1) Preheat broiler
2) Peel and wash tomatillos to get as much of the goo off as possible. Cut in half and put on foil lined baking sheet, cut side down. Put under broiler until starting to brown (about 5 minutes). Chop.
3) Mix everything together and let sit for flavors to meld and juices to flow.
4) Ta da. Serve.

Pasta e fagioli and Sopressata-Parmesan Beer Bread

This pasta e fagioli is my recipe which has been edited and revised and played with over the last 6 years or so. It was originally based on a recipe I found in a compilation Cooking Light cookbook, but it has changed drastically since then. So I call it all my own and it is awesome! Matty said this is the best one I have made. :-) The bread recipe is not mine however. It is also very good, however, we used a strong-ish beer and I think the cheese and salami flavors were a little lost. The recipe called for asiago but we used parmesan which may be too mild to stand up the the beer.

Pasta e fagioli

This made enough for us to have dinner on Sunday and then I had it for lunch yesterday (I think it might even be better leftover!) and Matty had it for lunch yesterday and today.

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 stick pepperoni, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans cannelini beans
6 cups cooking liquid (water, veggie broth, chicken broth, combination)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup small pasta (ditalini are my favorite, I used pastini this time)
Parmesan cheese, grated (or the rind)
Crusty Italian bread (Or croutons)
Fresh basil for serving

1) A Dutch oven works really well for this, but any large heavy bottomed sauce pot would do. Cook bacon in olive oil until almost crisp.
2) Add onion and pepperoni and cook until onions and bacon are cooked.
3) Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
4) Add beans, crushed red pepper, cheese rind if using and cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour. I usually just let it cook until we are about an hour from wanting to eat. But you want at least a good hour.
5) Add reserved garlic, salt and oregano. Simmer an additional 30 minutes.
6) Scoop out 2 cups worth of the stuff. Not the liquid, the solid stuff and food process until smooth, add back to the pan.
7) Add pasta and cook until done.
8) Serve with fresh basil, parmesan cheese (unless you used the rind in which case it is probably cheesy enough) and bread (we made croutons with some old bread, we melted some butter with olive oil and garlic and poured that over the cubed bread, sprinkled with fresh basil and then baked until crispy).

Sopressata-Asiago Beer Bread


This savory quick bread pairs well with soup or chili and is ideal for an open house or casual get-together. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice) (Once again, if you can eat just one slice, god bless you) Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008


1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese (We used parmesan)
1 (12-ounce) bottle Italian lager beer (such as Peroni) (We used Clipper City Beer's Red Sky at Night Saison, but I would recommend a lighter beer)
2 ounces finely chopped Sopressata salami
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons melted butter, divided

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and green onions to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir Sopressata salami into batter.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

CALORIES 154 (29% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 2.4g,mono 2g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 89mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.2g; SODIUM 301mg; PROTEIN 5g; FIBER 0.7g

Italian Sausage Supper Stuffing

This is a recipe that we have made before and really liked. Though I do say, even with 2 people cooking and having done it before, there is no way we could do it in 30 minutes. But it is so tasty. We added ricotta cheese (why not right?) because we needed to use some we had. I wouldn't do it again. It was good but the creaminess was over the top and I think it diminished some of the other flavors.

Italian Sausage Supper Stuffing

This is from the Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine (the pic is from the website) from fall of 2007 I think. It is supposed to be 4 servings. But we got dinner for the 2 of us, 2 lunches and a midnight snack out of it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound hot Italian sausages
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages
• 2 Cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 hot pickled cherry peppers, seeded and finely chopped, plus a splash of their juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (We used vegetable broth because we ran out of wine)
  
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1/2 loaf Italian bread, split lengthwise
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano cheese (a couple generous handfuls) (We used asiago because we had it on hand)
  
• 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful), finely chopped
• We added 8 oz ricotta cheese
  
• 1 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped or torn

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil and scatter the tomatoes on top. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. While the tomatoes cook, in a medium skillet (I think you need a large skillet for 2 lbs of sausage), add 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, the hot and sweet Italian sausages and enough water to fill the pan by 1/4 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid evaporates, 10 to 12 minutes. Cook until the casings brown, 3 to 4 minutes more.

3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the Cubanelle peppers, red bell pepper and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pickled peppers and their juice.

4. Remove the sausages from the skillet and cut into chunks. Add to the peppers and onions. Pour the white wine into the sausage skillet and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the pepper-onion mixture.

5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the sausage skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken broth and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved tomatoes and mash into the liquid; reserve the baking sheet, discarding the foil. Cover the tomato gravy to keep warm.

6. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon EVOO and the garlic. Microwave for 20 seconds. Brush the garlic butter over the bread, then sprinkle the cheese and parsley on top. Cut the bread into large cubes. Arrange the bread cubes on the reserved baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. (I cut the bread into cubes and then pour the garlic-butter mixture over it and sprinkle with cheese and parsley)
   

7. Combine the garlic-bread cubes with the sausage-pepper-onion mixture (this is where we mixed in the ricotta), spoon into shallow bowls and top with the tomato gravy and basil.

Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomato Sauce

A slow cooker recipe! I love using my slow cooker. Especially in the fall and winter. A hot meal waiting when you get home, your house smelling all yummy. Yay! It seems especially awesome when it is already dark when you get home in the winter. And this is a really good one. Like most of our slow cooked meals, we prepare it all the night before in the slow cooker liner and keep it in the fridge. I take it out of the fridge when I get up and then as I leave for work I put it in the slow cooker and turn it on. We halved this recipe but I am going to give you the full recipe here. We served this over couscous and it was perfect. I had it leftover for lunch as well and it was delicious.

Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomato Sauce


Add capers along with the olives, parsley, and seasoning for a more briny flavor, if you like. The parsley goes in last to keep its flavor and color intense. Yield: 6 servings (We halved this recipe and served over couscous and got dinner for the two of us and then one lunch) Cooking Light, MARCH 2009 (The picture is theirs; EDIT- The top picture is theirs, the bottom ones are ours)

12 chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), skinned (For our half recipe we used 4 skinless boneless thighs and 2 boneless skinless breasts because we ran out of thighs)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. (We did this all the night before) Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place chicken in an electric slow cooker. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 30 seconds. Place wine mixture in cooker. Add tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes to cooker.

2. (And this the morning of) Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours (I did it on low for 5 and a half hours). Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, olives, and parsley

CALORIES 270 ; FAT 12.9g (sat 3.3g,mono 5.6g,poly 2.8g); CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.7g; SODIUM 658mg; PROTEIN 29.1g; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 2.4mg

Bacon-chipotle Twice Baked Potatoes

Bacon. Chipotle. Cheddar. Potato. Let me sop up that drool real quick . . .

We had a salad on the side. That makes it ok right? Who cares? These are FANTASTIC! And really really good leftover as well. I mean really, how could they not be? I will repeat. Bacon-chipotle twice baked potatoes . . . We did a third of the original recipe. So what is here is what we made, you can follow the link for the original. We also cooked them the first time in the microwave to cut down on the time. Also, I think I have a picture which I will post from home. Assuming we have internet. Which is a huge assumption. Damn you Verizon! (EDIT - Picture posted below; we did not have internet long enough last night to do this so I am doing it now.)

Bacon-Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes


This recipe [what we made] made enough for us for dinner, plus a lunch. Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008 (Again, this is what we made not the original)

2 medium baking potatoes
a little less than 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
a little less than 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

2. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Cook potatoes in microwave on baked potato setting; cool slightly (this is VERY important that you cool them slightly otherwise the fall apart). Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, buttermilk, 1/4 cup cheese and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Spoon potato mixture evenly into shells. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over potatoes. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Broil for a few minutes for a nicely browned top.

Bulgur Salad with Edamame and Cherry Tomatoes . . . Sorta

This is one of those recipes that I sorta messed with a bunch. Some on purpose, some due to necessity. First I couldn't find shelled edamame and I wasn't shelling them myself. And I didnt agree with all of the ingredients (we aren't huge fans of dill). And then I didn't want to let it cook as long as I was supposed to. But what we made was very good . . . so there. I am pretty sure that we took pics but they are on the camera at home and so I will add them tonight. (EDIT - Picture added below) Matty had this leftover for lunch and said that it was very good!

Bulgur Salad with Edamame (or baby lima beans) and Cherry Tomatoes


The vitamin C from lemon juice aids iron absorption. Round out the meal with grilled chicken, lemony hummus, and toasted 100 percent whole-wheat pita wedges. (We had this with the leftover Asian Corn Soup and some whole wheat pita). Substitute fresh shelled fava beans for edamame, if you like. (I used frozen baby lima beans because I could easily find them) Fava beans also supply protein, fiber, and B vitamins. Yield: 6 servings (We each had dinner and then 1 lunch) Cooking Light, JUNE 2009 (That is their picture, I will add ours soon! EDIT - Theirs is the top, ours is the bottom)

1 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) (or baby lima beans)
1 pound yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved (we used 12 oz of red cherry tomatoes and then two plum tomatoes chopped)
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I left this out)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine bulgur and 1 cup boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 1 hour or until bulgur is tender. (Yeah. I let it stand for 30 minutes. Because we were hungry. And it was fine. But I realize that this is how I have always cooked bulgur and so maybe I don't know what it is supposed to be like?)

2. Cook edamame in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. (I followed the cooking directions for the lima beans) Add edamame, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients to bulgur; toss well. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. (Again, we were hungry so I only let it stand for 30 minutes.)

CALORIES 208 ; FAT 10.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 6.7g,poly 1.2g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 59mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.4g; SODIUM 332mg; PROTEIN 6.3g; FIBER 7.1g; IRON 2.2mg

Cheddar Chicken Corn Chowder

A mouthful to be sure. I have decided that (when possible) Sundays are going to be soup (or chili) and bread days for me. So two weekends ago I decided to try Cheddar Chicken Corn Chowder from The Big Book of Soups and Stews. It was ok. The flavors were great, but it didnt thicken up as much as I would have liked. And it separated out in the fridge and so leftovers were a little tough. You really had to cook it to get it back together. I dont know if I would necessarily make it again. Though if I did I would probably cut back on some of the liquid and also let it cook longer. So that's what I have to say about that. But it was very tasty and so here is the recipe.

Cheddar Chicken Corn Chowder

From The Big Book of Soups & Stews: 262 Recipes for Serious Comfort Food

3 slices bacon, diced
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I used red because I like it better)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups homemade or store-bought chicken stock or broth
1-1/2 cups unpeeled cubed red potatoes (about 2 medium)
1-1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (I used frozen Fire Roasted Corn from Trader Joe's)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup seeded, peeled, chopped tomato
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 chile pepper, diced (I added this myself)

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate, leaving 1 tablespoon drippings in Dutch oven. (I left all of the drippings and cooked the chicken breast in them and then removed it from the pan and used the rest of the veggies) Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in corn.

In a bowl, blend flour and milk. Stir into soup. Increase heat to medium-high and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add chicken, reserved bacon, tomato, cheese, (chile if you are using), salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until flavors are blended and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes longer.

Yields 6 servings. (We each had our fill for dinner and then it made 3 lunches)

Ranch Chiles Rellenos with Ancho Chile Salsa

So you may remember that last weekend we made Ancho chile salsa. Well that was in advance of making Ranch Chile Rellenos. Mmmmm . . . chile rellenos . . . These were remarkably easier to make than I expected and so tasty. We used Anaheim's from the garden but I think poblanos might be a good idea. The Anaheims were a bit too skinny and so split when I put the cheese inside. But it didnt all melt out and wasnt nearly as messy as I thought it would be. So tasty, will definitely make again!

Ranch Chile Rellenos with Ancho Chile Salsa
Dark green, shiny poblano chiles are the traditional choice for chiles rellenos. They have great flavor, but may be too spicy for some tastes. Anaheim chiles are reliably mild substitutes. You can stuff chiles with almost anything: cheese, shrimp, smoked fish, tuna and sour cream, grilled vegetables or crabmeat. For a larger crowd, the recipe can be doubled. Serve the chiles rellenos with beans and rice. (We made basmati rice and mixed it with a bean salad I had made the previous weekend) Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008) by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider with Chef Jesùs González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta. From EatingWell January/February 2009 (That is my pic up there and theirs down below). 6 servings (yeah . . . we ate all of them) Active/Total Time: 50 minutes.

Ingredients

• 6 small poblano peppers, or Anaheim chiles (We used Anaheim's)
  
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 6 long strips (We used about 2 oz since the peppers were so skinny)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican (We used regular)
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (We used regular salt)
  
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 cup Ancho Chile Salsa

Directions

1. Char peppers (or chiles) on all sides directly over a gas flame until the skin blackens and blisters, or broil directly under a preheated broiler until the skin blisters and begins to pull away from the pepper (we used the broiler since we have an electirc stove). Wrap in paper towels until cool.
2. Use the paper towel to carefully rub off the blistered skin. Leave the stems on. Make a 2-inch slit lengthwise in each pepper and remove the seeds. Tuck a piece of cheese into each pepper and fold the pepper over to completely enclose the cheese (Dont worry if you split the peppers too much).
3. Working over a shallow bowl or plate, rub the oregano between your palms to bring out the flavor. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Put egg whites in another shallow bowl or plate and lightly beat until frothy. Dip each pepper into the flour mixture to coat on all sides, brush off any excess, then dip into the egg whites.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Carefully set each pepper into the hot pan and cook until the cheese is melted and the peppers are golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. (If you have larger peppers, you may need to cook them in two batches.) Serve warm with 2 tablespoons Ancho Chile Salsa each.

Per serving: 152 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 2 g fiber; 339 mg sodium; 278 mg potassium.

Apple Blackerry Oatmeal Crisp

Matty wanted to use some apples that we had lying around and some blackberries that we had in the freezer. And he loves to bake. So for dessert following our buffalo chili last week we had an Apple Blackberry Oatmeal Crisp. He looked at this recipe while he was baking though I am not sure how closely he followed it. He only made a small one (two apples). It was delicious! Really you could put that crisp topping on just about anything and I would be happy. It was a nice ease into fall baking.

Ancho chile salsa, High Plains Buffalo Chili and Manchego-Jalapeno Beer Bread

It's Sunday in football season! That has always meant a stove full of food for me growing up. And so I am picking up my mom's tradition. So after a delicious early brunch at Sidecar (brunch menu hasnt drastically changed) with my college roommate and her husband I sent Matty for ingredients and I got to work. I started with my very first savory bread. It is a beer bread, not a regular bread. But considering how I usually avoid anything that could be construed as baking, this is a big deal! And it was a hug success! Yay! It was so tasty and moist and perfect. Then I made a buffalo chili (what is football Sunday without chili?) which sounded really different and cool. And it was. It is like a combination between chili and beef stew. Which buffalo. It is so meaty and rich tasting. And finally I made a batch of ancho chile salsa for an appetizer (and to use with Chile Rellenos later in the week). Also delicious though I think it was a little oregano-y (but that may have been due to a mistake of when I added it, or maybe I would just use less). Matty also made a batch of guacamole to have with the salsa. And he currently has a batch of Apple Oatmeal Crisp in the oven that I will have to tell you about later. So here are the recipes, enjoy!

Manchego-Jalapeño Beer Bread


This savory quick bread pairs well with soup or chili and is ideal for an open house or casual get-together. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice) (More power to you if you can eat just one slice) Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups) (I used 3 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican beer (such as Dos Equis) (I used Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning Über pils)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons melted butter, divided

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and chopped jalapeño to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes (only took 20) or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

CALORIES 148 (28% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 108mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.6g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 4.7g; FIBER 0.7g

High Plains Buffalo Chili


Similar in flavor to beef and with less saturated fat, buffalo makes an excellent choice for chili. (I love cooking with buffalo. It is leaner, so be careful not to dry it out, and so much more flavorful than beef) Stirring in the cornmeal at the end yields a distinct taste and texture. (We grated a little manchego cheese over the top) Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup) (I would say 4 servings) Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2008

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground buffalo (we couldnt find ground buffalo this morning so I used Trader Joe's ground buffalo steak burgers [1 1/4 lb] and defrosted them in the microwave first)
2 tablespoons New Mexican chile powder (I used regular chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 1/2 cups water (I used 2 1/2 cups water and 1 cup chicken broth)
2 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon stone-ground cornmeal

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add buffalo; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chile powder and pepper.

2. Add 3 1/2 cups water, potato, and next 5 ingredients (through sage) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until potato is very tender. (After 50 minutes I turned the burner all the way down and let it sit on the stove for another 3 hours or so) Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

CALORIES 216 (23% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 1.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.7g); IRON 3.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 31mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.6g; SODIUM 603mg; PROTEIN 25.9g; FIBER 2.9g

Ancho Chile Salsa

From EatingWell: January/February 2009

This mellow salsa, made with dried ancho chiles, is a good all-purpose salsa. It's delicious with anything from scrambled eggs to tostadas. A rich tomato flavor is important in this salsa, so when tomatoes are out of season, good-quality canned tomatoes may be a better choice than fresh. Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008) by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider with Chef Jesùs González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta.

About 2 1/2 cups | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large dried guajillo, New Mexico or California chiles, (about 3/4 ounce) (I used 4 guajillo)
  
• 2 large dried ancho chiles, (about 3/4 ounce) (we used 1 ancho)
  
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 small cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 large tomatillos, husks removed, washed and chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups water, or vegetable broth (I used water)
  
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried, preferably Mexican (I used regular dried)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

---

Preparation

1. Wearing gloves, remove the stems, seeds and inner ribs from the chiles and tear the chiles into large pieces. (Kitchen scissors here are really useful and the gloves are more to keep your fingers from turning red than for heat)
   
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chile pieces, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the chiles are fragrant and the onions are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatillos and tomatoes, reduce heat slightly, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes more. Add water (or broth), salt and pepper (I accidentally added half of the oregano here). Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in oregano and let cool for a few minutes (I let this sit for about 2 hours until we were ready to use it) . Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in cilantro.

Nutrition Per 2-tablespoon serving : 18 Calories; 1 g Fat; 3 g Carbohydrates; 1 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 119 mg Sodium; 85 mg Potassium

Asian corn soup

So Sunday while we were in the Italian Market I noticed that the spice place down there had lemongrass stalks on sale. I have never actually even seen lemongrass stalks anywhere, but I am sure it is just because I didnt really know what it looks like (a lot like palm actually. Like Palm Sunday palms). So I bought some. Because that is totally what you do when you find an ingredient you have no idea how to use right? You just buy it? That's right, I impulse bought lemongrass. I decided that the only thing that I know you can do with lemongrass fairly easily is soup. So I looked through my giant folio o' recipes and found this one. Combines Matty's favorite vegetable (it seems): corn and my lemongrass. Along with fresh ginger (which I also bought because it was on sale even though we had some in the freezer [good tip, keep leftover ginger in the freezer, makes it easy to slice or grate and keeps forever!]), lime and jalapeno. Sounded perfect to me. And I was pretty impressed. Lemongrass is not terribly difficult to use, especially in this way. The soup was incredibly easy (though I am completely unable to get corn off a cob without making a total mess) and made the apartment smell great. We had this with Trader Joe's pork gyoza on the side (Matty pan-fried them and then double pan-fried them with a little TJs Gyoza dipping sauce mixed with chicken broth - Delicious!). We thought the soup could have used a little something. I think it would be an excellent poaching liquid for chicken (or tofu). Maybe rice? I am not sure. The flavors is very delicate (which is good) but I would also increase the amount of ginger (maybe grate some of it) and garlic (again, maybe grate some) and cilantro (maybe coarsely chop it). The prominent flavors were corn, lemongrass and lime. Also, be sure to get all the silk off the corn! I scooped the solids out instead of straining and it worked fine (make sure you get all the lemongrass pieces). I also might decrease the liquid a bit to intensify the flavors. A good vegan recipe as well, as long as you stick with veggie broth (we had chicken so I used that). So overall: a good recipe but could definitely be played with.

Asian Corn Soup


If you can't find fresh lemongrass, substitute strips of rind from one-half to one whole lemon. Serve as a side dish with stir-fried tofu and rice. (We served as a main dish with a side of gyoza) Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups) (As a main course we got 3 servings from this) Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007 (That is their pic there)

4 ears corn
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups water (next time I would use 3)
2 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic) (we used chicken because we had it in the fridge)
12 sprigs cilantro (I might coarsely chop or use some as a garnish)
5 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger (I might grate some of it or use more)
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered (I used 1 huge one)
1 to 2 fresh lemongrass stalks, including bulb end, smashed and coarsely chopped (I used 1 stalk that I halved lengthwise and then chopped into 1/2-1 inch pieces)
1 garlic clove, crushed (I used 2 and would use more or grate some)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Thinly sliced lime (optional) (very nice at the end)
Thinly sliced jalapeño pepper (optional) (adds a really nice finish as well)

Cut corn kernels from ears of corn; set aside. Reserve cobs.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Cut each cob into 3 pieces. Add cobs, 4 cups water, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Strain broth through a colander into a bowl; discard solids. Add corn kernels, juice, and salt to broth; stir to blend. Return soup to pan; simmer 5 minutes or until hot. Garnish with lime and jalapeño slices, if desired.

CALORIES 97 (18% from fat); FAT 1.9g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.8g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20g; SODIUM 300mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 2.6g (As a reminder, this info is from Cooking Light and pertains to the recipe as it is presented, not how I doctor it)