Green Enchiladas

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Living with MIT cable has forced me to look to a source other than Food Network for new recipes. I love that I have broadened my recipe horizons because if Food Network was as convenient as it used to be, I'm not sure I would have discovered the wonderful worlds of food blogs or PBS cooking shows. I recently stumbled upon Mexico: One Plate at a Time with chef Rick Bayless. I made his recipe for "Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style" and we really enjoyed it! Here is my version of his recipe, which can be found here.

Ingredients

2 fresh poblano chiles
1 cup spinach leaves
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (I used a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
14 corn tortillas
About 1 cup Queso Fresco and 1 cup Monterrey Jack (or just all Monterrey Jack if Queso Fresco is not available)
A little chopped cilantro and lime slices for garnish

Directions

Make the sauce.  Roast the poblanos on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all sides, about 10 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and, when handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the seed pod and stem. Quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and put in a blender jar.  Add the spinach.
In a medium (3-quart) saucepan (I'm currently using this pan set), combine the milk and broth, and set over medium-low heat to warm.
In a large (4-quart) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Pour in the warm broth mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce boils.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
Pour half the hot sauce into the blender with the chiles and spinach.  Cover loosely (Remove the center part of the lid, secure the lid, then drape a cloth over the whole thing) and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sauce.  Taste and season with a teaspoon or so of salt.

Finish the enchiladas.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Smear about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.  Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the chicken.
Microwave the tortillas until soft, about 1 minute.
Working quickly so that the tortillas stay hot and pliable, roll a portion of the chicken up in each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish.  Douse evenly with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheeses.  Bake until the enchiladas are hot through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 20 minutes.  Garnish with the cilantro and lime and serve with refried beans.

Cowboy Cookies

These cookies were a BIG hit around here :) Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6-ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add oats, nuts, chocolate chips and coconut and mix until combined. Spoon cookie mixture onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Here is another pasta salad recipe which I adaped from Pioneer Woman.

The Recipe:

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

• 1 jar sundried tomatoes (7ish oz.)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 16 ounces corkscrew pasta
  
• 1/2 jar Kalamata olives
• 1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes (cut in halves)
• 8 - 10 leaves of basil, chopped
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or other hard cheese
  

In a blender or food chopper, combine sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Drizzle in olive oil until blended together. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.

Pour 2/3 of the sundried tomato dressing over the pasta. Add olives and toss together. Add tomatoes, basil, and parmesan, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking.

Sprinkle a little extra parmesan on top and enjoy!

Spicy Pasta Salad

I LOVE this pasta salad! I first made it for my friend Susan's baby shower, and since then I made it for myself to eat for lunch all week. By the end of the week, I still wanted to eat more! It is super tasty and easy to make. The recipe is adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Spicy Pasta Salad with Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

• 12 ounces pasta
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Ground Black Pepper To Taste
• 10 ounces grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 pound gouda cheese, cut into small cubes (the original recipe calls for smoked gouda but I used gouda)
  
• 8 chopped basil leaves
  

Cook pasta. Drain and rinse in cold water until no longer hot.

Mix mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, pepper, and adobo in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, stir together cool pasta, dressing, halved tomatoes, and cubed gouda. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoes

I was inspired by How Sweet It Is to make these Roasted Potatoes.

They turned out delicious!

Here is the recipe:

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Goat Cheese, and Cilantro

3 pounds baby yukon gold potatoes, quartered

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 - 4 slices of uncooked bacon, chopped

2-3 ounces of crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil spray.

Add potatoes and onions to a large bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and some of salt and pepper. Toss to coat most of the potatoes. Lay them on the baking sheets and top with chopped bacon. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and bake for 15 more minutes. Stir again and bake for another 15 minutes. Keep baking until bacon and potatoes are crisp.

Remove potatoes from oven and immediately sprinkle on crumbled goat cheese. Let potatoes sit and cool for 5 minutes, then top with cilantro and parsley. Enjoy!