Mid Week Leftovers

The way I cook at my house, there are usually leftovers.  Since I'm usually the only one who eats them for breakfast (or most other times for that matter...I tell myself that it's a matter of convenience that the girls aren't excited about dishing something up then nuking it for a minute or so until hot enough to eat), I need to find interesting ways to use some of what I have.
This time it's chicken; grilled, roasted, baked, it doesn't matter I just need to cut it off of the bone, remove the skin and cut or shred into pieces.
I make this every once in a while and it usually doesn't stick around very long...

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CAZUELA

Serves 6+

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Onion quartered and sliced thin
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash, or other multi spice blend
¼ cup Beer
1 lb. approx. Grilled chicken, diced or shredded into small pieces.
1 can diced green chiles
½ cup of your favorite salsa – fresh or jarred
1 can petite diced tomatoes (can be: plain, with lime & cilantro, with chiles, etc.) or can use Rotel.
1 Can Rosarita Red Enchilada Sauce
12 corn tortillas cut into large pieces
2 lbs. shredded cheese (I prefer a mix of Pepper Jack and Cheddar)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add onions and garlic and sweat for 3-4 min until just tender.  Add spices and cook for 2-3 min. until onions are softer and spices are well incorporated.  Add beer and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Cook for 2-3 min.  Stir in chicken and cook for 3-4 min. until well mixed into the onions and garlic.
Mix in green chiles, petite diced tomatoes and salsa and cook until sauce is reduced and somewhat thick.  Add in Enchilada sauce and cook for about 5 min. until everything is well incorporated and heated through.
In a large Dutch oven, put a layer of sauce on the bottom, then layer with tortilla pieces, sauce then shredded cheese.  Continue layering in the same pattern until you’re out of sauce – should do 3 layers.  You may have left over tortillas, and you may have to grate more cheese, but this should have a good layer of cheese on top.
Cover and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes until bubbling around the outside.  Remove lid and bake for another 10 min.
Serve with sour cream, cilantro, salsa, diced olives or whatever else you would like.

October Already

Wow, already into Q4 and that means the holiday season begins, from Emily's birthday on the 7th to Halloween, to the 'Eating Holidays' (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year).
We do like to go out to dinner to celebrate birthdays, however when it's during the middle of the week and usually very busy I'll make a favorite dinner.  Last night it was Emily's birthday, and she requested 'Red Chicken'.

RED CHICKEN

Serves 4 (plus a little left over)

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs. Chicken 4 legs/4 thighs, bone in but skinless
Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 14oz. cans diced tomatoes, regular or Italian style
1 pkt. Lipton Onion Soup Mix.
¼ c. Red Wine (can use white wine, beer or all stock)
¼ c. Chicken stock
Splash Balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine Tomatoes, Soup mix, Wine, Stock and balsamic in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy, oven-safe Dutch oven (Le Creuset)
Add garlic, S&P and bay leaves to oil and stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes (don’t over cook, garlic gets bitter)
Brown chicken pieces, in batches if necessary.  Once browned, situate all pieces in the Dutch oven with as many pieces as possible touching the bottom of the pot.
Pour tomato mixture over chicken and lift the pieces so it settles in between, under and covers the chicken.
Cover and put Dutch oven in the oven on 350°F for 2-3 hours (convection if available), checking about ½ way through to make sure nothing is burning and stirring to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
When done, chicken should fall off of the bone.  Remove the bones and cartilage, but leave the chicken in larger pieces for ease of serving and presentation.
Serve over steamed rice.

I'm not what you would call a pastry chef, but I'll try this...

Freshly baked Madeleins are probably as close to perfection as you can get in the baking world...not too sweet, not too cakey, just right! 
You can usually find Madeleins in bulk and individually wrapped at Costco, or sometimes Super Target carries them in their bakery, but these delicious taste treat sensations are difficult, if not impossible to find freshly baked.  I even searched the four French Bakeries in the Salt Lake Valley and NOT ONE of them makes Madeleins.
So...since we have a Madelein Pan (purchased at what I would assume was an incredibly ambitious time a few years ago), when I ran across this recipe I was very curious if this would satisfy my urge for freshly baked goodness...

Madeleines

Recipe adapted from "My Paris Kitchen" by David Lebovitz

Yield: 16 individual cakes 

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey

DIRECTIONS
Place the eggs in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed, adding the sugar a little at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated.  Turn the mixer to high and whisk until the eggs have doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons of the butter for brushing the pans.) Add the honey and cook, stirring until smooth, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, about 30 minutes.
Stir the butter and honey mixture (rewarm to liquefy if necessary) into the batter until smooth. Cover the batter and allow to rest for an additional 30 minutes or up to an hour.
To make the Madeleines, preheat oven to 400°. In 2 madeleine molds, brush 16 indentations with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Using a tablespoon, fill each indentation in the molds three-quarters full with batter. The batter will be quite thick so just 'eyeball' it. Tap the pan on the counter to distribute the batter evenly. Bake until deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 30 seconds, and then tip them out onto a cooling rack.
Eat the Madeleines plain, with coffee or serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

Almost Fall in the Rockies

So, we're having our share of summer storms this year, and as usual there is a lot of thunder, lightening, and rain...gotta love the Rocky Mountains!
In wracking my brain over what to make for dinner, and looking outside to see storm clouds and rain, even though it is in the high 70's I felt the need for comfort food...Shepherd's Pie.
It has been a LONG time since the last time I had attempted this dish, and followed a recipe that was marginal at best (tweaking as I do).  I decided to give it a better try this time.  I used a large soufflé dish, and will probably make it in a lower profile dish next time, but it turned out pretty damn good, if I do say so my damn self...


SHEPHERD’S PIE
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg yolk
½ cup cream
½ tsp. Mrs. Dash
½ tsp. Italian Herb seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 stick butter, divided
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 tsp. Worcestershire, eyeball it
4 dashes Soy Sauce
½ cup frozen veggies, about ½ bag, to taste
½ cup shredded cheese, whatever you like (Cheddar, Jack, Parm)
Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine 4 Tbsp. butter, sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef. Season meat with Mrs. Dash, Herbs, salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped garlic, celery and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a bowl, mix butter and flour together to make a paste. Stir paste, broth, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce into meat and cook for 3-4 min. to cook out the raw flour taste. Stir in frozen veggies.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and veggie mixture. Sprinkle cheese over meat, then spoon on potatoes evenly.  Broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.
Serve with a simple green salad for a relatively quick, easy and comforting Fall dinner!  ENJOY!

Mid Summer Already...

Mid Summer already...

Actually, it's mid August.  Damn, where does the time go?
So much has happened since my last post, but one thing that hasn't changed is the fact that I still cook.  Maybe not quite as creatively as I have in the past, but at least we don't starve.
One of my favorite dishes, when done correctly, is Chile Verde.  I have never made it though...until now.  I think it came out pretty well.

Chile Verde
Serves 6 w/leftovers

Preheat Grill to Med/High and preheat oven to 350.

6 lb. bone in Pork Roast
Mix the following in a bowl and dry rub the pork:
-1 Tbs. Lawry's Season Salt
-1 tsp. Lemon Pepper
-1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
-1 Tbs. Cumin
-1 tsp. Oregano
Coat the pork w/Veg. Oil
Grill the pork on all sides until well browned.
Mix the following in a bowl and then add to the bottom of a large dutch oven:
1 lg. sweet onion sliced
5 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
1/2 Lemon - grilled w/Pork
1/2 Lime - grilled w/Pork
3 Bay Leaves
4 oz. 7-Up
2 cans Green Chiles
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde

Convection Roast on 350 for at least 3 hours, until fork tender and shreds easily.  Remove lemon, lime and bay leaves toward the end of the cooking time.  Just let the juices drain out, no need to squeeze.  Not only are they hot as Hell, the rinds are bitter at that point.

Valentine's Day

Since we have been dating, Jules and I make it a point NOT to fight the crowds, put up with shitty prix fixe dinners, bad reservation times, etc.  Instead, we always make something tasty at home.
This year was no exception, the menu worked out very well and was quite delicious...

Mixed Spring Greens Salad with Grape Tomatoes, Slivered Almonds, Candied Bacon and a French Vinaigrette

Grilled Filet Mignon
Butter Poached Shrimp
Sauteed Asparagus with slivered almonds
Creme Brulee
















Candied Bacon:

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. sliced bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

Cut the bacon into 1-inch strips.

Slowly brown in a large skillet over medium heat. When beginning to crisp and rendered, pour off the fat.

Put pan back on heat, add sugar and toss until caramelized. Spill out onto a non-stick tray or SilPat.

French Vinaigrette:

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tbsp hazelnut oil

2 Tbsp peanut oil

1/4 cup cream

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the mustard and vinegar. Add the oils, blending well and then blend in the cream.

Adjust for seasoning and reserve.

Butter Poached Shrimp:

Butter poaching is a fairly classic technique involving slowly cooking food, usually shrimp or lobster, in a rich bath of butter. The end result, if done properly, is a succulent dish, slightly salty and buttery from the cooking liquid in which it swam. It is a sublime way to cook that is used in many high-end restaurants to produce memorable dishes.

Still, butter poaching doesn't have to stay in the restaurant. You can do it at home, too. Sure, you're going to need a lot of butter, but it will be so worth it.

INGREDIENTS

4 sticks butter, sliced into tablespoons-sized chunks

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium shallot, finely sliced

1 pounds 18-20 count shrimp, peeled, deveined, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter, garlic and black pepper.

Melt the chunks of butter until you have a skillet full of melted butter.  Try to keep the temperature low to avoid separating the butter.

Immediately after the butter has melted, add the shallot and shrimp.

Cook them for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp has cooked through.

Serve immediately.

Creme Brulee:

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Unsalted butter, for greasing

6 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar, plus more for browning

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Line a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with a kitchen towel. Butter six 4-ounce ramekins and place in the dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream.

Divide the custard among the ramekins.  Place the dish in the oven and pour enough hot water into the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 1 hour, until the custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let the custards cool in the hot water bath at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove the custards from the water bath and let cool completely. Wrap the ramekins in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To serve, sprinkle the tops of the crème brûlées with an even layer of sugar and use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

NOTE: The crème brûlée can be prepared through step 3 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Weeknight Comfort Food

Now, I have really never been one for Chicken (or fill in your favorite meat here) Pot Pies.  Usually they are dry and flavorless with overcooked veggies and chicken.
Well, for some reason I was jonesing for some chicken pot pie...I know, WTF?!
I ran across this recipe (well, something like it) and made some adjustments.  I must say it was pretty damn good! Chicken was perfect, veggies were as well, and the sauce...tasty.  I used puff pastry for the crust on the top and it did the trick.  I have issues with bad/marginal crusts, but how can you go wrong with puff pastry?
It did take a decent amount of prep time, between cutting all of the veggies, grilling the chicken, etc. but if I have the time I'll definitely make this again!

PERSONAL CHICKEN POT PIES

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and diced (about 3)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 oz. mushrooms, diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2/3 cups white wine

1 tsp chicken bouillon/caldo

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 Bay leaf

2 medium red-skinned potatoes (about 1/2 pound), diced

2 small plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1 17 -ounce box frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the onions, celery, mushrooms, carrots and garlic and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and Mrs. Dash.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add the wine; simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 more minute.

Add chicken stock, the heavy cream, bay leaf, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 12-15 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, tomatoes and caldo.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Set out 4 8-to-10-ounce ramekins. Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Gently roll out the pastry so it is extended by about 1/2 inch in each direction.  Using a ramekin as a guide, cut out 4 rounds slightly larger than the ramekins with a paring knife.

Divide the filling among the ramekins, filling each nearly to the top. Brush the rim and outer edge of 1 ramekin with the beaten egg.  Set a puff pastry round on top and gently press around the edge to secure the dough. Repeat. Brush the remaining egg over the pastry.

Transfer the pot pies to a baking sheet and bake until the pastry is domed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.  Caution: filling will be hot for quite a while!