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.

Weekend Brunch and Leftovers

I do a good amount of cooking during the week.  Consequently, when the weekend comes around I have a lot of leftovers.
One of my favorite leftover dishes for a Sunday morning is a Frittata.  Call it a Spanish/Argentine Tortilla, a quiche w/o the crust or whatever, Frittata works for me.  It's a healthy, tasty one pan meal that everyone will LOVE!  Even Lauren, who hates eggs, devours it...

Note: Can be eaten hot, out of the oven; or at room temperature, so it's great for a brunch or a party item.

JD's Frittata

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
2 shakes Mrs. Dash, or whatever seasoning you wish
2 potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (mandolin)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper, thinly sliced
1 zucchini sliced in 1/4in. discs
1 handfull of baby spinach
4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 grilled chicken thigh, diced
3 cooked breakfast sausage links, diced
1/2 cup corn
8 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Like I said, this is an opportunity to use what you have in the fridge.  If you have leftover brie, use it!  If you have leftover steak, use it!  Whatever works for you...meats, veggies, etc.  I love to add grape tomatoes, sliced in half but didn't have any last weekend.
In a 10" non-stick saucepan, on medium-high, heat Oil and butter until butter stops foaming.
Add potatoes and stir fry for about 2 min. until they start getting soft.
Add onions, garlic, Mrs. Dash, and peppers - cook until they start to smell delicious, about 2 min.
Add mushrooms and cook until they start to render their juice, about 2 min.
Stir everything else (except eggs) in and cook for a couple of minutes, until well combined.

Add eggs and lightly stir, making sure egg covers the bottom of the pan.
Drop the heat to medium and cover for about 10 min. After about 6 min., it helps to run a heat resistant spatula around the perimeter every once in a while to make sure the frittata unsticks from the side of the pan.
At 10 min. uncover and shake it as well to detach it from the bottom of the pan.







Grab a plate that is larger than the pan, place it over the top of the pan - flip the frittata so the top/uncooked side is on the plate.
Slide frittata back into the pan and let that side cook for about 3 min, until it's golden brown (if needs be, add a little more olive oil to the pan before reintroducing the frittata).

Slide Frittata onto serving plate and allow to cool for about 5 min. before slicing.

Garnish with any fresh herbs used in the frittata, flowers, cheese, tomatoes, etc.

I like to slice it like a pie and serve it in wedges.

You can add any kind of hot sauce, cheese, ketchup (?), sour cream/creme fraiche, whatever you want...






I like mine with Sriracha...