Annie Cooks!

I’ve always had a great love for enchiladas…not sure what it is, maybe the gooey, saucy tortilla or the cheesy/spicy flavors all meshed in with the meat.  Anyway, whatever it is, I love it all.  I’ve been making enchiladas since high school, starting late one study night when a friend and I had a craving and had to run to the 24-hour store to buy ground beef, cheese, tortillas, and enchilada sauce and throw it all together…I’ll admit, those weren’t the best enchi’s I’ve ever made but the goal was attained that night, and I’ll give partial credit to some mediocre-late-night-enchi’s for an A- in Algebra!

So, I’ve seen many an enchilada recipe and tried my fair share at restaurants, and have come to a conclusion – there’s a way to make them super tasty without using a lot of fat! Many traditional recipes will have you fry the tortillas in oil or lard before filling and rolling, which can result in a pretty heavy dish.  This technique solves the fall-apart issue that corn tortillas present, though.  If you use flour tortillas, they’re starchier and will hold together when dipped in the sauce before filling and rolling where corn tortillas won’t.  I like to do either chicken enchiladas with green sauce, or beef (shredded or ground) enchiladas with red sauce.  The basic principles will work with both, so I’ll add in comments that apply to making beef enchiladas where applicable.

One of the many beautiful things about enchiladas is that no matter how many you make, the mess is still the same, so go ahead and make a bunch and freeze them for later!

Here’s what you’ll need (makes about 12 enchiladas):

6 large chicken breasts (approx. 2 1/2 – 3 lbs in case you’re using beef*)

3-4 small tomatoes, chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

1 small can of roasted green chiles

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can green enchilada sauce (red if you’re using beef)

12 flour tortillas (whole grain are nice if you’re looking for some healthy bonus points)

1 to 1 1/2 lbs lowfat (2%) shredded cheese (I use a blend of sharp cheddar and colby/jack)

Casserole dishes or foil pans – I use the 8″ x 5 1/2″ foil pans for a 2-enchilada tray.

Foil for wrapping – torn into sheets to fit around your pan 2x.

Seasonings:  salt, fresh ground pepper, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper (if you dare).

Garnishes:  black olives, lowfat sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.

* A great way to make easy shredded beef for this recipe is to cook a lean beef roast in your crock pot with a can of enchilada sauce and then shred it up!  Terrific for tacos, too!

Here’s what you do:

In a good sized stock pot, more than cover your chicken breasts with water and boil them over medium high heat for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Check your pot often and skim the chicken “froth” off every now and then so you’ll have a nice clear broth that we’ll use later.

While that’s happening, chop your tomatoes, onion, garlic, and open that can of green chiles.  Put in a large saute pan and saute for about 10 minutes until onions are soft.  Season with salt, oregano, and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Set aside (we’ll add chicken to it in a bit).

Tomatoes, onion, garlic, green chiles sauteeing

When the chicken is done, pull it out and set it aside to cool for shredding.  Save that chicken broth!  Shred the chicken when it’s cool enough to handle and add that to the tomato/onion stuff in the saute pan.  (if you shred it with your hands you can easily find and remove those little gristle nubs) Season with salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, and cayenne.  I’m not going to tell you exactly how much to use because you should smell and taste as you go and season it to your liking!  Add about 2 cups of the chicken broth to the chicken mixture and saute over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  Stir it up good and taste it to see how it’s coming together.

For the sauce, reserve another 2 cups of the chicken stock and add that to the can of enchilada sauce in a medium sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes to let it thicken and blend a bit.  Taste it to be sure the seasonings are correct, you might need to add a little salt.

Now you’ve got your filling and your sauce ready to go!  Let them cool enough so you can handle them with your hands and get ready to assemble.  What I do is set up an assembly line – foil pans, tortillas, then the enchilada sauce, then the meat filling, then cheese.  At the end of the line are the foil sheets for wrapping up your trays.  Now, take a pan and cover the bottom with a thin layer of sauce, then dip your tortilla in the sauce and set in the tray.  Put a line of meat in the tortilla, cover with cheese, and roll the tortilla up leaving the seam on the bottom.  Top with another drizzle of sauce and more grated cheese.  Repeat.  When you pan is full set it on top of a foil sheet and wrap the pan in foil, creasing the edges so it’s sealed in well.  You’re done!

When you’re ready to heat them up, put a pan in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, uncovered if not frozen.  If you’re heating frozen enchiladas, put them in the oven for about 30 minutes, uncover the foil and heat until bubbling, about another 20-30 minutes.  Serve with the garnishes you like and enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Enchi with lowfat Sour Cream and Cilantro

Stir Fried Chicken with Peppers and Onion

 P.S.  All but the actual sauteeing and rice can be done before hand and kept in the fridge overnight if needed.  

P.S.S  If you have a Trader Joe’s around your parts, you can find steamed jasmine or brown rice in the freezer section.  You just throw it in the micro and it turns out perfectly!  Easy!!! 

Good stuff!!! 

More Chicken...

Even been out camping and wish you had a little BBQ pit to fill up with oak wood and grill some good stuff up?  Well, that’s just what my brother, John has!  It’s a mini-me of his big oak pit and it goes with them whenever they go camping…perfect for throwing some stuff on to grill right there in the campsite.  This time he did Grilled Spring Onions, which come out super sweet and are the perfect compliment to the Carne Asada, which you can often find at a Hispanic Market, all seasoned up and ready for the grill.

Grilled Spring Onions over Oak

Carne Asada (means roasted beef in Spanish) is a thin cut of beef flank that can be cut up for the perfect tacos!  Throw a few tortillas on the grill to warm up and you can eat it right there…decorate the tacos with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and some spicy salsa fresca and you’ll just need a margarita to make your experience complete!

Thanks, John!  Cheers!

Grilled Carne Asada over Oak

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been doing a lot on the grill lately…well, the sun is finally out and the wind and rain has gone away!  I love grilling!!!  Here’s an easy and healthy dinner that can grill up quick.  You start by pounding a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts just so they get a little tender.  Then squeeze fresh lemon juice all over the chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper and let sit in the fridge for an hour and up to overnight if you need to.  Before grilling, sprinkle fresh chopped herbs and reserve some to sprinkle on at the end.

Lemon herbed chicken breasts

Meanwhile, gather your fresh veggies for the grill; I used asparagus and small sweet peppers.  They just need a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and you’re ready to go!  You can use squash, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, or whatever your favorites are.  Grill the veggies for about 10 minutes and you’ve got an awesome and healthy dinner!

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

I’ve mentioned before that I have a lot of fond memories of my Dad’s BBQs on the weekends when I was growing up.  I grew up in Santa Maria, CA, which happens to be well known for their style of BBQing Beef or Chicken over an oak pit.  They say the technique originated with the ranchers and has continued on through the years…on any weekend, you can drive up Broadway in SM and smell the many BBQs burning in the parking lots, selling their dinners for various charities and causes.  It’s more than a “style”, it’s a way of life for those of us who grew up in this area!

I always love cooking with my Dad, and he wanted to be sure I captured this part of our life on my blog.  (Thanks, Dad!!!)  I did something a little different this time around; I asked my husband to take a video of the BBQ pit so that you could get an idea of how it all goes down.  If you have smell-a-vision then you’re really lucky, if you don’t then you’re gonna have to try this!  Dad’s recipes for the meat, bread, and beans follow the video…Enjoy!!!

The traditional Santa Maria Style BBQ Meal consists of Steak or Chicken, Beans, Salsa, Bread, and Salad.  You can do a big Green Salad, but Potato or Macaroni Salads are totally acceptable too!  (Let me know if you’d like those any additional recipes and I’ll do a follow-up post)

Steak:

I buy Top Sirloin block in the cryovac bags, about 12-14lbs. Let it age in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks before opening the bag, turning it every other day or so. When you’re ready to use the meat, open the bag and cut it into three pieces, fat side up with red meat to right or left side. Cut the block from back to front, into three equal widths, about 3 inches wide each. I trim much of the fat off the steaks before I cook it. These can be cooked immediately or frozen until ready to use.  Season both sides well with salt, pepper, and garlic salt or powder. Cook it over a hot red oak bed of coals. You need to cook the meat fairly hot to sear the bottom side, then back off a little and cook for about half an hour before turning and repeating on other side. This will generally give you rare to medium rare steak. You can cut off a piece three or four inches wide at this time to check, your guests will enjoy the samples. Keep cooking it longer if it’s not done enough to your liking. Remember, though, you can ruin this meat if you go past medium with it.

Bread:

Buy sweet French bread, not sourdough. Slice the whole loaf horizontally into two equal pieces, (a top and a bottom). About five to ten minutes before the steak is done, put the bread on the grill, outsides down. Cook it only until you can see the crust starting to brown a little. It only takes a minute to burn it after it starts to brown. Turn the bread over and repeat on the insides. Tongs or cotton gloves will help prevent finger burns. When the bottom starts to brown, remove from the fire and dip the cut surface in melted butter with garlic. If you’re doing a lot of bread, it’s easier to dip the half loaf all at once, then cut it into pieces about one inch wide, but small amounts can be cut first and then dipped, or the butter-garlic can be brushed on the tops before cutting.

Beans:

Go to a supermarket that carries to Hispanic food products. I buy my beans at Foods Co. or Food Maxx. Buy Pink Beans, usually in one pound bags. Pinquitos are more common, and many people use them, but the authentic ones are Pinks. They are larger and they cook down much better, but if you can’t find them, use Pinquitos.  I cook two pounds at a time, but he recipe can be adjusted up or down, beans can be frozen after cooking.

Put the beans in an eight quart pot. Fill it with cold water two thirds full and soak the beans overnight. The beans will have absorbed most of the soak water over night.  Pour off the water and refill the pot with water to cover the beans about an inch and a half. Start the beans cooking over low heat. For two pounds of beans, I add two tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon each of black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Chop one white or yellow onion finely, or use dehydrated onion and add that to the pot. Add one 15oz. can of tomato sauce, or equivalent tomato paste or even stewed tomatoes can be used. Stir and bring to slow boil, then back off the heat a little. Beans will tend to foam at first, so watch them for a while. Stir every half hour or so and cook for about four hours. When ready, the beans will be soft, not grainy. Any of the spices can be adjusted up or down to suit your taste.

It’s hard to beat pizza, right?  I mean, who doesn’t love a thick slice of dough, sauce and cheese looking back at them from their plate?  I love pizza but don’t like all the grease and guilt that comes with many of the pizzas that you order in!  I love a good challenge, and making a “healthy” pizza was tonight’s challenge.  I got a package of Trader Joe’s pre-made dough…if you have a TJ’s near you, try this stuff!  It’s cheap, easy, delicious, and you can freeze it and use it later if that’s your fancy.  Open that up and let it rest while you prep up the other things.  I chose pretty traditional pizza toppings; ground turkey, grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.  

I sauteed the turkey burger and seasoned it with plenty of oregano, garlic, sea salt and a dash of cayenne pepper for some zing!  That all gets layered on the dough and voila!  You have a fresh, healthy pizza that you just made!  

Here it is all bubbly and done…with crispy crust and melty cheese! 

There’s a million different combinations that you can use.  Try some of these or come up with your own:

- BBQ chicken pizza – sauce, shredded chicken, cilantro, red onion and tomatoes

- Buffalo chicken pizza – buffalo sauce, chicken, sauteed celery and onions, crumbled blue cheese

- Meat lover’s – ground beef, prosciutto, crumbled bacon, pepperoni, shredded cheese

- Mushroom – sauteed wild mushrooms, garlic, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese

- Veggie – spinach, red and yellow bell pepper, broccoli, red onion, artichoke hearts, shredded cheese

Need a quick dinner during the week? I always do! I like to buy ravioli and keep it in the freezer for when I need to grab something and whip it up without a lot of prep work. Tonight, I took chicken and herb ravioli (from Costco) and dressed it up. I started with two chicken breasts, boiling in garlic salt and herb water in a large stock pot. While that’s cooking away, I chopped up some fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, and spinach and set aside. When the chicken is done, pull it out of the water and set aside. Keep the chicken stock boiling and throw in your ravioli. Quickly saute the onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil, then add the tomatoes and spinach and saute for one more minute. Shred the chicken and add that to the saute mixture.  Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.   

When the ravioli are finished cooking strain them and get ready to throw this thing together! In a pasta bowl, put your ravioli down, cover with your saute of veggies and chicken, then top with some freshly grated parmesan. Quick and easy!!!

Tips: if you’re trying to keep things light, look for ravioli that is lower in fat. Many of the prepared raviolis will have a lot of cheese or unnecessary high-fat ingredients. These were about 6 grams of fat per serving. Topped with the veggies and chicken, you’re doin good and are definitely on the light side!  Mix up the vegetables with this, you can add assorted bell peppers for color, asparagus, broccoli, or whatever your favorite veggies are. Just remember that some veggies need a little bit longer in the saute pan than others do, so plan accordingly.

In the spirit of Spring…it was all about grilling this last Sunday.  I have such great memories surrounded around the grill; from when I was just a kid and my Dad would BBQ every weekend, to gathering around with friends and throwing steaks on while listening to great music, to grilling during the week with my husband, there’s just such a cool vacation feeling when you’re outside cooking!

I wanted to try some things that I haven’t done on the grill before and hey, it worked!  First off was two kinds of pizza on the grill – wild mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, and honeyed goat cheese and then a traditional margherita with fresh basil, heirloom grape tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.  They were both really good…the trick is to be sure and oil the grill grates with plenty of olive oil and cook the pizzas over low heat with the cover on.

Next up was my favorite (well, one of my favorites); citrus and saffron marinated scallops with bacon-wrapped asparagus!  I topped the scallops with an orange, cilantro, and red onion salsa…the perfect zesty dish for a lovely Spring eve with good friends:

For the main course:  That’s grilled chimichurri lamb chops with herb rice.  Here’s the thing about the lamb chops…they were soooo good!!!  I drizzled them with a little bit of olive oil, then dipped each chop in plain Greek yogurt, yeah, yogurt.  Then I packed them with fresh rosemary and threw them in the fridge for about 6 hours.  When it was time to grill them up, I rinsed off the yogurt then brushed them with fresh chimichurri sauce, a little sea salt, and some fresh ground pepper.  They went on the grill for about 4 mins on each side to get a nice medium temp…then down the hatch!!!  Man, they were good; tender, flavorful and a just good!  You gotta try these!

As much as I love to cook…I also love to go out and enjoy a leisurely dinner!  Good friends, good food, good wine and good service is one of my ultimate indulgences.  Well, the location of choice was one of the newer restaurants that us Paso Roblans get to partake in called Thomas Hill Organics (THO).  http://thomashillorganics.com/home.html.  One of the most interesting things about THO is that they started out on their food venture in the farming side of the business.  Their approach to farming is one that produces organic and unique heirloom varieties of fruits, veggies and nuts.  They use this glorious produce in their foods at the restaurant and even offer a regular produce subscription service!

(Sidenote:  I’ll be starting my subscription in the VERY near future and telling you all about it here!)

So, let’s get on with the dirt, shall we?  I can’t wait to tell you about all the wonderful flavors and textures that we got to try!  THO has an outdoor woodburning pizza oven (ummm, YES it smells incredible) and they have a few flatbreads on their menu.  We picked the one that we’ve been hearing people talk about and just happened to be the most unique sounding combination – Grilled Meyer Lemon Flatbread with House-Made Ricotta Cheese, Fried Herbs and Drizzled Honey!  OMG!!!  I have never had anything like this and it was out of this world!!!  I think I have added another guilty pleasure to my list.

Meyer Lemon Flatbread to Die For!!!

With wine, of course….

With wine....and great friends!

Next was the salad course…I -heart- salad and we had 2!  First off was the Salad of Marinated Beets, Citrus and Strawberries with Field Greens and Sesame Brittle.  Ummm, yeah….GOOD!!!

Super Great Beet Salad

Next salad:  Early Spring Pea Salad with Mint Salsa Verde and House-Made Ricotta.  What a delightful salad…fresh, tasty and with a little zip.  Yeah, put that on the list, too!

Awesome!!!!

Dinner…we required a variety that included some bravery.  Well, okay, let me explain a little bit; of the four of us at the table, none of us had ever had two of the entree main ingredients – pork belly or halibut cheeks.  Now, I’m pretty adventurous with food but I’ll admit it…I have a hard time with “parts”.  I’ve seen these characters on menus several times in the past but have just never mustered up the courage to order a plate.  It’s a risk, and we were feeling risky, so we did it…we ordered the Belly dish, the Plate ‘o Cheeks and a Rib Eye for good measure.

And…Introducing…..Mister Carmelized Pork Belly and Spicy Shrimp with Maui Onions, Cilantro and Green Tea Soba Noodles…

The Belly

The Gorgeous BellyNext up…the Infamous Tamarind Glazed Halibut Cheeks, Coconut Baby Bok Choy, Smoked Shiitake Mushrooms and Toasted Cashews…

"Cheeks" McGee

But never forget the lovely and the last of the Entrees…All Natural Rib Eye Steak, Szechuan Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Smoked Shiitakes…

Now THAT'S a steak!!!

I’m sure by now you’re wondering if…maybe…HOW…could we be comtemplating dessert after all this glorious food, right?  Well, we went right ahead and did it.  Actually, we didn’t just get one, we got two.  Yes, two!  After all, this is Sunday and I’m not doing any dishes so why not???

A Caramel Cheesecake drizzled with chocolate:

Lovely

AND!!!!  A Dark Chocolate Lava Cake with Anglaise on the side:

Ohhhh...glorious Chocolate!

As you’ve probably gathered, this was a great Sunday!  I got a break from cookin’ (I still love it, though), we got to spend a wonderful Spring night out on the patio at a great restaurant downtown and we tried some things that we’ve never tried before.  Lots of stuff crammed into one dinner, huh?

Moral of the story – get out there, enjoy life and try something new!!!

I was craving some Italian food…and thought I’d do up some things that aren’t in my normal repertoire of cooking.  There are times when I get a big inspiration and really want to create things; this time I didn’t get that, instead I flipped through some of my cookbooks and came up with some ideas.  I’m not sure what brings on that inspiration, but I wish I had more control of it.  I’d like to be able to just snap my fingers and tell my creative side to whip up some good old fashioned inspiring ideas, but it just doesn’t seem to work that way.  Hmmph.  My attention was on other things this week; hectic projects at work, multiple events on the social calendar, and a backyard that was just screaming to have some veggies and flowers planted in it before the Summer heat sets in.  Oh yeah, and the ever-present goal to have a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend with my husband, family and friends.  Phewww, where does spending a day cooking fit in to that?  Never fear, I have a solution!!!  Come up with things that are:  1) quick and easy to put together and/or 2) are confident and independent enough to cook on their own for a while.

I started by hitting up the herb garden and gathering bunches of Basil, Italian Parsley, Marjoram, and a dab of Oregano.  I whipped up a Fresh Herb Pesto using a couple of garlic cloves, some roasted walnuts and a good helping of fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.  Whirl this up in your food processor, drizzle some good quality EVOO in with it and you’ve got yourself a pesto!  I tossed this with some fresh fettuccine, sweet grape tomatoes and toasted pine nuts for a cold first course.  Paired with a Tablas Creek 2008 Roussanne, a great way to kick off a Spring Fever Sunday Dinner!

Fresh Herb Pesto Fettuccine with Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Next up, was a dish that I’ve never eaten, never prepared, but have always heard people rave about – Osso Buco.  Traditionally done with Veal, this is a dish using the shank, and braising it in broth and wine after searing it to get a nice outer browning.  The shank isn’t a great cut of meat, lots of connective tissue and whatnot, but the braising of the meat makes for a really tender, falling apart finished product.  I didn’t use veal, I substituted beef, which worked out well.  I made a risotto with carmelized onions and Pecorino cheese to lay the shanks on, then you top the whole rig with the reduced braising liquid and a good dose of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest.  We paired this with a 2001 J. Lohr Cuvee POM, which is a delicious, rich red blend that was perfect with the rich flavors of the braised meat.

Osso Buco With Braised Vegetables over Pecorino Risotto

More Osso Buco

There’s nothing easier and more delicious than Panna Cotta!  Let me tell you…this was simple!  I read somewhere that if Panna Cotta is taking you more than 5 minutes to make, you’re doing something wrong.  Now, as many of you have probably gathered, I’m not a very good dessert maker.  Don’t get me wrong, I love dessert, but just don’t have that baker’s touch.  Well, I make a mean cookie, but I’m not good at reading instructions or following directions, so that makes baking a challenge.  I just like to do my thang when I’m in the kitchen.  Anyhoo, Panna Cotta is a great fix for somebody like me.  You basically heat heavy cream (or half and half) with sugar and vanilla bean, then pour it over some gelatin, stir, put into cute bowls and let it set up in the fridge for a few hours.  Easy.  I chopped up some fresh strawberries to go over the top of this one, and voila!  Dessert!

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries

Moral of the story?  There is life outside of the kitchen…especially on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon.  You can still enjoy a great Sunday Dinner that doesn’t have to take up your whole day!  Get out there, enjoy life!!!