Archive for September, 2011

Fiesta Food For Friends!

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Easy White Chicken Enchiladas
from my friends Deana & Missy (with my two cents, of course!)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (Healthy Valley makes an organic, gluten free one!)
1/2 soup can whole milk
2 cans diced green chillies
1 large sweet yellow onion diced
1 16oz container sour cream
3 cups shredded chicken (recipe below)
16 oz monterey jack cheese with jalapenos shredded
Kosher salt and cracked pepper
package of corn tortillas (GF) or flour tortillas
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed removed, rough chop (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together soup, milk, 1 & 1/2 cans green chillies (reserve 1/2 can for topping), diced onion, sour cream, shredded chicken, 3/4 of the shredded monterey jack cheese (reserve 1/4 of cheese for topping), and salt & pepper to taste in a large mixing bowl.

Grease a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of the soup/chicken mixture across the bottom of the baking dish.

Keep corn and/ or flour tortillas covered with a damp paper towel during next step to prevent drying out.

Take one tortilla and fill with about 1/4 cup of the chicken/ soup mixture. Roll up tortilla like a burrito and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat rolling tortillas until dish is full, reserving 1/4 of mixture for the topping. Cover top of enchiladas with remaining soup/chicken mixture, sprinkle with remaining monterey jack cheese and green chillies (down the middle).

Bake 20 minutes. Serve and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve with fresh avocado and tomato slices on the side or your favorite version of black beans and rice.

Shredded Chicken
4 bonelss skinless chicken breasts
16 oz chicken broth (I use 1 whole boxed carton, but cans are fine too.)
5 cloves garlic, minced (Mince it yourself, or to save time, use jarred garlic.)
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board to cool. Shred chicken with a fork. (You can reserve broth for other recipes such a chicken noodle soup.)

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Apples & Cinnamon! Fave Fall Dinner Recipe To Share

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Pan-Fried Pork Chops With Glazed Apples
(adapted from recipe by Mary Corpening Barber & Sara Corpening Whiteford)

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)
1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary and 4 whole sprigs set aside
4 Thin-Cut Pork Chops
Ground Pepper
2 tablespoons Bacon Grease or 4 slices Bacon
4 Red Apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Orange or Apricot Jam, such as Polaner All Fruit
1/3 cup Brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Mix together brown sugar, kosher salt and rosemary in a small bowl. Cover pork chops with sugar-herb mixture (use your clean hands) and let sit covered in a shallow dish for at least 15 minutes. (Wash hands with antibacterial soap after handling raw meat.)

Heat bacon grease in a large skillet to medium high heat. If you don’t have bacon fat saved, fry 4 pieces of bacon in skillet over medium heat, turning over a few times until crisp. Set aside bacon strips on plated paper towels and use later as crumbles for a side salad (or eat immediately!) Leave the bacon grease in the pan and heat to high. Season pork chops with ground pepper. Cook pork chops in grease for 2 – 3 minutes per side, creating a golden dark brown color. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil and keep in a warm oven (250 degrees) until sauce is finished.

Add apples to the pan and saute in the pork drippings for 1 minute, turning the apples a light brown color. Add chicken broth, orange or apricot jam, brandy and cinnamon and stir well. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring often. (This is when you should set the table or have your guests help you!)

Plate the pork chops and top with the glazed apples. Garnish with rosemary sprigs. Pair with your favorite salad or green vegetable like broccolini and crusty torn baguette pieces. Serves 4.

Butter Lettuce Salad With Almonds & Goat Cheese
A Jenn Hobby Recipe (created to eat bacon and pretend it is healthy.)

2 small heads of Butter Lettuce, washed, dried and torn into big leafy pieces
1/4 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced, paper-thin
1/4 cup Crispy Bacon crumbles
1/4 cup Toasted Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries or Cherries
1/4 cup Crumbled Goat Cheese
Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, store bought, preferably yogurt based
Create this beautiful salad in a clear glass bowl. Start with lettuce then top with onion, bacon, almonds, cranberries and finish with goat cheese. Serve at the table and wait to toss until dinner is served. Allow guests to serve dressing individually. Pretty presentation is preserved!
Serves 4

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