Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts {The New Southwest #Cookbook Spotlight}

I am a big fan of bean burgers.  I've made chickpea burgers, black bean burgers, fava bean burgers, and now pinto bean burgers and I've loved them all. The good news is that everyone else in my house loves bean burgers almost as much as me so it's a total win-win situation.  

As soon as I spotted this recipe for Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts in The New Southwest Cookbook I knew it would be my choice for Week Two Blogger's Choice.  These pinto bean burgers are seasoned with a heavy dose of cumin, black pepper, coriander, and garlic so they are mighty flavorful.  Crunchy on the exterior and creamy on the inside this is one powerhouse of a breakfast that will keep you full way into the afternoon. They were a big hit at my house!

Check back on Monday, October 28th for a cookbook review and a chance to win your very own copy of The New Southwest. You don't want to miss it!

Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts

Adapted from The New Southwest by

Meagan Micozzi of Scarletta Bakes

Serves 7

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for frying

3/4 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup grated zucchini 

2 jalapenos, stemmed and minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

3-1/2 cups cooked pinto beans

(about 2-1/2 cans if using canned)

3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs*

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

7 slices Monterey Jack cheese

7 English muffins, sliced, toasted

Note: I had to use a little over a cup of breadcrumbs to get the mixture to come together.  Also, I think the 2 tablespoons of black pepper in the recipe might be a typo.  We love black pepper but I only used 1 tablespoon just in case.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until golden, translucent, and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the zucchini, jalapenos, and garlic and saute for just 2 more minutes.  Remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, place the beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.  (Use a fork for chunky, uneven consistency.)  Stir in the breadcrumbs, eggs, cumin, black pepper, coriander, and salt.  Fold in the cooked onion mixture.  Using a half cup measure, portion off and form seven patties.  Freeze them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to firm them up.  They can be kept frozen at this point and you can cook them as needed or you can store them in the refrigerator if not using right away.

Once ready to cook and assemble your melts, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed lidded skillet over medium heat (I prefer cast iron). Add the patties and cook for 3 to 4 minute on each side, applying pressure to the top of the patties to flatten once you have a cooked side facing up.  Note that you may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd your pan, so you may need to refresh your oil between batches and wipe the pan clean.

Once patties are crisp on the outside and cooked through, top each with a slice of cheese, replace the lid on the pan and steam just 30 to 60 seconds to melt the cheese.  Remove each patty melt to a toasted English muffin bun and serve immediately.

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

 

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

If you'd like to keep tabs on who's making what from the The New Southwest, then head on over to The New Southwest event page over at girlichef.

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page.  You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe.  Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.
- See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page.  You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe.  Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page.  You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe.  Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

Mushroom & Shallot Migas {The New Southwest #Cookbook Spotlight}

For the next few weeks I'll be participating in The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight hosted by my good friend, Heather of girlichef. The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist is a brand new cookbook written by fellow food blogger, Meagan Micozzi. Meagan's adventure with southwestern inspired cuisine began when she relocated to Arizona and found comfort and inspiration in the local foods, flavors, and ingredients. Meagan created her food blog, Scarletta Bakes, to chronicle her adventures with southwestern food.  Her blog is now wildly popular for it's innovative approach to southwestern cuisine. If you've been reading her blog for long then you are probably already in love.  If you haven't been introduced yet then please go ahead and check her out. It's a love at first sight kinda thing.

This week we are all making Migas, an egg dish starring leftover bread or tortillas.  Traditional Migas feature fried tortilla strips, tomato, onion, and jalapeno.  Meagan's Mushroom & Leek Migas feature fried tortilla strips, mushrooms, leeks*, and Manchego cheese.  I chose to make Meagan's migas for dinner one evening and they were an all-around hit!  Everyone raved about how they loved the crunch of the fried tortilla strips, the meatiness of the mushrooms, and the nutty flavor of the Manchego cheese.  We topped our migas with our favorite Pico de Gallo and it was a perfect veggie-packed meal.  So simple but very pleasing.  I'll definitely be making this again!

Stay tuned for more. There will be more recipes, as well as reviews, and several chances to win your very own copy of The New Southwest!  Click HERE to read about the Cookbook Spotlight and see a list of all the participants. A big thank you to Meagan for such a beautiful cookbook, the folks at Hippocrene, and to Heather of girlichef for giving me the opportunity to participate in this spotlight.

Mushroom & Shallot Migas

Adapted from The New Southwest 

by Megan Micozzi of Scarletta Bakes 

4 five inch corn tortillas

1-1/4 cups vegetable oil, divided

a little pat of butter*

1/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced (about 2 -1/2 cups)

2 shallots, sliced*

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

1 cup shredded Manchego cheese

Notes: The recipe calls for 1 leek, ends removed, and chopped.  I really don't care for leeks so I used two shallots sliced thinly.  Also I used only enough vegetable oil to fry the tortillas.  Instead of oil I used a little butter to saute the mushrooms and shallots and cook the eggs. 

To prepare the corn strips:  Cut the tortillas in half and then slice them into thin strips (1/2" to 3/4" wide).  Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a large in a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan (I prefer cast iron) over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping pieces as they fry and removing the crispy, browned strips to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool.

Whisk the eggs and heavy cream together in a large bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a medium-sized skillet melt a bit of butter.  Saute the mushroom slices for approximately 3 minutes or until tender and fragrant.  Add the shallots and saute for 1 more minute.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.  Pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly in a circular motion until eggs begin to solidfy.  Just as eggs begin to solidfy, stir in the fried tortilla strips.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until eggs are light, fluffy, and cooked through.

Remove from heat, top with cheese, and serve immediately.  Goes very well with a good pico de gallo (as pictured above).

This recipe from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi copyright 2013, used with permission from Hippocrene Books.

*recipe from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi copyright 2013, used with permission from Hippocrene Books.

- See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/MushroomLeekMigas.html#more

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/MushroomLeekMigas.html#more

Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie

You know those recipes that feel like they were written specifically for you?  This Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie is one of those recipes for me.  This pie is packed with everything I crave on a regular basis: flaky buttery pastry, loads of broccoli, robust Gorgonzola cheese, and a luscious creamy mustard sauce.  My friend, Michelle of Ms. enPlace, shared this pie last week and I've craved it ever since. It's total heaven!

Funny enough, I put off making this pie for two reasons. The biggest reason being that no one else in the house cares for broccoli, mustard, or blue cheese.  

Translation: Mom will have to eat the entire pie herself! 

 Danger: Mom will eat the entire pie herself!

Secondly, I'm a complete novice when it comes to puff pastry. 

 Confession: Pastry dough is my least favorite task in the kitchen.

However, last week I had the pleasure of using puff pastry for the very first time and would you believe it....I actually enjoyed it! I always figured puff pastry would be difficult to work with, but it is as simple as opening the package, thawing out the dough, and rolling/shaping it to the desired size.  There's simply nothing to it!  The puff pastry doesn't fall apart or tear and it's not even difficult to transfer or move around. I can honestly say I don't mind working with puff pastry at all.  In fact, I look forward to the next time!

As for this pie....I did end up eating it all by myself.  Every single delicious bite.  It was worth every single calorie.

Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie

Adapted from Plenty

by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 6

One sheet of puff pastry

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup chopped scallions

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

2 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled

1 egg, beaten

Note: I did make quite a few changes to this pie to lighten it up.  The original recipe calls for two sheets of puff pastry and a whole lot more cheese, which I'm sure is quite delicious.  That recipe can be found here. 

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Roll out the puff pastry until it is 1/8" thick and large enough to line a 10-inch loose bottomed tart pan.  Line the tart pan with the puff pastry and trim off the excess pastry (reserve excess pastry to decorate the top of the pie).  Place tart pan (with the puff pastry inside of it) in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.  

Remove the tart pan from the freezer.  Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill it with baking beans.  Bake blind for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown.  Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven to bake for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the shell is golden  Leave to cool down.

While the tart shell is baking, prepare the filling.  I steamed my broccoli, but you can cook the broccoli florets in a large pan of boiling water for about 2 minutes, or until tender but still firm.  Drain in a colander, rinse well with cold water and leave to dry. 

Melt the butter in a pan and fry the shallots on gentle heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft but not colored.  Add the cream, water, scallions, mustard, salt and some black pepper.  Cook over low heat until mixture thickens and then remove from heat.  

To assemble, spread the shallot mixture over the bottom of the pastry case.  Scatter the broccoli on top and gently press into the shallot mix.  Dot with Gorgonzola.  Decorate the top of the pie with the remaining pieces of puff pastry.  Feel free to cut out shapes or strips.  I just cut my leftover pastry into squares and the placed the squares on top. 

If you wish, glaze the decorative puff pastry with a little beaten egg and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.  Allow to cool a little before removing from the pan.

Theme: New To Me!

Surprise Tatin

I chose to make this Surprise Tatin because it represents my week perfectly. My week was full of surprises.  Injuries on bicycles, rashes, stuffed noses and sore throats, spilled milk, lost permission slips, last minute school projects, broken air conditioners, and broken bones.  It was just one surprise after another.

It seemed very fitting to make Ottolenghi's Surprise Tatin.  After all, you wouldn't expect potatoes to be the star of a tatin, would you? 

This is really a carb lover's type of dish.  Caramelized onions, oven-roasted tomatoes, sliced new potatoes, and slices of goat cheese get layered into a cake pan with a layer of puff pastry on top.  As the tatin bakes it becomes very caramelized.  The real magic happens when you invert the tatin onto a serving plate and reveal the dark caramel color.  This is a very comforting and savory tartin and calls for a crisp green salad on the side.  It's definitely perfect for those days when you just need the comfort of carbs!

Surprise Tatin

Adapted from Plenty

by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4

1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling tomatoes

salt and black pepper

1 lb new potatoes (skin on)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon butter

3 oregano springs

5 ounces aged goat cheese, sliced

1 puff pastry sheet, rolled thinly

Preheat the oven to 275F.  Halve the tomatoes and place them skin-side down on a baking sheet.  Drizzle over some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven to dry for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 25 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  Trim off a bit of the top and bottom of each potato, then cut into 1-inch tick disks.

Saute the onion with the oil and some salt for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Once you've prepared all the vegetables, brush a 9-inch cake pan with oil and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.  In a small pan cook the sugar and butter on a high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, to get a semi-dark caramel.  Pour the caramel evenly over the bottom.  Pick the oregano leaves, tear and scatter on the caramel.

Lay the potato slices close together, cut-side down, on the bottom of the pan.  Gently press onion and tomatoes into the gaps and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Spread the slices of goat cheese evenly over the potatoes.  Cut a puff pastry disc that is 1 inch larger in diameter than the pan.  Lay the pastry lid over the tart filling and gently tuck the edges down around the potatoes inside the pan.  (At this stage you can chill the tart for up to 24 hours).

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Bake the tart for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is thoroughly cooked.  Remove from the oven and let settle for 2 minutes only.  Hold an inverted plate firmly on top of the pan and carefully but briskly turn them over together, then lift off the pan.  Serve the tart hot or warm.  

 

 

Theme: Pies & Tarts

Marinated Buffalo Mozzarella with Tomato

Last week my kids went back to school.  My daughter was really psyched for her first day of seventh grade at the middle school.  My son was really excited for his first day of first grade.  I was super prepped, really organized (for the first time ever), and fairly confident that all would go well.  Everyone really had a positive attitude and all was good.  Then the first day of school came and it was pretty much a nightmare.

Turns out my son's first grade teacher isn't real good at anything, especially when it comes to following safety and health guidelines.  For those of you that don't know, my son has severe food allergies and certain procedures are supposed to be followed at school. To sum things up, the teacher followed none of the procedures or rules.  In fact, she violated every single one and then some.  It made for a very frustrating and worrisome week.  It was also quite surprising because I've always felt like child safety is one of the strong suits at this particular elementary school.  I ended up having my first trip to the principal's office, but I think the issues are finely under control.  I certainly hope so, anyway.

Prior to all the problems, I had hoped to enjoy lots of time in my kitchen while the kids were in school.  However, all the issues caused so much concern I barely had time to slice a tomato and make a quick marinade.  Lucky for me, that's pretty much all that was needed for a fresh and flavorful light meal. 

This recipe was definitely a bright spot in my week.  I was able to pick the tomatoes and herbs right from my own backyard.  Making this dish was somewhat therapeutic for me.  There's no way you can look at all those bright colors and fresh flavors and not be happy.  I served the marinated mozzarella and fresh tomatoes over some good crusty bread.  It was crazy delicious!  I'd definitely recommend taking advantage of the fresh summer tomatoes and herbs right now.  Choose this recipe, or a similar recipe, and you will absolutely brighten your day!

Marinated Buffalo Mozzarella with Tomato

Adapted from Plenty

by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4 as a starter

Marinade 

grated zest of 1 lemon

15 basil leaves, shredded

2 teaspoons chopped oregano

2 teaspoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

salt and pepper

8-9 ounces buffalo mozzarella

2 ripe medium tomatoes 

To make the marinade: Add the marinade ingredients to a small bowl.  Mix thoroughly.  Break the mozzarella roughly with your hands.  Smear it with the marinade and set aside for 15 - 30 minutes.

To serve, cut the tomatoes into wedges and plate along with the marinated mozzarella.  Drizzle with extra olive oil.  Serve with good crusty bread.

Theme: Gorgeously Green!

Potato and Red Pepper "Cheesecake"

Smartphones.  We have a love/hate kinda relationship.  I believe there is a time to use your phone and lots of other times when you shouldn't. When I say lots of other times I really mean a good majority of the time.  For example, you're out to dinner with friends, family, etc.  Your phone does not belong on the table.  You're in the waiting room at the doctor/dentist office having a conversation with your husband.  Newsflash: I don't really want to hear that conversation.  You're in the checkout line and you're holding everyone up because you're messing around your phone.  My reaction might not be so nice.  Of course, I might be the only one who feels this way but I really do expect people to practice consideration when using their phones.

On the flip side, my iphone really comes in handy when I'm at the grocery store.  I use my phone to look up recipes nearly every time I'm at the store.  It's been a real lifesaver.  Recently, I bought my first cooking related iphone app, Ottolenghi, and it has also really come in handy.  When I needed something for this week's IHCC theme, Eggscellent, I found this tasty Potato and Red Pepper "Cheesecake" right on the app. 

I've been wanting to try a savory cheesecake for a long time so I decided to give this a go.  It was really tasty, but it was almost verging on being a little too rich or decadent.  I think you definitely need to serve it with a little salad on the side.  Otherwise, we really liked it.

Potato and Red Pepper Cheesecake

Adapted from Ottolenghi iphone app

Serves 4 - 8

about 1/3 cup olive oil

4 large red peppers, halved and seeded

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 large round white or round red potatoes (about 1-1/3 pounds, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2/3 cup cream cheese

3 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup pitted and halved black olives

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a 9-inch baking dish (round, square, any shape will do) with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.

Mix the peppers together with the garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a good grind of black pepper.  Spread out on a baking pan and roast for 25 minutes.  Remove and set aside to cool.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Add the potatoes, cook for 5 minutes, then drain.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the potatoes.  You may need to fry them in two batches, so the pan does not get overcrowded.  Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning once to give both sides a light crispy surface.  Remove and set aside.

Place the feta, cream cheese, eggs, cream, and some black pepper in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until smooth and thick.

Cut each of the roasted pepper halves into two or three strips, about 1-1/2 inches wide, and place them and the potatoes in the baking pan --they should lean against each other, almost standing on their sides.  Put the olives into the gaps between the pieces and sprinkle with half the oregano.

Pour enough of the cream mixture into the pan to leave some of the vegetables exposed.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the custard sets.  Five minutes before the end of cooking time scatter the remaining oregano on top.  Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. 

Remove the cake from the pan and cut into four wedges.  Brush the top and side of each piece with the remaining olive oil and serve.

Theme: Eggscellent!

Ottolenghi's Cheese, Garlic, Veggie and Herb Bread

I am absolutely crazy for homemade bread, but I really haven't felt like dedicating an afternoon to mixing, kneading, proofing, and baking bread from scratch.  That's where this recipe comes in.  It's a delicious recipe for quick bread that's rich with eggs, infused with garlic and herbs, with little pockets of cheese, thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and a beautifully adorned top.  It's absolutely delicious, very impressive to look at, and can be made in around an hour.  Score!

This recipe is also highly adaptable.  You can use any variety of herbs, cheeses, and veggies that you like to create your own special loaf.  The original recipe called for cubes of gruyere cheese, but I used little cubes of sharp white cheddar because that's what I had on hand.  Ottolenghi infused his loaf with rosemary, but my family isn't crazy about rosemary so I opted for oregano instead.  Lastly, this loaf has thinly sliced ribbons of sun-dried tomatoes, but you can use capers, olives, roasted red peppers or any other veggie you like.  I can foresee many versions of this recipe in my near future.  I really don't think you could go wrong!

Cheese, Garlic, Veggie and Herb Bread

Adapted from Yotam Ottoleghi

via the Guardian

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary leaves, plus 2 whole sprigs to decorate*

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 eggs

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

2 tablespoons ground almonds*

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes*

3-1/2 ounce Gruyere, diced into 1/2-inch cubes and tossed in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour*

1 cup grated Parmesan 

*Notes: Use any variety of herbs, cheese, and/or veggies you like.  I used green onions in place of the rosemary.  I did use the sun-dried tomatoes; however, olives, capers, and roasted red peppers would also be great choices.  I didn't have Gruyere but I did have a nice sharp cheddar so I went with that.  I omitted the ground almonds because my son has a nut allergy and we try not to have any nuts in the house.  I garnished my loaf with oregano leaves, thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, slivers of garlic, and more parmesan cheese. 

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a 10 x 4 inch (8-cup) loaf pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream, rosemary (or herb of your choice), and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and leave to infuse and cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and olive oil together in a medium sized bowl.  In another medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, ground almonds, salt, and baking powder.  Make a well in the center and slowly add the egg mixture, whisking to avoid lumps, until you have a thick batter.

Pass the infused cream through a fine sieve directly into the bowl of batter, reserving or discarding the garlic and rosemary (I used this garlic to decorate the top of the loaf).  Add the sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan.  Toss the cubes of cheese (Gruyere or your substitute) with the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.  Add the Gruyere tossed with the flour and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and decorate the top of the loaf as you wish.  I scattered fresh oregano leaves, thin slivers of sun-dried tomato, slivers of garlic, and additional Parmesan cheese on top.  Feel free to use your imagination here  

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack.  Once the loaf is completely cool, cut into serving slices using a serrated knife. 

Theme: Potluck

Cafe Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I've been cooking the recipes of Rick Bayless once a week for five full months now.  This recipe, for Cafe Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, is hands down my favorite Rick Bayless recipe from the whole five month period.  I am so glad I spotted this dish over on the Sweet Life or else I may have missed out on it's deliciousness.

These enchiladas are absolute perfection in my opinion.  The sauce is a flavorful and creamy combination of spinach and poblano chiles with just the right hint of garlic. That delicious sauce blankets the corn tortillas and chicken to make for one extremely comforting dish.  These enchiladas were pretty much inhaled at my house.  Next time around I'd consider doubling the recipe so there would be leftovers.

Instead of rolling individual enchiladas I chose to make more of an enchilada bake.  I used twelve corn tortillas, layering six of them on the bottom of the dish, adding the filling, then layering the remaining six corn tortillas on top (the directions below reflect this). This style is much easier, quicker, and way less messy and I like the end result just as well.  I would recommend this style over hand rolling twelve enchiladas any day of the week.  However, if you choose to hand roll the enchiladas then you will need to soften your corn tortillas by heating them until they are pliable and brushing them with a little oil so you can work with them.

One Note:  Once I assembled the enchilada bake I felt like there was way too much sauce to pour over the top.  I went ahead and poured all that sauce on anyway and I'm glad I did.  The enchiladas really soak up that sauce and everything turned out excellent.  So, if you decide to make this recipe, go ahead and pour all that sauce on top.  You'll be happy you did!

 

Cafe Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from SweetLife

Serves 4-6

2 poblano chiles

1 cup roughly chopped spinach leaves

2 cups milk

2 cups chicken broth

6 tablespoons butter 

 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 cup flour

salt

3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (I bought a rotisserie chicken)

12 corn tortillas

A little vegetable oil for brushing or spraying

About 1 cup Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesadilla, asadero, monterrey jack, or mild cheddar)

cilantro for garnish

 

Preheat oven to 350F.

 

Make the sauce– Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler. Turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all side, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes under the broiler. 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 saucepan, combine the milk and broth, set over medium-low heat to warm.

 

In a large (4quart) saucepan, melt butter (or heat the oil) over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add 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 (I 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 well with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. 

 

Finishing the enchiladas– smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the chicken.  Next, lay half of the tortillas (six) on top of the sauce that you added to the 13 x9 baking dish.  Now lay all of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas making sure to spread the chicken in an even layer on top of the tortillas.  Finally, layer the remaining six tortillas on top of the chicken and cover the tortillas with the remaining sauce (this will seems like a lot of sauce but the enchiladas really absorb it well so go ahead and use it all).  Top the sauce with the shredded cheese and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.  Remove the enchiladas and garnish with cilantro.

 

Cheese-Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto

Have you ever had dates before?  If not, then you totally should!  Dates are so sweet and chewy and really go a long way in satisfying your sweet tooth.  They can be hard to find (I found mine in the produce section of Trader Joe's) and they can also be expensive (about $5.00 for 16), but in my opinion they are worth sourcing.   

Dates are delicious just as they are, but stuffing them with cheese and wrapping them in prosciutto makes them heavenly and addictive!  These dates are split down the center and stuffed with creamy mascarpone and tangy goat cheese.  They are then wrapped with a slice of prosciutto.  They are sweet, chewy, creamy, tangy, and salty.  The perfect one bite appetizer.

Cheese-Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

recipe available on Food Network.com

1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese, a room temperature

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 Medjool dates (12 ounces), pitted

8 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

 *Special equipment: 16 toothpicks or cocktail picks

In a small bowl, mix together the cheeses and basil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently pull and/or cut the dates apart, remove the pit if necessary, and stuff with about 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Close the dates around the filling. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each date and secure with a toothpick.  Arrange the stuffed dates on a platter and serve (I served my dates on a bed of baby arugula).

Antipasto Skewers

Once a month the ladies in my neighborhood get together to play bunco, a totally brainless dice game.  Upon reading this, you might be picturing nice little housewives all dressed up playing a proper game of dice.  I can assure you that it's nothing like that.  There's nothing proper about bunco night. 

Bunco night is our night.  We look forward to it all month.  The messy houses, hyper kids, broken vehicles, and numerous other problems and errands get left at the door.  For that night we let our hair down, we dress in costume, we turn the radio up loud, and we get our drink on!

Last Friday night I hosted bunco at my house and I made a few munchies.  These antipasto skewers were probably the all-around favorite.  Salty little bites of salami and pepperoni, smooth and silky balls of mozzarella, pungent briney bites of kalamata olives, marinated cheese tortellini, and gorgeous garden fresh cherry tomatoes all skewered together and coated in Italian or Balsamic dressing.  Serve these up on a bed of baby arugula and you have a really pretty and tasty appetizer for a party.  I also think these skewers would be great to pack in a lunchbox.

You can use so many different ingredients here (marinated artichokes, strips of roasted red pepper, green olives, black olives, salami, pepperoni, cubes of mozzarella, balls of mozzarella, basically anything you'd see on an antipasto plate).  Additionally, you can use any kind of dressing.  I used balsamic dressing on half and plain old Italian dressing on the other half.  Surprisingly, the skewers  with balsamic dressing seemed to go faster. 

These are great make ahead appetizers because the flavors do improve if they have a few hours to marinate together.

Antipasto Skewers

Adapted from Hungry Housewife

1  (9 oz) package of Three Cheese Tortellini, cooked to package directions
1 Large Jar of Large pitted Black Olives (I used Kalamata)

1 container grape or cherry tomatoes
2 (12 oz) containers of marinated mozzarella balls
30 slices of Salami, cut in half
60 pieces of pepperoni
1 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing or Italian Dressing (store bought or homemade)
60 Skewers  (or however many you want to make)

Place the cooked tortellini in a bowl or large gallon freeze bag. Pour the salad dressing over the top and marinade in the fridge for a few hours. Drain the pasta. Place one of each item onto the skewer using the pointy side (I did kalamata olive first, then a tortellini, followed by a tomato, then a ball of mozzarella, slice of pepperoni, another tortellini, another olive, and then a rolled up piece of salami). The skewers look especially pretty if you serve them on a bed of arugula (or any other type of green).

Can be made a few hours in advance. Just cover tightly and place in the refrigerator.

Queso Fundido Burger

Introducing the Queso Fundido Burger.  A thick meat patty made of ground beef and cooked chorizo that is studded with spicy chopped chipotle chiles in adobo and topped with loads of melting monterey jack cheese, roasted poblano strips, caramelized onions, and garlic.  Serve it all on a lightly toasted bun and it's one incredible burger!

 Queso Fundido Burger

Adapted from RickBayless.com

Serves 4

2 fresh medium poblano chiles
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oil
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
8 ounces chorizo, cooked
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely minced, seeded if you wish
8 thick slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Roast the poblanos over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, 10 minutes for the broiler.  Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let cool.  Rub off the blackened skin and pull out the stems and seed pods.  Cut into 1/4-inch strips.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions, stirring frequently until it begins to brown, 7 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and poblano and cook for 2 minutes.  Season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.  Scrape the rajas into a bowl and cover to keep warm.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked chorizo, chipotles and 1 1/2  teaspoon salt.  Mix until well combined.  Divide the meat into 4 equal portions and form the patties.


Heat a gas grill to medium-high, or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with white ash (and about medium hot); bank the coals to one side.  (It was too hot for me to grill outside so I just cooked the patties in a skillet on the stove, about 3-4 minutes per side). Place the hamburger patties on the grill and cook for a total of 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare.

Lay one piece of cheese on top of each burger, top with the warm rajas and then another piece of cheese.  Close the lid and continue cooking until the cheese has melted about 1 minute.  Remove from the grill and place on a toasted bun.  Serve immediately.

Theme: Green, Green, Green

Salsa Baked Cheese

This summer I haven't spent as much time in the kitchen as I'd like to.  In another month or so my oldest will be going into middle school and my baby is going into Kindergarten.  I'm having a hard time thinking about all that so I've been busy spending as much time with them as possible.

In the meantime I still have that itch to get in the kitchen.  I find myself looking for recipes that are super quick and easy, but still family-pleasing and full of flavor.  This recipe for Salsa Baked Cheese fits the bill.  Rick's recipe does call for toasting some nuts first, but my son has a nut allergy so I omitted that step (making this recipe even easier).  All you really need to do is buy some goat cheese and cream cheese, let them come to room temp, mix the two cheeses, spread them onto an oven-safe dish, top with salsa and let it bake for about 15-20 minutes.  Top with cilantro or green onion and you're ready to go.  Everyone enjoyed this creamy and tangy dip.  There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, but the goat cheese really adds that special something. 

Salsa Baked Cheese

Adapted from Rick Bayless online

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans*
1 4-ounce log goat cheese
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup salsa
A tablespoon or so chopped fresh cilantro or sliced green onion,  for garnish

*I omitted the nuts because my son has a nut allergy 

Note: Take a look at your salsa before making this recipe.  If your salsa doesn't have any garlic, feel free to add some sauteed garlic to your salsa prior to baking.  This recipe is great on it's own, but I feel it would really be enhanced by a little bit of garlic.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet, set them in the oven and let toast until lightly browned and very fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove and slide off into a medium-size bowl.

Add the cheeses to the bowl and combine thoroughly with the nuts. Scoop into the center of an ovenproof baking dish and form it into a 5-inch-diameter disc. Spoon the salsa over and around the cheese, set in the oven and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with the cilantro, or green onion,  and set out to enjoy as a dip or a spread on crackers, chunks of bread or toasted croutons.

Theme: Potluck

Cookbook Review: The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook {and Upside-Down Salsa Cornbread}

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook

A Treasury of Timeless Delicious Recipes

Softcover 

288 pages

Eight Chapters:  Lodge Cast Iron: A Song for a Cook's Soul; Breakfast; Soup, Stew, Gumbo & Chili; The Main Course; Cooking Outdoors; Sides; Nothin' But Cornbread; Desserts, Biscuits, & Bread; and great features on the history of cast iron as well as caring for your cast iron. 

I am absolutely in love with cast iron.  I love the rustic and homey look of cast iron, but more important than that, I love the functionality and superior results from cooking with cast iron.  Cast iron goes from the stovetop to the oven and from the oven to the table. 

I had a chance to go to The Lodge Factory Store in Sevierville, TN this past winter.  It was a total dream come true.  There are four factory stores in the southeastern United States and I highly recommend stopping by one if you get the chance.  They have so many cast iron pieces to chose from.  I especially like the table in the back where you can buy "less than perfect" pieces for a fraction of the price.  After I stocked up on cast iron I spied this cookbook at the checkout and vowed that I would buy it when I got the chance. 

This is a beautiful softcover cookbook with lots of gorgeous pictures, both of the recipes and also the cast iron.  There are so many recipes that I'd like to make from this book, but I've been all about cornbread lately so I chose this Upside-Down Salsa Cornbread from the Nothin' But Cornbread chapter. We loved being able to cut a wedge of this and top it with additional salsa, sour cream, and a little bit of chopped green onion.  It was very pleasing to the eyes and the palate!

Upside-Down Salsa Cornbread

Adapted from The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook

Serves 6-8

Filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef (I used 95% lean)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 medium green or red bell pepper, seeded and cut into rings

Topping:

2 cups Martha White Buttermilk Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (16-ounce) jar chunky-style salsa

1-1/4 cups milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 425F.  

Make the filling:  Heat the oil in a 10-1/2 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, salt and garlic salt; cook until the beef is no longer pink, stirring frequently and breaking up any clumps of meat.  Remove the beef mixture from the skillet to a bowl.  Place the bell pepper rings in a single layer in the bottom of the skillet.  Spoon the mixture over the rings.

Make the topping:  Stir together the corn meal mix, cheese, sugar, salsa, milk, oil, and egg in a medium bowl; stir until well blended.  Spread the batter evenly over the beef mixture in the skillet.  Bake until golden brown, 32 to 38 minutes.

Place a serving plate over the skillet; carefully invert and remove the skillet.  Cut into wedges.  If desired, this can be served from the skillet:  Cut into wedges and carefully turn each wedge upside down onto a serving plate.