Mexican Chicken with Jalapeno Popper Sauce

Marci posted this recipe on her blog (and she got it from another blog, but if you search for this recipe it seems that it comes up on every blog, for good reason!), and I told her that as soon as I was out from under the spicy food ban at my parents house, I was making this chicken. So this was one of the first meals I made here in Denver, and luckily it did not disappoint!

The chicken by itself was so flavorful, but you add that sauce and oh that sauce! The only issue I had was mine came out a little runny, not sure why...and actually I might even add another jalapeno...just thinking about it I already can't wait for next time!

Ingredients

3 Chicken Breasts
A sprinkle of Cumin per breast
A sprinkle of Chili Powder per breast
A sprinkle of Salt per breast
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups chicken broth
3 slices bacon
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack
1 Tbsp. fresh Cilantro, chopped + more for garnish

Directions

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towel-lined plate.

Sprinkle chicken with seasonings while the bacon crisps. Add the chicken to the hot bacon fat in the skillet. Cook chicken, turning every few minutes, until juices run clear and no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add chopped jalapenos to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute more, until fragrant.

Add chicken broth, deglazing pan. Bring to a boil.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Add in shredded cheese and bacon, stirring until the cheese in melted. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro.

Serve chicken on a bed of Mexican or Taco rice (cilantro lime rice works perfect) and topped with sauce. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

Stuffed Eggplant

This is another recipe I came up with to use that awesome cheap eggplant I mentioned in the previous post. I looked around for some ideas for the stuffing and then combined a few different recipes in creating this. I think it turned out great, and was a nice variation since most eggplant recipes I find include marinara sauce and pasta.

This stuffing would be great in anything - I liked it on the eggplant, but if you aren't a fan (my husband didn't eat much of his eggplant shell) you could also put it on some large portabellas or in red peppers.



Ingredients

2 small-medium eggplant
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp white cheddar, but any good melty cheese like mozzarella would also be good)

Directions

1. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in.-thick shell. Set shell aside. Chop pulp.

2. In a skillet, brown and crumble sausage until cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

3. In same skillet, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter to the sausage drippings. Saute eggplant pulp and onion over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the panko, parsley and salt and pepper. Spoon into eggplant shells.

4.Place on a large baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Eggplant Gratin

Although I find Ina Garten insanely boring to watch and listen to, I have to admit she does make good food. Eggplant was on sale at my Sprouts this week for $0.69 each (each!)- so I couldn't resist picking up a few. I was going to just make Eggplant Parmesan again, but then I found this recipe and I'm glad we tried this instead. Yum!

I did follow the advice of some of the reviews and add some garlic powder, oregano, and basil to the ricotta mixture to enhance the flavor, and I used one large eggplant (not sure of the weight) but doubled everything else, and it came out perfect. We enjoyed this with some buttered pasta on the side and I'll definitely be making this again.

Final note: The recipe reads as if you are going to make this in two individual gratins, which confused me as I was preparing because I was preparing in just one 9x13... note that that the layers are as such: eggplant, Parmesan, marinara, eggplant, ricotta mixture, more Parmesan.

Eggplant Gratin
from Ina Garten


Ingredients

Good olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

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Eggplant Parmigiana

I've always loved restaurant Eggplant Parmesan, but haven't ever been able to make a really good one at home. I figured out this is because in trying to be health conscious, I've always breaded and then baked the eggplant before assembling the dish. Which works fine, but of course it lacks the super-yum factor.

I found this recipe in the Martha Stewart Living magazine, and since eggplant was on sale this week I decided to try it. Simple, easy, and super-yum! Even my 15 month-old loved it. A really good (homemade if you can) marinara sauce is key.

Eggplant Parmigianafrom Martha Stewart Living, January 2011

For Breading and Frying
2 cups fine plain fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed

For Assembling
Marinara Sauce
3 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions1. Bread and fry the eggplant: Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Put flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture in 3 separate dishes. Dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. (If oil gets too dirty, discard, and heat an additional 1/4 cup.)

3. Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 375. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 Parmesan. Repeat twice to form layers with eggplant, sauce, then cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.

Breakfast Pizza

We're always thinking of new ways to jazz up breakfast. Since we LOVE breakfast.

No recipe needed for this one...any pizza crust (or biscuit dough!) will do. Use some sausage gravy for the "sauce", then top with scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, onion, cheese, etc. Don't get yours as crispy as the one pictured here though :)

Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole

As with the stuffing, I also decided to make two versions of green bean casserole - the standard one and one a little different. I decided to try Paula Deen's version, because she rarely steers me wrong! I was interested by how the addition of cheese on top would change the flavor, and of course everything is better with cheese!

Though the recipe calls for fresh mushrooms I didn't add any due to special request, and the only other (delicious) change I made was with the topping...instead of mixing them in, I ground up the french-fried onions and combined them with some panko bread crumbs, and sprinkled this lovely mixture on top of the cheese. Yum!

Ingredients

1/3 stick butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup grated Cheddar

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

Bacon Jalapeno Stuffing

I was in charge of stuffing for Thanksgiving this year, and I decided to try something new and different in addition to the usual. I found this recipe on the Food Network website and was definitely intrigued. Its definitely not for everyone due to the spice level, but those who enjoy a little heat gave it great reviews!

I doubled the recipe and it was the perfect amount for a large casserole dish. Also, I thought it was definitely on the spicy side even with the seeds removed from the jalapenos, but my husband said he would actually add another one if we make it again.

Ingredients

1/4 lb. diced bacon
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced (I also removed the seeds)
1 Tbsp. thyme
3/4 tsp. chili powder
3 cups chicken broth
2 egss
1 cup diced pepper jack cheese (I shredded it)
8 cups toasted white bread cubes
6 cups crumbled cornbread ( I made cornbread muffins from a mix and crumbled)


Directions

1. In a large deep skillet, saute bacon in the butter for 5 minutes; transfer to paper towels.

2. To the same skilet, add onion, celery, jalapeno, thyme and chili powder; season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.

3. Pour in 3 cups chicken broth. Simmer until step 5.

4. In a large bowl, mix eggs,pepper jack cheese and the bacon.

5. Add to the bowl 8 cups toasted white bread cubes, 6 cups crumbled cornbread and the hot broth mixture.

6. Gently toss the stuffing, then spread in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with butter or turkey pan drippings, cover and bake 30 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake until golden, 20 more minutes.

Sourdough Stuffing

I made this stuffing for the first time last year, after deciding to try a real, made-from-fresh-bread-cubes stuffing...previous to that our stuffings have always been based from boxed, dried bread cubes. Its a little more work of course, but the fresh bread is so much better! I like this recipe because its classic, simple, and tasty. I doubled the recipe this year so we could have lots of leftovers.

The only update I make to the recipe below is to add crumbled pork sausage, because, well, I like it :)

Ingredients
from Dave Lieberman, Food Network

1-pound loaf sourdough bread
8 Tbsp. butter
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick in both directions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 to 4 stalks celery with leaves, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
About 10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
10 to 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

2. Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, 2 tablespoons butter, and thyme. Once the butter has melted, cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add sage and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl. Pour the chicken broth mixture over the bread cubes and toss to combine until the bread cubes absorb the liquid. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish, and sprinkle with parsley. Bake in the center of the oven until heated through and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

The little brother requested chicken enchiladas for his birthday dinner, and although there are a few recipes that I really like, I decided to try something new.

I found this recipe by Tyler Florence on the Food Network website, and not only did it look good it had great reviews. As I was reading throguh the recipe it sounded a little familiar, and then I realized that Marci had posted it awhile back on her recipe blog, and gave it a rave review as well. I didn't need much more convincing that this was the way to go!

These were really delicious. The roasted tomatillo salsa had great flavor; I want to make some more just to eat with chips! I liked how the enchiladas were moist and saucy, without being "creamy". These are a bit time comsuming, but I would say its definitely worth it.


Ingredients

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, storebought
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa:
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.
*Note: I made the salsa the day before, and just refrigerated it until it was time to prepare the enchiladas. Definitely saved me some time!

Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa.
Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove).
Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.

*Notes: I tripled the recipe for the salsa, followed the remaining directions as listed, and ended up with enough filling/salsa to make 16-17 enchiladas, using the flour tortillas. I would suggest at least doubling the salsa recipe so you're sure to have some leftover to enjoy!