Spicy Comfort Food

My mother-in-law is in town anticipating the arrival of our second child and tonight she whipped up this wonderful, spicy dish that I am hoping will send me into labor. One nice aspect of this dish is that you can double or even quadruple it to feed a crowd. Something else that was especially nice is that I found half of it in my freezer to use on one of those future nights with a newborn when I don't feel like cooking. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chicken Enchiladas Verde 
Serves 4 (or up to 16 if you x4)
Adapted from Real Simple Magazine, Sept 2010

Ingredients

• 2 bone-in chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
• 1 16-ounce jar mild salsa verde (or medium, if you like the extra heat, which I do)
• 2 cups fresh cilantro sprigs, plus more for serving
• 1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 6-inch flour tortillas
• guacamole, for serving
• rice, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Place the chicken in a medium pot, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes; remove from pot and let cool. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones; place the meat in a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the salsa, cilantro, and ½ cup of the sour cream until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the remaining ½ cup sour cream.
3. To the chicken, add the corn, ½ cup of the sauce, 1 cup of the cheese, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss to combine.
4. Spread 1 cup of the remaining sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas (about ½ cup per tortilla) and place seam-side down in the dish. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake until bubbling and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, and rice, if desired.

Salmon in Parchment Paper

Some of you who follow this blog know that I am expecting. I will say that this pregnancy has been very different than my last in terms of my relationship with food. With my first, I ate...and ate...and ate some more and loved every minute of it. With this pregnancy, eating has often been a chore, which as an avid food lover, I never imagined saying. I guess those are just a few of my excuses why I haven't posted as much as I would like. However, I think this is a meal that you will really enjoy as it combines elegance with simplicity. It would be a great meal to throw together for company as most of the prep is done ahead of time. You can serve it with a simple salad and bread if you like or alone for an easy, tasty weeknight meal. I hope you enjoy!

Baked Salmon in Parchment
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 (5-ounce) salmon filets
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c lemon juice
1/3 c olive oil
1 T minced garlic (optional)
8 oz orzo pasta
1/2 t dried basil leaves
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
4 slices tomato
1/4 c chopped green onions (garnish, optional)
2 oz crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Directions:
1. In a glass bowl, season the salmon with salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Marinate 15 minutes while preheating oven to 375.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Cut four large pieces of parchment paper. Divide the orzo onto the middle of each piece. Lay a salmon filet on top and sprinkle with dried herbs. Place a tomato slice on top of the fish and sprinkle with green onions and feta.
4. Bring the sides of the paper to the middle and twist the ends togeher, sealing the packet. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until the salmon flakes with a fork.

Perfect Side for Your Next Cookout

By about halfway through the summer, I begin to get really tired of some of the traditional cookout sides...you know, potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. (actually, I am always tired of macaroni salad). Anyways, I have been going to our local farmer's market a lot this summer and I love how I can find all of these ingredients there. Plus, everything tastes so fresh and can be put together in less than 30 minutes. Although it says to serve this salad hot, it is great at room temperature too. Hope you enjoy my new favorite side!

Confetti Corn Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small orange bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced (or red, but not yellow as it blends with the corn)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Kernels cut from 5 ears yellow or white corn (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil (you could substitute chives)

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Over medium heat, add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the corn just loses its starchiness. Season to taste, gently stir in the basil or other green herbs, and serve hot.This is an easy recipe to double or even triple.

Cookie Dough Truffles...Need I Say More?

Being pregnant and loving to bake, it has been very hard for me not licking the bowl as I wait for my cookies to bake in the oven. That is, until I tried this wonderful recipe from Love and Olive Oil. These truffles truly satisfy my craving of cookie dough without consuming raw eggs. You can also make them dairy-free by replacing the regular milk with soy. I would say this recipe is a pretty close second to my other favorite kind of truffles, Oreo. Be sure to keep them on the small side so you can pop more than one!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Makes approx. 3-4 dozen.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz dark chocolate candy coating (I used Ghiradelli)

Directions
Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Zucchini in the Summertime!

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables, especially when summertime rolls around. Today while at the farmers market, I couldn't resist picking some up even though I already had ample veggies for dinner that night. So, I decided to try a new zucchini bread recipe and it was a hit! This recipe was adapted from my all time favorite cookbook, The Best New Recipe. The main changes were using half whole wheat flour and adding flaxseed, all in an attempt to make it a little healthier for my toddler who loves to eat bread. Either way, I am sure this recipe will be a favorite of yours this summer!

Zucchini Bread

Makes 1 loaf
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 pound zucchini, washed and dried, ends and stems removed, cut in half lengthwise and seeded, each half cut into 1-inch pieces (for me, this was the equivalent of 3 medium-sized zucchinis)
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided plus more for sprinkling
½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped coarse (I left them out for my toddler)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess. You can also use a spray flour like Baker's Joy.
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the zucchini and 2 tablespoons of the sugar until the zucchini is coarsely shredded, twelve to fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer set at least 2 inches over a bowl and allow to drain for 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, you can shred the zucchini (don’t cut into 1-inch pieces) on the large holes of a box grater, toss with the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and drain.
3. Meanwhile, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a cooling rack and cool completely. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl; add the flours, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until combined. Set aside.
4. Whisk together the remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter until combined. Set aside.
5. After the zucchini has drained, squeeze the zucchini with several layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Stir the zucchini and the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle extra white sugar on the top for a nice presentation and sweet crust.
6. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted int he center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before serving (this was impossible for me as I had to slice into it and share with my son...it just smelled too good!). (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Easy, Make-Ahead Company Meal

This recipe comes from my good friend Lindsay who is an excellent cook so I knew this recipe would be a hit. It combines some of my favorite flavors and can even go in your freezer! You may want to increase the time on the covered baking depending how large your chicken breasts are. I forgot the pine nuts and it did not seem to make a difference. I served this with a salad and rosemary sourdough. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken, Artichoke, & Sun dried Tomato Bake

Ingredients: 

1/4 c olive oil

6-8 boneless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground pepper

Two 8-oz jars marinated & quartered artichoke hearts, drained, marinade reserved

2 c marscarpone cheese

1/2 c sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced

2/3 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c pine nuts

Directions:

Make it Now:

Coat the inside of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper, add the chicken to the pan, and saute until the chicken is browned on both sides.  Remove from the pan and arrange in the baking dish.  Scatter the artichokes around the chicken.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the mascarpone cheese, 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the reserved artichoke marinade, the sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan.  Spread the mixture over the chicken.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and the pine nuts.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Bake it Later:

Defrost the casserole in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Allow the casserole to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Bake the chicken, covered, for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown.  Serve hot.

Serves: 6 

Adapted from Diane Phillips, You've Got it Made

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Most of us probably use the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on the inside of the Quaker Oats container, but I would argue that this recipe is even better. It is adapted from Barefoot Contessa and what I love is her use of dark brown sugar. My issue with most oatmeal raisin cookie recipes is the sweetness.  The sugary taste is usually overpowering, but in this recipe, the dark brown sugar adds a depth of flavor that truly compliments the oatmeal taste. I would suggest toasting the pecans if you choose to add them, as it brings out the nutty taste and keeps them from being bland. Just watch them carefully, they burn quickly. The only modification I made was to use a little less white sugar, only a 1/4 cup less. Hope you enjoy!

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp (watch them carefully). Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.