Cheesy Chile Enchiladas

It was a wonderful first day of fall.  I got up early that morning made apple fritters and drank a hot cup pumpkin spiced joe on the back porch with the hound dog.  It was quiet and quaint and the best part the hubs was about to make his way home!!  The previous night my sister Katie stopped by the house to drop off some fresh roasted hot hatch peppers.  Have I mentioned we are still devouring those suckers!  While I sit there drinking my coffee and eating my hot apple fritter a previous suttle comment of "make us something for dinner with those chiles we brought you" came to my mind.  I brought the idea to Johns attention an asked what I should make.  He suggested enchiladas.  Immediately all these ideas of something hot, spicy, cheesy, chiles with white sauce began to flood my mind.  I went to the store and bought enough to make a meal big enough to feed an army.  Of course my phone rings as I am carrying in my last load of groceries.  I answer it and sure enough they called him out on another job and John wasn't going to get to come home.  I let him know that I would still be making the chile enchiladas and his only request was to save some for him.





I start out by adding 1/4 cup olive oil to a pan turn up the heat to medium and begin adding your spices.  I added 1 TB of each cyan pepper,  diced garlic,  salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes.  I cook in the oil just until they start to dance then I add in a lot of chiles!!

I used close to 1 pound of chiles.  Once those have you coughing over the fire then add in your meat.  I actually cooked almost 2 1/2 pounds of beef for these enchiladas.  You probably want to use less if you are not feeding the entire block.

Cook your meat until its completely browned.  If you notice a lot of juice at the bottom of the pan I like to add 1 TB of flour and stir it in.  It will tighten that flavor to where you do not have to pour it out.  

While your meat is browning I go ahead and cook my tortillas.  30 to be exact.  I ended up making 24 enchiladas, and 6 of the tortillas were placed on the bottom of my baking dish to ensure nothing would get stuck to the bottom of the pan!  You can cook the white corn tortillas by adding 1 TB of oil to a pan over medium high heat and cooking for about 10 seconds on each side.  This is not really cooking it is just to loosen the tortillas so when you begin to roll them they do not break and tear.  It is very frustrating when that happens and you will probably swear you will never make them again.  Then you find yourself in the kitchen weeks later giving it another go.  True story.

Once you are done with the tortillas, we move on to the white sauce.  You can call it white sauce, sour cream sauce......Uh creamy white sauce whatever.  All I can say is it is nothing like the red sauce!  I usually slather sour cream all over mine as well but this sauce adds just enough of that creamy goodness that it's not needed!

Blanco Sauce

Melt:

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup flour

Add & Bring to boil:

32 oz chicken stock

Stir in:

16 oz sour cream

2 cups chiles

Add about a cup of the sauce to the bottom of the pan and begin rolling your enchiladas with about 2 TB of meat per tortilla.  I place the flap of the tortilla on the side to where it hugs the pan and doesn't come unrolled.  Once your pan is full pour as much as the sauce over the meat and tortillas.  I suggest most of it cause you do not want yours to turn out dry!!!   Finish by adding 3 cups of Monterey jack cheese to the top and baking at 350 for 30 minutes then 450 for an additional 10.

When everyone gathers at the dinner table for this meal there will be no sad faces.  The spice is enough to make your mouth water and the cheese is ooey gooey with every bite.

To finish my story from earlier.  John made it home in time for lunch the next day.  To his surprise we left him half the whole pan of enchiladas.  He lived happily ever after  =)

The End.

Apple Fritters

Welcome to the first day of fall!!  The wait is over and it is finally here.  Along with the stocked grocery shelves of pumpkin spice coffee, apple cider, fall candles and anything that screams cold weather.  I had in mind a few days ago to make these for today that I could barely wait.  Knowing this morning that when I awoke I was going to get to make these little bits of heaven had me almost to excited to sleep!    Although I would love to say these are five minute fritters they are in fact not.  There is actually no five minute fritter just FYI!!  Sounds appealing though!  From start to finish you are looking at about 30-45 minutes with clean up.  In reality thats not too bad!  An completely worth every minute.

I placed four cups of olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat.  It heated up the entire time I was preparing batter...

Apple Fritters:

Mix Together:

1 Cup of AP Flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1 TB Cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp baking powder

Mix together:

1/2 Cup milk

1 Extra large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 TB Melted butter

2 Peeled and diced apples (of your choice)

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Mix just until the flour disappears.   Once the flour is no longer visible add 2 peeled and diced apples and fold in.  The juices from the apples will loosen the batter a bit if you think yours may be just a touch too dry.  

Once your oil is hot enough spoon about 1 Tb of batter into hot oil.  I could fit 7 comfortably in one batch.  Do not place too many in the pan at a time because it will take longer to brown and you will chance combining all the pieces and making a huge mess.

Once golden brown about 2-3 minutes, place on napkin to absorb the oil.

Icing:

3 Cups powder sugar

1/2 cup milk 

Mix until all powder sugar bits are dissolved.

Dip each bite into icing with your own fingers and place on a rack with a pan underneath to dry.

Once the icing is set you can handle them mess free with your hands.  Too easy not to try especially if you enjoy the flavors if fall.  This recipe as well is completely versatile.  Don't like apples but you want something fall then substitute the apples with 1/2 pumpkin puree.  It is really that simple.

I however love apples and decided to have Dunkin' Donuts pumpkin spice coffee on the side.  Yes I am that classy.  I am not impressed with homemade pumpkin spice lattes.  Plus pumpkin spice coffee is a treat.  It is seasonal.  I do not like knowing I am capable of making a fall treat through out the year for myself.  Takes all the simple pleasure of fall away.    

Grilled Chicken Fiesta Salad

The first time I ever had this meal was in Galveston Texas at Yagas Cafe, thanks Mike.  It was my first job I had got when I moved down there to go to culinary school.  I put off from ordering the fiesta salad on my lunch breaks because for some reason it didn't appeal to me.  Well the day finally came when I was so tired of all the other menu items I threw the towel in and though what the heck!  To my surprise it was the most flavorful, tangy, fresh salad I had ever eaten.  I was immediately hooked I kid you not.  I was eating it with chicken, with out chicken, even in burritos.  The other menu items from that day forward were none existent because nothing could compare.  So if that story doesn't have you convinced you have to make this I am sorry for your stubbornness.  It is your loss though!!  

This is something I like to make a day in advanced cause the longer the veggies get to soak in the rice vinegar the better!  If you are having to serve the day of that will do as well.  It can be served with chicken or vegetarian style and one is just as good as the other.  

For the Chicken style fiesta salad butterfly 3 boneless skinless chicken breast.  Season with S&P and other spices of choice.  I used kickin chicken =)  Grill to the utmost perfection and you should be good to go!

 

While the chicken is grilling away or even if you opted out of eating chicken wash all of your veggies and get ready to slice and dice.  You will be cutting one of each green, orange, red and yellow bell pepper, 1/2 purple onion, 3 jalapeños and 1 bunch of cilantro.  Once everything is uniform place in bowl and season with S&P and 1/4-1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar.  I use 1/2 cup but that may be to acidic for some.  I could drink that stuff outta the bottle honestly!  

For the sides you can serve with black beans which I do prefer as well as spanish rice.  Something about the extra fiber and starch just gets you fuller.  This is a very light dish tons of crunch, bold & fresh flavor that leaves you not feeling guilty.   So on that I bid you a fare well sweet summer until we meet again.  

No Bake Cookies

Few things in life are as simple as no bake cookies.  Because of that I find myself making them more often than not.  This is a recipe my family and I have always enjoyed all year long and throughout all our ages.  Maybe it's the chocolate and peanut butter I don't now.  All I do know is this is a special cookie.  Sweet, soft with a bit of a chew from the oats.  You can't beat that when you are looking for comfort.  These are so easy that you can easy whip out several batches in a matter of half an hour.  Remember everyone likes a no bake cookie.  

No Bake Cookies

1 stick salted butter

2 cups of sugar

1/4 cup of milk

Bring to boil.

Mix in 3 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

Spoon onto wax paper.

Yield 2 dozen

Sweet Soy Glaze For Salmon

Sweet Soy Glaze

Heat pan with 1 TB olive oil on medium heat.  Cook salmon 8-10 minutes on each side.  You are wanting to achieve a crispy outside with out over cooking the center. You can season with salt and pepper.

While the salmon is cooking, in a small sauce pan add 2 TB brown sugar, 1 TB butter and 1 tsp honey.  Melt ingredients and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and whisk in 1TB olive oil, 1 TB soy sauce and 1 heaping TB stone ground mustard.  

Brush glaze over salmon flip and repeat on other side.  

End result is a sticky sweet and salty glaze with bits of mustard seed that tingle the taste buds.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love COOKIES! NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM - Cookie Monster

So really who doesn't love cookies.  Chocolate chip to be exact.  If you don't please do not leave a comment explaining why at the end of this blog.   I am really not intreseted in hearing why and you probably aren't human anyways!

So cookies... Warm, sweet, chewy cookie with chunks of melted semi-sweet morsels surprising your every bite.  I love them what can I say.  My husband loves them too.  Cookies are like pizza to me..... It's a cookie, there is no such thing as a bad cookie.  In that I mean I like crunchy, gooey, chewy, buttery, or even raw cookies.  I love them all!!

I was sitting in my living room after dinner and I was thinking it sure had been a long time since my last post.  Granted I have had a very busy week and because of that in about two weeks you will be seeing a blog posted on a more regular basis!

Back to my story though, so I was sitting there after dinner...  My wonderful, hard working Husband had been out on his second job on his second day back to work and I wanted to do something for him.  He treats anything I cook/bake like its the best thing in the world.  So not only does he get rewarded with fresh baked goodies when i am missing him, but he makes me feel like I am the most amazing baker/cook in the world.  So it is very rewarding for me too.  Yes I have to flaunt how amazing he is.  They just don't make'em like that anymore.  By the way if it weren't for that wonderful man I probably wouldn't be cooking today!  He is my inspiration for all my recipes <3

On to my chewy (gooey if you eat it right out of the oven) chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix:
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup shortening

Beat on high speed until light and fluffy!!!

"It's so fluffy!" - Anges (Despicable Me)

Once light and fluffy add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 whole eggs and beat again!

You can now add your pre mixed flour mixture of

2 1/2 cup/275 g of Whole Wheat Flour ( It will give it a more tender crust)  Feel free to us regular AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

to your wet ingredient. 

Mix just until the flour begins to get wet then add 2 cups of semi sweet chips.  Then mix just until the flour is mixed in.

You now have this yummy cookie dough.  You know they say you can get salmonella from eating raw eggs right?  Well I was raised to live in fear of nothing so.... I had a few bites.. Maybe even enough bites to equal a cookie =P

I am not in anyways suggesting for you to eat raw eggs.

You know I like cookies... I have stated several times in this boring blog just how much I like cookies.  But  have I mentioned that I like them big too?  Well I do, just like I like most things in life to be......

Six cookies fit on my baking sheet.  I use a scooper to ensure they are the same size.  Once on the baking sheet I  flatten them out a bit.  Not enough to where they are part of the itty bitty commitee but just to where i'm not left with a big ball of raw dough in the center after baking.  I bake them for 14 minutes @ 375 or until golden brown.  Do not let that scare you, believe me these are not crunchy brown cookies.  These are chewy delicious and moist browned cookies!  Most of the browning comes from using whole wheat flour and the brown sugar that was added.  Those getting browned is alot diffrent than a cookie baked with butter and regular ap flour.  You will just have to trust me on this. 

Once you pull them from the oven you can try to get one off with a spatula to eat right away or you can wait just until you have noticed the rise in the cookie has settled.  That is when they are ready to be moved either to a cooling rack or to a napkin ready to eat. 

I enjoy the finer things in life with a big glass of milk.  You will definitely want something to drink after you finish the first cookie to make way for the 2nd cookie you will try to talk yourself out of but fail miserably at! 

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Bourbon Toffee Sauce

The first time I ever had bread pudding was in 1999/2000 for some cheerleader fall fundraiser.  We as in me, two of my sisters (Amanda & Katie) and a friend (Kate) were helping run a chuck wagon, that belonged to Kate's parents..  We were in cheerleader outfits with leggings, coats, ear muffs and mittens.  It was freezing.  An I just remember getting to eat this warm custard baked cinnamon bread with a whiskey butter sauce.  Although my bread pudding and sauce does not compare to Pats I can at least thank her for introducing us.  My life hasn't been the same since. 

So we had an awesome comfort food for dinna so I thought why not get even more comfortable with dessert!  I had been hoarding bread (cinnamon swirl, whole wheat hamburger buns and ciabatta) all week so it just so happened I had enough for this oh so yummy dessert.  

I chopped all my bread about the same size, but it does not matter if you just through it in whole or even just tear it apart.  I guess it depends on your mood?!  If you were OCD like me today you will want to cut them =)  

I butter the side and bottom of the baking dish I am going to use, and I place the bread in it.

In a mixing bowl add 1 qt of whole milk, 6 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 TB of cinnamon.

My awesome brother-in-law bought John and I several different kinds of cinnamon from Minneapolis, so today I used Vietnamese)

Be sure to whisk this until your arm wants to fall off.  Since the milk is cold it will take a little elbow grease to dissolve the sugar.  Of course you don't have to dissolve it all but you also don't want it to just sit on the bottom of the bowl either.  Once it is mixed pour over your bread bits.  I let it soak in about 15 minutes before I place it in the oven.  I don't want the custard to start cooking before the bread has a chance to absorb some of it.  Also I don't stir mine around like crazy I leave what wasn't touched by the custard base alone.  It will crisp during baking and that with the consistency of the baked custard and tender bread is very nice.  

I also like to sprinkle just a few old fashioned oats on top of my bread as well.  You can skip this if you want.   

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minute - 1 hour.  

     

For the Whiskey Bourbon Toffee Sauce I start with 1 cup of sugar, 1 TB of karo syrup, and *1 TB of bottled water. 

I place the sauce pan over medium heat stir it around a bit then I let it alone.  

Place that dirty spoon in the sink and get another.  You do not want the sugar crystals left on the spoon to get back in this syrup once the other sugar is dissolved.  It can cause the sauce to recrystallize. 

    

 Once all the sugar is dissolved you are left with a clear bubbly syrup.  See below =)

  You can now add your 1 stick (cut up) of salted butter.

Stir in butter until melted and continue stirring until you reach a tawny hue.

Once the desired color is reached then add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1TB of whiskey bourbon.  Be careful because when you add this mixture to the syrup it will bubble up and boil.

Whisk, whisk, whisk, then whisk some more and it should begin to start looking like caramel.  The more you stir the sauce once the cream is added the sooner the sauce will reach the right consistency to drizzle over the bread pudding.

It makes just enough to fit in a 16oz mason jar.  Yes I too am obsessed with these old contraptions.  They are just so timeless and classy, even if you aren't from the country.  

My finished product of just about an hour in the kitchen is a golden hot custard bread pudding with a warm bourbon toffee sauce and some whip cream.  I also add a few scrapes off the grater of fresh nutmeg just for some pizzaz!   

*If you are from Pampa please refrain yourself from using tap water for this sauce or any sugar cooking what so ever.  The results will be like the picture you see below.  It has something to do with the impurities in the water, it recrystallizes it and its no bueno.  

Sweet Adobo Short Ribs with Green Chile Risotto

 Green Chile Risotto

Start by pouring 8 cups of chicken broth in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer

In a fry pan drizzle 3 TB of olive oil 

add 1 1/2 cups arborio rice

white pepper & salt

as well as roasted and deseeded green chile's 

toast rice and green chile's

add 1 cup of white wine and let cook in rice 

 begin to ladle broth into the rice one at a time until completely absorbed by rice then add another

I use all 8 cups of liquid and it is perfect.  

*It depends on what kind of bite and texture you want your rice to have.  You may need more or use less.

Once you are finished adding the broth and it is absorbed then add 4 TB of butter and stir.

Add 1 1/2 cups of Monterey jack cheese and stir until creamy

 *parmesan is traditionally used but I decided to take another route with this chile risotto

Sweet Adobo Short Ribs

In your cooker of choice add

S&P a package of short ribs (some come with 4-6 ribs) place in cooker

Pour 1 can of Dr. Pepper & 1 can of Sprite over the short ribs

(the sweet from both drinks compliments the smokey peppers and it also help tenderize the ribs)

Put 1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on top of the meat

Sprinkle 3 TB dark brown sugar on top of the meat and peppers

 I cook my short ribs in a pressure cooker for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  You can do this on the stove top or even in the oven as well.  The cook time would need to be increased to 6 hours and cook on 350 in the oven and over medium on the stove top with the lid on both.

I start making my risotto 1 hour into the short ribs cook time.  This gives me the chance to plate them both up fresh and hot with no reheating needed.  The ribs will be tender and fall off the bone and served on top of the rich creamy risotto.  I even drizzle some of the sauce from the short ribs over the risotto.  The smokey flavor will wow your taste buds.    

The outline of this recipe but with no specific measurements and or details is derived from The Pioneer Woman.