New Recipe: Green Chile Three Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

It has been way to long since I have posted-I am very sorry but I can tell you this recipe that I adapted last night is definately worth the wait!

1 8oz cheddar blend shredded cheese
5 green onions sliced
1 tsp cumin
3 cups cooked chicken ( I used chicken thighs, but you could use rotisserie chicken)
1 8oz cream cheese softened
6-8 flour tortilla's
1 28 oz can green chile enchilada sauce
1/4 cup cojita cheese or queso fresco cheese

Preheat oven to 400 and spray 9 x 13 pan and set aside.

If you have a gas stove turn a burner on and lightly char each side of your tortilla's.

Combine 1/2 of the shredded cheese blend with 1/2 the cojita cheese with onions, cumin and chicken. I also added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.

Spread cream cheese on each tortilla and then put chicken and cheese filling in-roll up placing seam side down in pan.

Pour sauce over enchilada's keeping any additional to serve overtop at the table. Top with additional shredded cheese and cojita cheese.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and brown on top.

Serve with warmed leftover enchilada sauce.

Enjoy

Garden Pesto

Went to the garden a little bit ago and cut some romaine lettuce, cilantro and chives-brought them in combined with garlic, roasted red pepper and some parm cheese and there you have it a different twisted pesto that I will use on my grilled pizza tonight.

Does anyone else make different created pestos?????

My First Attempt at Preparing Goat

We happened upon some freshly processed goat yesterday so I took on the task of finding a recipe to prepare it.

The following is the recipe that I found and we were successful. I served the meat sliced thin on charred flour taco shells with a little salad made from our garden of romaine lettuce, radishes, cilantro, purple onions and a squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

PAPA'S BARBECUE GOAT (OR BARBADO), TEXAS-STYL

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 25 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Mexican Meats

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 lb Goat or barbado
2 Tb Salt
4 garlic cloves
3 chipotle in adobo
1 tb Black pepper
1 t Cumin (approximately)
BARBECUE SAUCE
3/4 c Sugar (or to taste)
1/2 Southwest Spicy mustard
1/4 Apple cider vinegar
1 t Salt
1 t Black pepper

Process salt, chipotle, garlic and black pepper and cumin. Rub
meat generously. Cook
slowly on grill 2 hours (or less depending on cut of
meat). Be sure meat is
well above fire (at least 20 to 24 inches). Meat may
be brushed with cooking
oil occasionally to prevent dryness. While meat cooks
prepare sauce. At least 30 minutes before removing
from fire; brush meat with sauce so it will
“set”. Continue cooking and turn the meat often,
brushing on sauce at every
turn.

If you ever have the opportunity to try goat I would recommend it. It has wonderful flavor.

Enjoy!

Watermelon

In the past I have stayed away from buying watermelon because with it being Frank and I we would tire of it before we could eat the whole thing.

Well no more-this past week I have made a Watermelon Pie and a Watermelon Upside Down Cake-it is amazing the different flavors and textures watermelon can take on.

In the pie you only used the juice of the watermelon and it wasn't baked. In the upside down cake you chunked up the watermelon and baked it as usual. The watermelon took on a baked apple texture and combine amazingly with the butter and brown sugar glaze the was created for the top of the cake.

Enjoy your watermelon the way you normally would-but don't hesitate to try something different with it who knows what you might discover!

Round 2 of Homemade Siracha!

This past weekend I started another batch of the homemade siracha-I originally made this a few months ago and posted the recipe.

This batch is made soley with dried thai chili peppers that we roasted on the grill....

It will be done on Sunday-I will update then.

I do know it smells awesome right now.

Yum!!!!

My mixed lettuce from the garden is finally ready and I am really enjoying my salad with radishes and greens from the garden topped with chickpeas and a few onions with a spicy southwest dressing!

MMMMMMMMMMMM-love this time of year!

Enjoy

Finally harvesting from the garden

We have gotten some great radishes from the garden-but one of the varieties did not develop into actual radishes.

So what to do with all the radish greens? Funny you should ask---

Tonight I am going to make sauteed radish greens with a little garlic, onion and then I found a recipe that made a dressing with Siracha, lemon juice and olive oil.

Sounds interesting enough to me.

Anyone else ever made radish greens???

Second Planting Completed

The weather this Spring has been not so user friendly for our gardens. This caused me to have to purchase 40 tomato plants and 40 pepper plants this past weekend. All of the plants that I started from seed did not survive the windy conditions that have occurred almost everyday since I planted them a few weeks ago.

It is dissapointing that the original plants did not make it-but hopefully I will have better luck next year!

Hope all of your gardens are progressing nicely!

Rainy and Nasty this last weekend....what to do????

Well if you are like me-which I can hear many people saying..there is no one like you Becky!

Anyhow, when it is nasty outside and I really don't feel like doing much else-the Food Channel is turned on. My luck Triple D was on which is one of my favorites. I am not sure where he was but they made this Bacon and Blue Cheese Burger which looked amazing.

Frank and I tried our hand at it last night. For 4 people you need 1 pound of burger, 8 pieces of bacon and about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup blue cheese. The surprise item that you need is 4 large mouth jar rings!

Arrange the 4 rings on a cookie sheet like it would be positioned on a jar-the lip on the top. Cut 2 strips of bacon per burger into small pieces and press into the ring. Next top it is blue cheese to essentially cover the bacon-press tightly.

Slowly remove ring and then form a 1/4 pound seasoned burger over the bacon/blue cheese, pressing gently to mold them together.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Then either in a fry pan or on a blackening pan on the grill-get the pan screaming hot and put bacon side down and fry until crisp-most of the cooking of the burger will be done on this first side as you need to be sure everything holds together.

Flip and fry until burger is your desired doneness.

I have to say I have created lots of burgers over the years but this one has to be the most unique and it is made with stuff I use all the time-you just gotta try it. Why not this weekend for Memorial Day!

Enjoy

First Rhubarb!

Harvested the first batch of rhubarb yesterday and this morning I have a quick Rhubarb and pineapple orange juice sauce cooking that I will be serving over a pillow of puffed pastry and topped with a little whipped cream!

Can't wait until I am done eating dinner tonight so I can enjoy it.

Will be making the roasted rhubarb vinaigrette this weekend-talk about yummy!

Enjoy

Finally!

Minnesota weather has not been very cooperative this Spring. However, it appears we may have turned the corner and my gardens are tilled and ready for some compost and chicken goodness which will then lead to another tilling. But the good news is that by this weekend, I will have my gardens planted!

Hopefully everyone is in the same boat and is able to proceed with the start of their gardening season.

Pictures will be forthcoming!

Chive Egg Noodles

Yesterday I decided that I would try my hand at making homemade egg noodles. My Mom made them all the time while I was growing up but for some reason I have never attempted them.

I had to incorporate the chives as they are the only thing growing in my gardens and I am very anxious to have other things in the garden! If only the weather would cooperate.

Once completed I put the egg noodles into a Turkey Vegetable Soup and served it with Gorgonzola Cheese toasts.

I am sharing a few pictures-Enjoy

Additional Ciabatta Information

Techinical difficulties prevented me from attaching the link for the recipe-so here it is www.startribune.com/taste

Ciabatta Bread Update

Well I have to say the Ciabatta bread was awesome!

After the rise time of about 18 hours you take the cover off the bowl and are greeted by this wonderful aroma-which gets even better when you are baking the bread!

Last night I sauteed some mixed greens with a little garlic and some homemade Sriracha and combined that with some provoline cheese to make a wonderful pannini!

I would highly suggest that you check out the recipe at the link given.

Enjoy

Next Recipe Testing Out of Taste Section of Newspaper

On this rainy blustery day, I have decided to take on the next recipe that caught my eye in the Taste section of the paper.

This time it is no need Ciabatta! I have attempted the No Knead breads before and although they have great flavor, they still do not necessarily come out like the artisan breads that were promised.

So this Ciabatta bread is a 2 day process-here I go.

Check back in a day or so for the results!

Sriracha Hot Chile Paste/Sauce-Completed!

Well it has been a week and a day since I started making the homemade Sriracha and after the taste test last night with our dinner I would have to say, I will definately make it again with a few little tweaks! I am providing you with the recipe the way I made it and afterwards I will mention my tweaks for the next time.

2 oz dried japanese chiles
3/4 lb fresh fresno chiles
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
water as needed

In a food processor take all the chiles and additional ingredients excluding the vinegar and water. Process to a paste like consistency. Put this mixture in a jar and cover with a lid. For the next 7 days leave this jar sit on the counter and stir daily.

At the end of 7 days, put the mixture into a saucepan and add the vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and transfer to a food processor once again. Process until very smooth-adding additional vinegar or water as needed to allow mixture to process properly.

Once processed mixture should be strained either thru cheese cloth or fine seive.

Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Now given the recipe and the way mine turned out here are some additional tidbits for you.

We tasted both the "sauce" and "paste" the sauce is what you are supposed to keep and the paste is all the seeds and such that doesn't get blended. Anyhow, as with the Jalapeno Sauce that I made over a year ago-I find uses for both the sauce and the paste.

I will add additional garlic the next time as I don't think it has as much garlic flavor as the original Sriracha.

I also think I went a little heavy on the vinegar for my taste-I added additional vinegar during final processing to allow it to move more freely in the food processor-next time I would use water instead.

Bottom line it is awesome and well worth the week wait time!

Enjoy and please if you try this recipe give me your opinion.

Sriracha Hot Chile Paste/Sauce

This is a condiment that you see almost everywhere right now. In my opinion it is the best universal hot sauce condiment available. It add great heat as well as flavor.

So a few weeks ago when the Taste Section of the Star Tribune ran an article about making your own Sriracha I decided I had to try it.

Today I started the 7 day fermentation process.

So at this point.......you will have to stay tuned for at least a week to see if it is worth the time to make your own or if it is one item that is better to be bought at the store!

Pizza Obsessed

This week it was Venison Fajita Pizza, last week it was Stuffed Pizza, the week before it was just a straight up Pepperoni and Sausage. I do believe I am obsessed with making pizza.

In this picture is our Venison Fajita Pizza. I used venison, poblano peppers, onions, a jalapeno and fajita seasoning and then quick grilled them all to get some char on and used reduced salsa as the "sauce"!

Goes to show you, you can make a pizza out of anything.

Enjoy a pizza today and let me know what you strangest ingredient was that you put on a pizza

Pork and Mushroom Ragu

Well if I do say so myself this recipe I created last night was very very tasty!

Here is my recipe-it takes awhile to get the ultimate flavor so plan ahead. Trust me you will decide that eventhough it takes a little planning it is well worth it.

Pork and Mushroom Ragu
3 slices of bacon
½ medium onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
½ cup chopped celery
½ pound pork shoulder cut into ¼ inch pieces
½ cup red wine
8 Dehydrated Portobello mushrooms-rehydrated save the liquid
14 ½ oz tomatoes with Italian seasonings
½ tsp sage
1 bayleaf
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeno chopped
4 morel mushrooms chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fry bacon in kettle. When bacon is crisp, remove from kettle and add pork-brown this until good color is obtained. Add onion, celery and garlic. Once these have become soft add the wine to deglaze the pan.
Meanwhile, put Portobello mushrooms in a small pan. Add about 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid-reserving and chop the mushrooms roughly.
Once the wine is absorbed add the tomatoes, broth and mushroom juice. Allow this to heat thru and add the sage, bayleaf, jalapeno, mushrooms and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
At this point you will want to simmer this for at least 2 hour reducing the sauce up to ½. The longer you simmer the more intense flavor you will achieve.
Right before serving crumble bacon into sauce and add in morels if you are using them.
Serve over fettuccini.

Enjoy!

Spring Starts Today

Spring starts tonight at 6:21 pm-however, it doesn't feel like spring out today. It is rainy and very windy. So I guess that means we won't be grilling to celebrate Spring instead we will have a big plate of pasta. I am creating a pasta dish tonight with pork, bacon and mushrooms with a slow cooked red sauce-still using the tomatoes from the garden from last year.

If the recipe turns out I will post tomorrow!

One sign of spring, I will be planting all my seeds this week for my garden-I can't wait until I am able to plant them in the garden!

Enjoy