29 April 2010

Thursday Recipe

Tomorrow is the last day of April, which means Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. As Mexican is one of my favorite types of foods of all time, I thought a recipe appropriate for Cinco de Mayo would do well this week. This one comes from Tyler Florence and it's for enchiladas, my favorite of the Mexican foods found at your favorite local restaurant.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
  • Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

24 April 2010

As Luck Would Have It...


Sigh. Like I don't have enough to do, now I have to deal with a busted foot. Apparently it's not just the baby toe and I need to see an orthopedist this week. Stuff like this always happens when I start to get life back to normal. School is winding down for the semester; work is winding down for a bit until freshman registration; I'm packing to move to a larger apartment; I had started running on the treadmill again...and wham. I mess up my foot. The cats are intrigued by the cast. Kate jumped right up on the couch and climbed on top of the pillow to peer at the strange thing wrapped around my foot. I think I'll be okay to drive to work on Monday, it is my left foot after all (thank heavens for small favors, right?). My main concern right now is getting to class this week. It's not the driving, it's the trekking across campus and traversing up and down all manner of stairs that has me nervous. I think I'll see if I can hitch a ride with someone.

16 April 2010

Milka-what?

So today was just one of those days - flat tire, unexpected bill (I'm still steamed at the Port Authority of NY), a long week, the passing of someone from my NACURH days. I needed a smile, and on a Friday after a long week, maybe y'all out there need one too. Here are two of my favorite commercials. They aren't particularly new, but they make me laugh everytime.




Friday Fun

15 April 2010

Thursday Recipe

D has been asking me for this recipe for awhile and I finally got in touch with one of my aunts and was able to get it. It's for bracciole (brah-zhall). I can't even describe to you how good this is. I can't even really describe to you what it is. My grandfather was a butcher and when he was still alive he would make all of his children's families a bracciole during the Christmas season. Even after my parents divorced he'd make one for my mom. She'd put it in the freezer until she was ready one Sunday to thaw it out. Then she'd brown it a bit before letting it cook slow in a crockpot full of tomato sauce. The meat would practically fall apart. Served with pasta, it's a great Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

flank steak - butterflied
proscuitto - 1/2 pound or so
parsley flakes
salt pork (freeze it and slice thin)
salt & pepper - garlic powder
cooking twine

Directions

salt & pepper & garlic powder the steak

cover the steak with thin slices of salt pork
cover the salt pork with slices of prosciutto
sprinkle the parsley flakes
roll as tight as you can, and tie with the twine

It's best to brown the bracciole first before putting it in the sauce (like you would with meatballs)

14 April 2010

Wednesday Day Book

Outside my window …darkness, it's before sun-up. On registration days I leave the house at 6am.

I am thinking … that I really have to take Jack to have his claws trimmed on Saturday.

I am thankful for my mama - she's the best and I can't wait for her to come visit in June

I am reading Cordina's Royal Family. Some Nora Roberts to off set the reading I am doing for school. It's nice to get swept up into another world.

I am hoping … that I can wrap up all my paper writing this weekend and be done with the semester!

On my mind … registration registration registration. Only 2 more days left!

I'm learning … that I dislike having my routine disrupted. I never thought I'd say this, but I wish I had time these last 2 weeks to work out.

Noticing that … the trees are budding - yea for spring!

From the kitchen … baking cookies Thursday night for a meeting on Friday

Around the house … pollen, pollen everywhere. Time to dust...again. I am so thankful I do not have allergies.

One of my favorite things … America's Next Top Model - definitely a guilty pleasure

12 April 2010

The Master

Tina Fey really is a comedic genius. She is one of the smartest women in the business. So I have to say that I was thrilled that she did Sarah Palin again when she hosted SNL last weekend. She hits gold everytime.


01 April 2010

Thursday Recipe

As I mentioned earlier this week, a few of my fellow doctoral students are getting together for an Easter luncheon on Sunday. My responsibility for the luncheon is bringing a side dish. There's a recipe from Ina Garten that I've been dying to try and I think this is the weekend for it given how nice the weather is going to be. I was thinking about trying something from Julia Child's cookbook, but I didn't see anything I thought would be appropriate, so crunchy noodle salad it is.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
  • 1 pound sugar snap peas
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
  • 4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.

For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.

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