Chicken Enchiladas

I planned to make a cassoulet of chicken and dark beer yesterday, but I have so many leftovers in my fridge, I decided to push things back a day. Then I noticed the half a rotisserie chicken in the mix, and one word sprang into my mind: enchiladas.

That was it. Normally I would not make something like that for dinner, because tortillas are a must for enchiladas, and my husband tries to limit carbohydrates, especially corn and flour. But I decided he could choose to eat one of the two other choices if he didn't want echiladas, since once I thought the word, I knew I had to make 'em. It'd been so long that Bunny didn't remember me ever making them. Seriously, it'd been 5 years or more.

So anyway, homemade enchilada sauce is really easy, and I think tastes better than the canned stuff.

Take 1 14.5 ounce can of tomato sauce, put it in a small saucepan with 1/2 c beef broth (or you can use boullion and water). Add one minced onion and a pressed garlic clove. Then add 1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder (depending how spicy you and your family like things), 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring it to a bubble and let simmer until thickened a bit.

While the sauce is bubbling, shred a couple of cups of cooked chicken and grate a bunch of cheese. Heat the oven to 375F and heat a pan on the stove over med-hi. Add 1/2 grated onion and another clove garlic, and saute for a minute or less, then dump in the chicken and about 1/4 of the sauce... you want the mixture to be moist, but not drippy.

Spoon enough sauce into an oven proof dish that's oblong. In a pinch you can use a 13x9 pan, but I think these cook better if they're snugly fit in a casserole...the tortillas get dry easily. Then assemble your enchiladas. I put a flour tortilla on a plate and make what are probably more accurately mini burritos, since I fold them tightly at the ends. If you prefer corn, then go for it, but you probably need to warm them since those suckers are more brittle. With flour tortillas this recipe makes about 6. I put a tortilla on a plate, put about 1/2 c of the chicken mixture in the middle, top with a couple of Tbsp cheese, and fold. Then I put it, seam down, in the pan. Repeat, repeat... until everything is used up. They have to be kind of squished in. Top with remaining sauce, being careful to cover all the surfaces with some saucy goodness. Then sprinkle cheese all over and pop into the oven for about 20 minutes.

My daughter said if she had 20 thumbs, she'd give this recipe 20 thumbs up. My husband? He ate with gusto, but he also had left over black bean soup, because something in legumes actually inoculates a meal against the other carbohydrates as far as making your blood not go haywire with insulin production. (Within reason! You can't, say, eat a garbanzo bean, then gobble half a cake, sorry.)

Bacon and Lentil Soup

I have a new crush. You know how sometimes you think you don't like something, but you realize you simply must have gotten a bad first impression, then you find you really do like it a lot? Well, I am <---this---> close to doodling Mrs. Kristianna Lentil in the margins of my cookbook. I actually owe it to the controversial Rachael Ray. I know, some people can't stand her, but I like her and I also get her magazine. I find at least a dozen recipes in there each month that I want to try. A couple of months ago there was a recipe for Garlicky Lentils that I decided to give a go. I always tell Bunny to keep giving foods a chance, and it's not just something I say. I mean it -- just because something has not been to my liking once, twice, or a hundred times, doesn't mean I might not like it *some* way.

Except for turnips. I promised my husband I'd stop trying to make him eat them, though I think they're a decent substitute for potatoes in some soups. Turnips, you're dead to us. He's working on me to similarly agree to no more Brussells sprouts, but I have not agreed to that.

So, anyway, LENTILS!

I made a soup last night that we all liked, except the 3 year old, and he doesn't like ANYthing, so he doesn't count. We'd live on Happy Meals if he planned the menus.

A week ago I saw a recipe for Bacon and Lentil soup, and seeing as I now like-like lentils, and we all love bacon here, it seemed like a natural fit for dinner.


The ingredient list is very short, and it cooks up quickly if you begin with packaged lentils. Trader Joe's sells some great ones in the produce section, right by the beets I have unsuccessfully fed my family a couple of times. The blueberries in the photo are NOT in this soup--they're just out to encourage my kidlets to munch on them. Blueberries would probably rank right up there with all time ingredients I would not mix with lentils. *shudder!* ;) Oh, and yes, my poor cat was sitting outside hoping I'd let him in while I was cooking dinner. I didn't notice because the noise level in my house at about 6 p.m. is 300 decibles.

Anyway, this soup is fast and easy. I followed the recipe above pretty closely, except I removed all the bacon to drain on a paper towel, which kept it nice and crispy. Since I used precooked lentils, I didn't need to use quite as much stock. Also, I prefer soups to be thicker, so I gave the finished soup a whirl with an immersion blender before serving. I didn't puree it, but made it less brothy.


Here is the soup just before blending it in the pot. It could also go into a blender--say 1/3 of it--if you don't have an immersion blender. But I tell you, that is one kitchen tool I would not want to be without. I think I'd prefer to have it over an actual blender if I had to choose.


Top with reserved bacon, and some green onions if you remembered to put them on your grocery list. I didn't. ;)
Enjoy!

New Year's Special

Hoppin' Johns

1 ham bone
1 can black eyes peas
1 cup rice
2 tbs. hot sauce
1 tbs. cumin
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water

Place a ham bone, with meat still on, in a large pot.
Cover with enough water to submerge the bone, but not fully cover it.
Bring the water to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and let the bone simmer for about an hour.
Remove the ham from the water and reduce the heat to medium low.
Remove the ham from the bone and chop up into little pieces.
Discard bone.
Drain and rinse the beans.
Add the beans, chopped ham and rice to the simmering ham broth.
Add chicken broth and stir.
Stir in hot sauce, cumin, kosher salt and garlic.
Cover and let simmer for 20 mins.
After 20 mins., add water if needed.
Cook until rice is tender.
Voila! Serve in a bowl with crusty bread on the side.