Mexican Enchilada Casserole

Thanks for the recipe, Sue!  This was so easy and yummy for sure! 

Ingredients:

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  1 lb of ground turkey
  1/2 C. chopped onion

  1 can (15oz) tomato sauce

  1 can 15 oz black beans drained; rinse

  1 can whole corn undrained

  1 can (4 1/2 oz) chopped green chiles undrained

  6 flour tortilla (8in) Cut in half to fit large rectangular dish

  2 C. shredded cheese (1 bag of mexican cheese)

  2 tsp chili powder

  1 tsp cumin

  1 tsp minced garlic

  1/2 tsp oregano

  1/2 tsp crusched red pepper (optional)

  
  

  
  

  

  Brown meat and onion.  Add tomato sauce,beans,corn and green chiles. Mix well. Stir in all the spices except the red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 min.

  
  

  
  

  

  Spread 1/3 meat mixture. Top w/ 4 halves of tortilla shells...over lapping. Layer w/ 1/3 of meat mixture, 1/2 of cheese, the rest of the tortilla shells and repeat!

  
  

  Bake @ 350 for 15 mintues!!!
  
  

  ENJOY THE YUMMINESS!
  
  

  
  

Pork Chop Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Pecans, Caramelized Onions

• 2- 1"pork chops
• 10 ounces goat cheese , softened
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 finely sliced sweet onion
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup glazed pecans, may want to chop them up if large pieces 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a pan, caramelize onion slices.  Place onions in bowl once browned and let cool.  Meanwhile create a pocket in pork chops by slicing in center, without going through other side.  Salt and pepper the outside of the pork chops on both sides.  In the same skillet as the onions, brown both sides of the pork on high heat.  About 2-3 min. on each side.  When the pork is browned, place in a baking dish.  

Add 1/4 cup goat cheese and 1/4 cup glazed pecans to the bowl with the caramelized onions and mix.  Stuff filling in pork chops.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Enjoy :)

Buffalo Chicken Pizza!

Just in the mood for a buffalo chicken pizza.  Here is a great way to have it and not feel crazy unhealthy.  The next buffalo chicken recipe I might dive into may be a soup...hmm we will see!

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound chicken breast cutlets
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 pizza dough, store bought or from your favorite pizzeria
• 1/2 cup tablespoons wing sauce, medium to spicy heat (add more sauce if you like it extra spicy :) )
• 1/2 cup tomato pizza sauce (Wegmans fresh sauce!)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Place chicken on a baking dish with wing sauce.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cut/slice chicken into extra small bite size pieces.

Turn oven up to 425 degrees F.

Stretch dough to form pizza. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan and bake for 5 minutes or so before adding toppings.  (This is our secret to a crispy pizza!)

Top pizza with tomato pizza sauce, chicken, blue cheese, mozzarella cheese and top with scallions!

Bake pizza for 20-25 minutes until crispy and bottom looks brown.  ENJOY :)

Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

Sauce is courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.  This is a wonderful comfort food and one of Jason's favorites :)

1 rotisserie chicken (cut chicken into small pieces)

• 7 tablespoons butter
• 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 4 cups chicken broth

Dumplings (I cheated, shhhh!)  Follow dumpling directions on box.

Bisquick!  It's super easy and is just as great, add a little herbs to the bisquick before adding liquid to be extra savory) 

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Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

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In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, until golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes. When golden brown, whisk in the wine, reserved chicken broth, Essence, and thyme. Cook until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes, then add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 15 minutes. Add the reserved chicken meat, heavy cream or milk, and peas. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Place the dumplings on top of the chicken mixture. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve in large soup bowls, garnished with the parsley.

Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

2 bone in pork chop
1 small package of sauerkraut
1 apple (peeled and cut into small pieces)
1 Tb mustard powder
1 tsp fennel seed
1 small onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Salt and pepper pork chop.  Brown in skillet.  In large baking dish, add sauerkraut, apples, onions, fennel seed and mustard powder.  Mix well.  Place pork in mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Butternut Squash Soup

In the Food Network magazine last year, I found this recipe in "50 different soups".  This is a great recipe you can make in a flash!  If you want to make it thicker, add heavy cream and for more flavor I fry up some sage leaves and add before serving.  It looks pretty and tastes amazing.  Enjoy :)

Ingredients

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 6 sage leaves (optional)
• 2 Tb butter (to cook with sage)
• heavy cream (optional)  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. In a skillet, melt 1-2 TB of butter, once melted, add sage leaves.  Cook until crispy.  Ladle soup in bowl, add sage leaves and serve.

Lactose-Free Molasses Cookies

Roy and Ash, this one is for you!!!  

3/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup granulated sugar, for dipping

1/4 cup water

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, thoroughly combine the shortening, brown sugar, applesauce, and molasses. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger with a wire whisk. Add to shortening mixture, and mix until combined. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls using your hands. Dip each ball into 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and sprinkle a couple drops of water onto each ball using your fingers. Place each ball on the baking sheet.

 Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely on baking sheet.

Pork with Beer and Bacon Gravy

Courtesy of Rachel Ray!  Really, when is bacon NOT good in a dish??  You'll definitely want to serve this pork with rice or mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious beer bacon gravy!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle
• 2 thick slices smoky bacon from deli counter, diced 1/4-inch
• 1 medium onion, diced 1/4-inch
• 1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle amber to dark German beer
• 1/2 cup stock

Directions

Season the chops liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, add the chops and cook, turning once, until caramelized and the meat is just turning firm, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a platter and cover with foil, reserve.

Add a drizzle more oil to the pan, add bacon and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the onions and saute over medium heat with the bacon (or save to sprinkle on top for garnish!) until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, stir for 1 minute, then add the beer. Cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes more, then whisk in the stock. Add pork to gravy and continue to cook for 3 or 4 minutes and season with pepper. Pour the gravy over the chops and serve immediately.