Chicken Enchiladas

I have been in a cooking slump lately. It doesn't help that recently I have had a couple of big fails either. I pulled up the Food Networks website and saw a link to the top recipes of 2009 and decided to take a look. I saw this dish for Tyler Florance's Chicken Enchiladas and decided to try it out.

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

The How To:
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.


The Verdict:
Generally I am not a huge fan of enchiladas, these are the Doc's go to dish. I don't really care for the corn tortillas. Well THIS dish was amazing! I loved the flavor of the filling that I didn't even care it was baked in a corn tortilla. It was a nice feeling to hit a home run again with dinner!

I didn't have a Mexican spice blend in my cabinet so I improvised with paprika and hot chili powder. It had a lot of heat and next time I may just use regular chili powder. The Doc was happy to have a tasty home cooked meal again. David flat out told me that it wasn't his favorite (before even taking a bite), he just wanted a taco. And Shaun was just happy I served refried beans as a side.

I will be putting this on my list of favorites and next time I am in the mood for Mexican, I'll make these!

The Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread!

Looking for something yummy to serve before the big meal this holiday? Do you like olives? Then you MUST make this Olive Cheese Bread.

Ingredients:
1 loaf French Bread
6 ounces, weight Pimiento-stuffed Green Olives
6 ounces, weight Black Olives
2 stalks Green Onions (scallions)
1 stick Butter, Room Temperature
½ cups Mayonnaise
¾ pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

The How To:
1. Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces.
2. Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. 3. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.
4. Mixture can also be refrigerated (up to two days) and used as a dip. Great with crackers.

The Verdict: I made this using ciabatta bread and ate most of one half myself. It's delicious! If only butter, bread and mayonnaise were zero calories...sigh.

Steak Sandwich

Tonight we had steak sandwiches or as the Pioneer Woman calls them, Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. This is yet another winner from her. It's perfect for those nights you don't really feel like cooking but still want something filling and homemade!

Ingredients:
1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
2 sticks Butter (lots And Lots Of Butter)
2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or Similar Seasoned Salt)
½ cups (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
4 whole French/deli Rolls

The How To:
1. Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

2. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

4. Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.

5. Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

6. To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

The Verdict:
I loved it, the Doc thought it was "pretty good" and the kids ate it because...well...we made them. The Doc didn't "love" them because he's not really a fan of worcestershire sauce. I think that is what made them taste so good! I had planned on adding mushrooms to the mix but I forgot them when I was at the supermarket. The Doc also added some provolone cheese to his to make it more like a cheesesteak.