Leftovers -- Chicken Enchiladas in a Hurry

When I cook, I cook as if I'm feeding an army, so I usually have a lot of leftovers.  So it wasn't surprising that a recent holiday dinner/son birthday party resulted in lots of leftover baked chicken.  I turned the leftovers into a quick enchilada dish that I have made with assorted variations over the years. (Leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken also works just fine.)

I am giving approximate measurements, feel free to improvise your own variation and let me know how it turned out.  A cooking buddy (A Woman Called Sam) asked if I had posted the recipe after I wrote on Facebook about it, so I decided to throw it up now rather than wait for the photo or more precise measurements.  This is a very adaptable recipe and one I have never made the same way twice.

Easy Enchiladas

If you make these with corn tortillas they will be gluten free. (I've also noticed some brown rice flour gluten free tortillas in the supermarket lately but haven't tried those).

This version doesn't include them, but I've also tossed in sauteed mushrooms, cooked chopped greens, cooked corn and all sorts of other goodies. Feel free to add them with the chicken if you  have leftover veggies on hand. 

You can find the chopped green chiles and enchilada sauce in the Hispanic/Mexican section of most large supermarkets. 

This recipe comes out a bit on the spicy (but not super hot) side.  If spiciness is a concern, cut back (or eliminate) the green chiles and or make a mixture of half tomato sauce/half red enchilada sauce in place of the straight enchilada sauce.

Chicken or vegetable bullion cube to make 2 cups broth or 2 cups stock
Leftover chicken, skin removed and  the meat shredded (I must have used the equivalent of 3+ half breasts)
8 ounces of cream cheese (low-fat and fat free okay)
3 handfuls of shredded cheese (I used mozzarella because that's what I had on hand.  I recommend some mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese but it's also good with shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese or crumbled Mexican queso fresca)
4 oz can chopped green chiles
4 scallions, chopped
About half a large can (28 oz) of enchilada sauce (I used the red sauce this time and have made my own sauce in the past as well.  Green sauce is also tasty.)
Flour or corn tortillas (medium size)
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Sour cream, Mexican sour cream or plain yogurt, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or use microwave). Boil water and make bullion in large bowl (or heat stock in wide pot). Keep warm. Spoon a thin coat of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a medium large baking pan. (if planning on heating in microwave be sure to use a microwaveable pan.) In a large bowl, combine the chicken, chiles, 3/4 of the chopped scallions and cream cheese.  Add 1/4 cup of the warm broth, mix well until combined, adding more broth as needed to soften cream cheese.  Add two handfuls of cheese. Mix.  Dip one tortilla at a time in the warm broth. (Just moistening it.).  Lay flat. Put about 2 Tbs. of the chicken and cheese mixture in a vertical line down the center of the tortilla. Wrap filling and place filled tortilla seam side down in baking dish. Repeat until filling is used up. Spoon enchilada sauce on top, completely covering tops of enchiladas.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Sprinkle with green onions.  Heat in oven or microwave until sauce is bubbly, cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through (about 40-50 minutes in oven). Scatter cilantro on top and serve with sour cream if desired.  I served this with rice cooked in tomato juice on the side with a green salad.

Taking Potluck -- Polenta Bake Recipe and a Promise of Cincinnati Chili

Right now, I'm working on a Cincinnati-style chili to bring to an "American" pot luck tonight.
The honoree is celebrating 40 years in America. His first home in America was in Cincinnati, hence the chili, which is not a traditional chili but more of a Greek-influenced meat sauce served over spaghetti, shredded yellow cheddar cheese, cooked kidney beans and/or onions (known as two-way, three-way, four-way and five-way respectively). More on this later. (Update -- the recipe is posted --- click here to see it.)

Last Monday, I hosted a potluck dinner meeting at my home. Many fine dishes were shared including Kay's salmon, rice and cheese casserole, Joanne's homemade crusty rosemary bread, Karen's frosted flakes baked noodle dish (which tasted amazing believe it or not, but definitely a sweet not savory style kugel), Jeanne's spinach noodles with grilled vegetables and much more. I offered up leftover, defrosted lemon cheesecake cups from Noah's graduation dessert buffet the week before as well as this quick and easy Polenta Bake (which earned raves from my friends, discerning cooks themselves.)

Honestly, this wasn't the dish I set out to make. I had vague thoughts of a lasagna or polenta lasagna went I went shopping, but when I got home I literally had only an hour before my company was to arrive, so I vamped and improvised and came up with this easy and luscious tomato-mushroom polenta bake. I apologize for the inexact quantities but I did this on the fly and didn't measure or right down, however it is more of a process based on what's in the refrigerator and/or pantry. Make it soon, make it your own, and leave your friends raving.

Tomato-Mushroom Polenta Bake with Pesto and Cheeses
Serves About 6-8

I know it's not traditional, but making polenta in the microwave is perfect for those nights when you need something fast that's not pasta, rice or potatoes. No mushrooms? Substitute sauteed greens or other vegetable of your choice.

1 recipe microwave polenta
(see recipe below)
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1/2 pounds of assorted sliced mushrooms (I used a combo of crimini, white button and shitake)
About 1 teaspoon ground French Provencal or Italian seasoning (or a 1/4 teaspoon each of dried, ground oregano, fennel, basil, thyme)
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28-32 ounce jar or can of good quality pasta sauce (I used Trader Joe's Tuscan marinara sauce)
About 8 ounces of prepared pesto (I like Costco's Kirkland brand in the big jar), divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced tomatoes (optional), enough to cover the polenta layer
About 16 ounces of fresh ricotta cheese (I used part-skim milk)
Grated or shaved Parmesan
About 4 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Make the microwave polenta:
In a souffle dish or other 2.5 quart or larger microwavable dish, stir 1 and 1/4 cups of yellow corn meal into 4 cups of water. Cover with waxed paper and microwave on high for 12-16 minutes, until polenta has begun to set but is still somewhat loose. Stir the polenta once, about six minutes in. (Total time depends on your microwave power). Be careful, polenta will be very hot. Take out of microwave and stir in about 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) and a few grindings of black pepper (optional) and scrape the polenta into the bottom of a greased (with oil spray or olive oil) lasagna pan or large, deep, round casserole. (I used my 14" round Spanish earthenware casuela.) (Polenta technique adapted from Barbara Kafka's Healthy Microwave Gourmet.)

While the polenta is cooking in the microwave, start the mushroom-tomato sauce mixture. In a large saute pan, saute onions until golden, add garlic and saute until lightly golden. Add mushrooms and seasoning and red pepper flakes. Saute until mushrooms are almost cooked through. (Add a bit of broth or water if needed.) Mix in pasta sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of the pesto sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and correct the seasonings if needed.

Assemble the polenta bake: Atop of the polenta layer, add sliced tomatoes (if using) in a single layer. On top of that layer, plop on tablespoons of the ricotta alternating with tablespoons of the remaining pesto sauce. Ladle mushroom-pasta sauce mixture on top and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with shaved or grated Parmesan cheese and slices of the mozzarella. Bake until cheese is browned and the dish is heated through (about 30-40 minutes.)

Straight from the oven, this dish is a bit "loose" but it firms up with standing time. It is delicious either way.

Wickedly Good Ginger Brew for Homemade Ginger Ale, Tea or Syrup

I love ginger. Can't get enough -- in savory dishes, crystallized, as a spice in baked goods, in beverages and candy there is no such thing as too much.

When I was at the Koreana Market, I picked up a bag of ginger to make my own ginger brew.

I like my ginger beverages hot, spicy and with a strong bite, so you might want to modify the directions to suit your taste. Remember you can always use less ginger brew in your soda or tea if you make it too strong, or add more sugar if you don't make the syrup sweet enough.

When you pick out ginger for this brew (or any other use), look for firm, fresh, hard pieces without bruising or mold. Avoid pieces that look wrinkled or dehydrated. Ginger keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks.

Wickedly Good Ginger Brew

This makes about 4 - 4 1/2 cups of unsweetened ginger brew. See variations below for sweetened syrup.

About 3/4 pound of whole, fresh ginger root
About 4 1/2 cups of water

Using a sturdy tablespoon, scrape the peel off the ginger roots. Slice the roots into 1/4" to 1/2" chunks.
Put in a medium saucepan and add the water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until the ginger brew is potent enough for you. Taste periodically to see how it is. Remember it will be served diluted with water or seltzer and possibly sweetened. I left mine to simmer for almost an hour.

Remove from heat. Cool and strain, discarding ginger solids. Pour into a clean glass bottle with a lid or cap. Store in the refrigerator.

For Ginger Ale: In a large 12-ounce glass, put in sweetener to taste (sugar, sugar syrup honey, agave nectar, stevia, etc.) Add about 1/4 cup of the ginger brew and stir well until sweetener is dissolved. Add ice if desired, top with cold seltzer, stir gently. Serve.

For Ginger Tea: In a small pan, add about a half cup of ginger brew and a half cup of water. Add sweetener to taste if desired. Simmer to desired temperature, stirring occasionally.

To Make Ginger Syrup: After you have strained the liquid from the ginger solids, measure out how much of the ginger brew you want to turn into syrup and add the liquid back to the empty saucepan. Add an equal measure of sugar, honey or agave nectar (or to your taste, I usually use 1 part sugar to 2 parts ginger brew, but 1 to 1 is more traditional). Stir well. Bring back to a boil and then simmer uncovered until the sugar is fully incorporated and the brew has reduced down some. Cool and store in a glass jar or bottle with lid or cap in the refrigerator. Use cold or warm as desired. Try using in sodas, as a syrup for ice cream, waffles, etc., to flavor teas or fruit compotes or stewed fruits, etc.

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Yet another good use for using seltzer!
About the photo -- My ginger brew and a glass of homemade ginger ale.

All Atwitter -- Spanish Stuffed Peppers with Smoked Paprika Tomato Sauce

I literally threw this dish together last night and haven't been able to stop twittering about it, it was that good.

I had to recreate the recipe afterwards, so some details are a bit fuzzy, but it is a very flexible concept based on what I had in the house -- no special shopping trips were made for this dish. So feel free to make your own substitutions.

I recognize where some of the concepts came from -- my sister's Cuban picadillo, my penchant for stuffing vegetables, my love of Spanish food, an interesting bag of mixed grains from the pantry and a half bunch of spinach from the fridge, but honestly, the dish came to me out of nowhere when I was in the mood to just cook not cook for the blog. While the dish was coming together I realized it had potential, so I did take its picture.

Spanish Stuffed Peppers with Smoked Paprika Tomato Sauce

Serves Four to Six

The ground turkey filling has a wonderful, warm, full taste and is good on its own without being stuffed in the peppers if that is easier or more practical for you. (Or if you have leftover filling after you have stuffed the peppers.) The tomato sauce adds a nice smoky note. Use regular paprika if you don't have the Spanish smoked paprika. It will still be delicious. The recipe took me about 45 minutes start to finish, but my grain mix cooked in 10 minutes. Allow more time if you are using brown rice or other long-cooking grain.

Don't be intimidated by the lengthy list of ingredients or instructions. It really is relatively easy and very impressive. The flavors of the dish really did remind me of the foods I've eaten in Spain. While I put this together for a family meal, I think it would make a nice "company" dish.

For a vegetarian version, try with lentils, white beans, veggie soy ground "meat" or crumbled tofu instead of the ground turkey.

Peppers

6 small to medium red bell peppers, "lids" cut off and reserved, seeded and cleaned
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika (regular, not hot or smoky)
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
20 ounces of ground turkey
1 cup diced tomatoes (I used canned, drained)
1/2 bunch of fresh spinach, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped (I used the kind stuffed with pimento)
1 cup cooked grain(s) -- I used a mix that included Israeli couscous and other grains. Regular couscous, bulgar, brown or white rice, millet or a tiny pasta such as orzo would also work.

Sauce

8 ounce can of plain tomato sauce
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
2 cups of cooked grain (see comments above)

Stand the red bell peppers up on their bases in a microwave safe baking pan. Slice a bit off the bottom of any of the peppers that wobble. (Reserve scraps with reserved pepper tops). Put a half cup of water in the bottom of the baking dish and microwave on high for about 5-8 minutes or until the pepper shells are tender but not mushy. Drain water out of dish. Set peppers aside in baking dish.

Trim the leftover pepper "lids" and chop any usable red pepper. Chop any scraps cut from the bottoms of the peppers. Reserve.

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute onions until just golden, add garlic and saute until it begins to color.
Add red pepper flakes, cumin and paprika. Saute for a minute until they release their aromas. Add reserved red pepper scraps, carrots and celery. Saute for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the ground meat, breaking up any big clumps, and brown well, stirring often. When the meat is almost cooked through, add tomatoes and spinach, cook, stirring occasionally until the spinach has wilted. Add chopped olives, stirring well to combine. Cook until meat is cooked through. Add the one cup of cooked grain. Stir well to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Set aside.

Make the sauce. In a small saucepan combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, olive oil and smoked paprika. Stir well and cook until heated through. Taste. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. (The sugar balances out the acid in the tomato sauce. Some brands need it, others don't, so taste first.)

Assemble the peppers. Stand the peppers in a microwave safe baking dish and using a large spoon pack full of the ground meat mixture. Spoon some of the tomato sauce on top of each pepper. Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes or until the peppers are heated through.

Reheat sauce and cooked grain if necessary. Serve the peppers with the cooked grain and remaining sauce.

"Going Freezer Shopping" -- Green Chicken Soup

I was overdue for making a soup (a staple here at the Blog Appetits) and had agreed to limit my forays to the market for a while to “eat down” the pantry and freezer to make some room for any new purchases later. (Whenever I source a recipe this way I refer to it as “going freezer shopping,” hence the first part of the post’s title.)

While shuffling the contents of my freezer looking for inspiration I came across a package of boneless chicken breast tenders, a bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Greens with Envy and some frozen chicken stock (maybe a quart or so?). The frozen vegetable mix featured shelled edamame, spinach, green beans, broccoli florets and asparagus tips.

It made up into a light but full-flavored homey chicken vegetable soup. The smell of the simmering chicken soup was warming and cheery on a rainy winter day and made me feel well taken care of and loved. The soup itself looked bright and fresh and reminded me that spring would soon be here. (An aside, it might be a nice non-traditional "green" dish for St. Patrick's Day if you are looking for something other than corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew or green bagels.)

You could substitute canned or boxed chicken stock if that’s what you have hiding in your pantry, but homemade always packs a taste punch. Substitute whatever fresh or frozen chopped green vegetables you have on hand, but be sure to include something green and leafy, something green and a bit crunchy, and perhaps fresh or frozen shelled edamame or canned or frozen lima beans. There is little added fat and lots of nutrients in the vegetables, so it is a good-for-you-soup, too.

Other cuts of chicken on or off the bone will work well, too. You could skip the chicken entirely, but poaching the poultry in the soup adds of depth to the flavor even if your stock is not homemade.

Green Chicken Soup

All amounts approximate
Serves 4

Oil spray or 1 tsp oil (I used grapeseed)
1 small or ½ large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen or fresh chopped green vegetables
1 quart chicken stock
¾ to 1 pound (or more) boneless chicken breasts or breast tenders (frozen or fresh) OR other chicken on or off the bone
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Spray the bottom of a large pot or add 1 teaspoon oil. Heat over medium high flame. Add onion and sauté until just softened. Add minced garlic and sauté until beginning to brown. Add frozen or fresh vegetables and sauté until vegetables are beginning to defrost (if frozen) or just beginning to soften (if fresh). Add chicken stock. Stir all ingredients well, making sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Heat soup until simmering. Add chicken pieces (no need to defrost frozen boneless chicken) and poach in broth until just cooked through. (You may need to adjust heat to keep from boiling. Timing will depend on size, thickness, bone in or out, frozen or not, so keep you’ll need to watch. Do not overcook.) Remove chicken from the pot and cut or shred into bite size pieces. (If you’ve used chicken with skin and bones, remove those from meat, cut or shred the meat.) Add meat back to pot. Heat soup through, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

You’ll be amazed at the good, clean taste and depth this simple soup has (especially if you’ve used a quality or homemade chicken stock). If you want more spice, you can certainly add hot sauce or other seasonings either to the whole pot or your bowl. You might also try adding a teaspoon or two of fresh, minced ginger when you add the garlic for a more Asian-flavored soup.
I ate mine straight. Noah added a spoonful of shredded Parmesan cheese and stirred it through. Gary added some leftover cooked pasta to his bowl first then ladled in the hot soup. If your stock was not very rich, you could stir in a dash of a good quality olive oil to your serving to pump up the flavor a bit. Try lemon oil for a refreshing taste.

Variation: Make it with good quality vegetable stock and tofu and you can have a Green Greens Soup.