Chicken Enchiladas

Another family favorite. Splurge on some really good green chile sauce- it's worth it!

Corn tortillas
Diced chicken breasts
Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
Green Chile Sauce
Veggie Oil
..... and of course- sliced black olives!

Fry corn tortillas in a bit of veggie oil. Very lightly- you don't want tortilla chips! Roll chicken, cheese, and some sauce into each tortilla, placing them in a row in a greased casserole dish. You can fit around 6-8 in there. Then sprinkle the whole thing with cheese and the rest of the sauce- and the black olives. Pop in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes.

Note: browned ground beef can be substituted for chicken

Finger Foods Vol. 1

So these recipes are from this month's Parents mag. Sorry if you've already seen it. But I loved these ideas for the kids and thought I would share them! Coming up with healthy dinners and lunches for the kids are always the hardest!

Polenta Flowers
Cut a log of refrigerated Polenta into slices. Use a cookie cutter to make flower shapes of the slices if you'd like. Arrange on a parchment paper- lined baking sheet, brush with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with finely shredded parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Serve with a bit of tomato sauce for a dip.

Crunchy Fish Triangles
Cut 1/2 lb. Tilapia into triangles. Pour a few tablespoons of milk into a bowl, dip filets in milk, and then in a mixture of 1/3 c. unseasoned dry bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon dry ranch salad dressing mix. Arrange the triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spritz them with some cooking oil. Bake at 450 for 8-10 mins.

Cheesy Bruchetta Toast
Slice a 1/2 lb. baguette and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 6-8 mins until toasted, turning once. In a small bowl, stir together two seeded and chopped roma tomatoes, teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh basil, salt and pepper. Spoon mix onto each bread slice, sprinkle with shredded mozzerella cheese. Return to over and bake 2 mins. Until cheese is melted.

Strawberry Pie

Having a craving for Marie Calendar's strawberry pie, I made this. It wasn't exactly it, but good in its own way.

1/3 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 oz. unflavored gelatin
1/3 c. water
6 c. strawberries- halved
1 9-in. graham cracker crust

Mix 1/3 c. water in mixing bowl- add sugar, then mix well. Add gelatin over the top and let stand for 1 minute.
Pour other 1/3 c. water in a pan and bring to boil. Pour boiling water over gelatin mixture and mix until dissolved.
Place in refrigerator for 20 mins. Stir mixture frequently.
Toss with prepared berries and add to pie crust. Chill until completely set.

Tater Tot Casserole

1/2 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 fluid ounces milk
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can French style green beans
1/2 (32 ounce) package tater tots



Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat.
Stir in cream of mushroom soup, milk, garlic salt and green beans.
Pour the mixture into a 9x9 casserole dish and layer with the tater tots. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.

Choucroute Garnie

This is the silliest recipe in the world. I thought they were kidding! Read through- it's very entertaining!

Families in Alsace generally eat choucroute garnie during the wintertime, because it’s such a hearty, filling dish. I’ve adapted the recipe to make it quicker and easier—calling for store-bought sauerkraut instead of the homemade kind, for instance, and suggesting peanut oil as a substitute for duck or goose fat, which may be less accessible. I always serve two or three types of mustard with the choucroute—a hot Dijon, a grainy Pommery and often a tarragon-flavored mustard as well.

Recipe

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2. 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3. 3 pounds pork back ribs or baby back ribs, cut into 3 sections
4. 6 pounds sauerkraut (in plastic bags), drained
5. 1/4 cup duck or goose fat or peanut oil
6. 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
7. 4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
8. 20 juniper berries
9. 3 large bay leaves
10. 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
11. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12. 3 cups chicken stock
13. 1 1/2 cups Riesling or Pinot Gris
14. 2 pounds Polish kielbasa, skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces
15. 10 skinless hot dogs
16. One 2-pound piece of boneless boiled ham (3 to 4 inches wide), sliced 1/4 inch thick
17. 2 pounds medium potatoes (about 10), peeled
18. Assorted mustards, for serving

Directions

1. In a large, sturdy, resealable plastic bag, combine the 1/3 cup of kosher salt with the sugar. Add the pork ribs; shake well to thoroughly coat the ribs with the seasonings. Seal the bag and refrigerate the ribs overnight or for up to 24 hours.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 300°. Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and squeeze dry. Set a large roasting pan over 2 burners on high heat and melt the duck fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the sauerkraut, juniper berries, bay leaves, caraway seeds, black pepper, stock and wine and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the pork ribs under cold water and pat dry. Nestle the pork ribs in the sauerkraut and bring back to a boil over moderately high heat. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the pork ribs from the sauerkraut. Cut down in between the ribs. Return the ribs to the sauerkraut and nestle in the kielbasa, hot dogs and ham. Cover and bake until the meats are hot, about 25 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
5. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat; cook the potatoes until tender when pierced. Drain the potatoes and cover to keep warm.
6. To serve, mound the hot sauerkraut in the center of very hot dinner plates and partially tuck in the pork ribs and the kielbasa. Arrange the hot dogs and ham around the sauerkraut. Alternatively, pile the sauerkraut on a large heated platter and garnish with the meats. Serve the choucroute with the boiled potatoes and assorted mustards.

Maybe it's just me- but what are juniper berries? And caraway seeds? I would have thought it to be a bird. Caraway bird? And then in the middle of all this hoity-toity un-grocery store thing- there's hot dogs! Really?! Hot dogs!

Brownie Cheesecake

I know, I'm sorry for putting up two cheesecake recipes in less than a week- but the pregnant lady has requested chocolate cheesecake for the shower! (and don't get all embarrassed, Laura! I'm happy to do it!) So I needed a recipe. And this little delight is what I found. Sounds easy enough!

16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
8 oz (1 Pk) Brownie Mix
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 c Milk Chocolate Chips, Melted

1. Grease bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

2. Prepare the brownie mix as directed on package. Pour batter into pan, bake for 15 minutes at 350F.

3. Combine sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a
time, mixing well after each addition. Pour cheese mixture over brownie layer.

3. Spoon melted chocolate over the cream cheese mixture, then cut through with a knife for a marble effect.

4. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill.

Chicken Pot Pie

Laura gave me this recipe. I tried it out on my Dad yesterday- with stunning results! He said I needed to pass this along to my Mom- so here you go, happy cooking!

10 oz. frozen peas & carrots- or any veggie mix
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/2 tea. salt
1/2 tea. pepper
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (the whole can seems to work too)
2/3 c. milk
3-4 diced chicken breasts
pre-made 2-crust pastry

Quickly throw chicken pieces into a greased skillet and cook through, then set aside. Rinse veggies and drain. In large saucepan, melt butter over med. heat. Stir in flour, onions, salt, & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and veggies.
Heat oven to 425.
Roll pastry into 13" square. Ease into the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Pour chicken mix into pan.
Roll remaining dough into a 11" square and place over the top of chicken. Cut lines in top to vent. Bake 35 mins.

Idea! Serve and then top with ketchup- so yummy!