May 31, 2013

Woohoo!  2 keepers this week! I love to cook with things on hand, and this new enchilada recipe fit the bill.  We have made a few enchilada recipes that we love over the years, and each has its own flavor.  This one has a homemade sauce that was wonderful, so it has earned keeper status.  It even reheated well the nextg day for lunch! 

The second keeper was a new chicken dinner that had a different flavor than most we've had.  The ingredient list wasn't radically different, but the addition of bread cubes (basically homemade croutons) in the sauce as a thickener was great.  I always keep heels of bread, left over rolls, and the like in the freezer, so I had the bread on hand for this dish as well.  And the chicken stayed very moist through cooking it in the sauce.  Pairing it with some blanched and seasoned green beans made for a great dinner!

This coming week is going to be busy and I'll be a solo-mom for most of it, so we will see what new recipes we try out in the kitchen!!!

Happy Cooking!!!


New Recipes
Pantry Staples Enchiladas
Chicken in Garlic-Almond Sauce

Chicken in Garlic-Almond Sauce

Ingredients
* 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds
* 2 cups cubed crustless white bread
* 4 garlic cloves
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 2/3 cup white wine
* 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* kosher salt
* 1 lb chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
* 1 onion minced
* 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
1. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add almonds and stir until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then transfer them to paper towels.  Place 1/3 cup of the almonds into a blender or food processor, and leave the rest for garnish.
2. Add the bread crumbs and garlic to the saute pan.  Cook and stir until the bread is crisp and golden, around 4-5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon transfer them to the blender.  Add the broth, wine, pepper and a pinch of salt to the blender.  Process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat the last 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown the chicken in oil.  Remove the browned chicken to a plate.
4. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 6 minutes.  Add the sauce and chicken to the pan with the onions, ensuring the sauce covers the chicken.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, then cover.  Simmer the chicken in the sauce until cooked through, about 12 minutes.
5. Serve the chicken with the sauce.  Use the parsley and reserved almonds as garnish when serving.

Notes
We loved this!  The chicken was very moist from cooking in the sauce, and the flavor was so different from other chicken dishes we've made, which was a nice change of pace!

Pantry Staples Enchiladas

Ingredients for the sauce
* 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), un-
drained
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
*1 tbsp chopped garlic
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 tbsp AP flour
* 2 tbsp chili powder
* 2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 cup chicken broth
* salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the filling
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
* 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), drained
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
* 8 flour tortillas

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Puree the un-drained tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped onion and garlic in a food processor.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
4. Stir in flour, chili powder, and cumin, and cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in the pureed tomato mixture and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and let cool.
5. Combine the chicken, drained tomatoes, diced onions and 1 cup of the cheese.  Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the filling mixture.
6. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.  For each enchilada, spread 1 tbsp of sauce on the tortilla, then flip so this is the outside of the enchilada.  Place 2-3 tbsp of chicken filling insde the tortilla, then wrap and place in the baking dish. 
7. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and sauce is bubbling.

Notes
You probably have everything to make these in your pantry and freezer.  These were really good, especially given that no shopping had to be done in order to make this dish.  No real heat factor, so if you are looking for something spicy perhaps add some crushed red or cayenne pepper to the sauce.  Speaking of the sauce, that was definitely the best part.  I might make this same red sauce for other versions of enchiladas in the future!