Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

Here's another delicious use for the Green Chile Sauce I served 

on the tostadas I made the other evening.

Using buttermilk in the sauce gives it such a unique flavor and the little 

bit of cream cheese gives it an even deeper level of creaminess and tempers 

the tang of the buttermilk. It's perfect!

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Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

4 Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
1 tsp cumin, plus
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil, plus
1/2 onion, fine chop
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 flour tortillas
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
2 cups Green Chile Sauce

Mix together cumin and next 5 ingredients; rub into both sides of chicken breast.

Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat; brown breasts for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Remove to a plate and let rest 5 minutes. I don't cook my chicken all the way through at this point, only long enough to get a nice crust. Finishing it with the onions adds lots of flavorful juices. Cut chicken into small cubes.

In the same skillet with heat reduced to medium and a little more oil, saute onion 3-4 minutes, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom. Stir in garlic and continue to cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in chopped chicken and cook until no pink remains, breaking chicken up with the tip of a wooden spoon. At this point I give it a taste and add more of some/or all of the chicken seasoning, depending on taste. Remove chicken to a bowl.

Heat up the Green Chile Sauce in the same skillet used for the chicken. Lightly coat tortillas in the sauce (I actually just smeared on a thin layer with my hands); fill with some of the chicken mixture; sprinkle on some cheese and roll up, tucking in sides of shells. Place in a baking dish. Once all the enchiladas are rolled and in the baking dish, pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake for 25-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Stovetop BBQ Ribs

What an awesome supper this was. Fast...and really easy too.

I can't take credit for the ribs because I actually found the recipe somewhere online, 
but they are fabulous and knew I needed to share. Easy easy easy with just a few simple ingredients most of us keep on hand!

Now, I can take credit for the grits...and I will. They are crazy good.

You can find the recipe here.

Linked with Weekend Potluck.

Stovetop BBQ Ribs

6 Country Style Ribs, boneless

1/4 cup A-1 Steak Sauce

1/4 cup Ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire

1 tbsp Soy Sauce, low sodium

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 cup water

Whisk together steak sauce and next 5 ingredients. Place ribs in a large saucepan and pour the sauce over the top. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Replace lid back on the pan at an angle, leaving space for steam to escape to help reduce and thicken sauce. Cook another 25 to 35 minutes or until pork is very tender and sauce is thickened and sticking to ribs.

Pepper Jack Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Artichokes and Bacon

Everyone loves a quick pasta dish, and if they don't, they should.

This one has a super easy, slightly creamy sauce with chunks of 

roasted tomatoes, artichokes and bacon.

Linked with : Weekend Potluck and  Foodie Friday

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Pepper Jack Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Bacon and Artichokes

2 pints cherry tomatoes, roasted

1 lb spaghetti

6 slices bacon, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp flour

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tsp basil

1/3 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated (generous 1/3 cup)

2 7.5oz jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Fresh chopped parsley

Heat oven to 425*.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until tomatoes burst.

Cook pasta in salted water until el dente; drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until just crisp; remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Pour out all but 1 tbsp of bacon grease. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until softened. Stir in the flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and basil; cook 2-3 minutes. Whisk in cheese until melted. Stir in tomatoes with any juices, artichoke and reserved bacon.

Add cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese, tossing until coated; adding reserved pasta water until desired consistency in reached. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper if desired.

Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Beef Tostadas with Green Chile Sauce

My family really enjoyed these tostadas. 

The shredded beef was tender and really flavorful. Once it was cooked I shredded it in hot oil with some of the gravy it cooked in. The meat absorbs it and stays saucy with flavor.

Not to take anything away from the beef, but the star of this show ended up being the sauce. 

It was super easy and fast. 

I made it out of....wait for it....buttermilk. It gave it such a great flavor.

It will forever more be my go to recipe for Green Chile Sauce

This tostada was stacked with beef, green chile sauce and a little queso blanco cheese between each layer, then topped with avocado, salsa and sour cream.

Oh, and a squirt of lime juice. Definitely don't forget the lime juice.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck,

Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday

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Beef Tostadas with Green Chile Sauce

Shredded Beef
Queso Blanco cheese, shredded
Tostada shells

Green Chile Sauce:
10 oz can of whole green chiles, drained
2 cups buttermilk, divided use
1 generous tbsp flour
2 oz cream cheese
Salt and Pepper

To make the sauce; puree green chiles, 1 cup buttermilk and flour in a blender until smooth. Pour into a saucepan over low heat, stir in remaining cup of buttermilk and cook until hot, not boiling, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cream cheese 1 oz at a time, whisking until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

I used this Savory Beef in Gravy recipe for the beef.

To shred it up just heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add beef and 3/4 cup of the sauce the beef cooked in. Be Careful - It Will Splatter. Start breaking up the meat with the end of your spoon (or shred with 2 forks), stirring to combine the sauce. Once the meat is broken up it will absorb the sauce. Add more sauce stirring to combine until you get the consistency of beef that you want. It should be saucy but not dripping.

At this point you can use it anyway you desire. Quesadillas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc.

Savory Beef in Gravy

This is a great "go to" recipe for shredded beef with tons of uses. 
Great served as is over some pepper jack cheesy mashed potatoes or polenta, 
or shred it for quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc.

I happened to make Beef Tostadas with Green Chile Sauce. 

Now don't get me wrong when I say this. The beef is excellent, but I 
gotta tell you. For me, the  Green Chile Sauce stole the show. 

Seriously delicious, 6 ingredients including salt and pepper, and so easy.

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Savory Beef in Gravy

2-3 lb Beef Chuck Roast

2 tbsp olive oil, plus

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 onion, rough chop

4 cloves garlic, rough chop

1 1/2 tsp chipotle puree, chopped chipotle pepper in adobo

2 cups beef broth

1 cup water

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot.

Cut roast into 2 inch pieces. In a large plastic bag, mix together flour and next 6 ingredients. Add meat and shake to coat. Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Brown meat on both sides, in batches if necessary adding more oil as needed. Remove and set aside. Add onion and garlic to pot, adding more oil if necessary. Saute 2-3 minutes; stir in tomato paste and cook a couple minutes longer. Stir in chipotle puree and beef broth, scraping any bits from bottom. Add back in beef and any juices. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce to simmer. Let simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

This bread is so moist. 

It's made with peanut butter and fat-free yogurt which lightens it up a bunch.

I found this recipe several years ago in my Cooking Light magazine, 

but just got around to trying it. Very good!

Linked with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

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• Peanut Butter Banana Bread
  
  
  1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
  1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
  1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  3 tbsp butter, melted
  2 large eggs
  1/2 cup granulated sugar
  1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  1 1/2 cups flour
  1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  3/4 tsp baking soda
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  1/8 tsp ground allspice
  2 tbsp chopped dry-roasted peanuts
  
  
  Glaze:
  1/3 cup powdered sugar
  1 tbsp milk
  1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
  
  
  Preheat oven to 350°.
  
  
  To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.
  
  
  Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.
  
  
  To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tbsp peanut butter. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Up until just the other day, I hadn't ever tried Chicken Tortilla Soup, so I figured it was time.

After researching several different recipes, here's what I came up with.

I thought it turned out great.

Really enjoyed the consistency of the soup. There are little bits 

of yumminess left in the puree, plus the added depth of flavor from frying up 

the tortillas and chiles, and roasting the tomatoes. 

Delicious and filling.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck,

Rattlbridge Farm: Foodie Friday

Addicted to Recipes: Scrumptious Sunday Link Party

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 corn tortillas, sliced into long strips

8-10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 pasilla or ancho chiles, seeded and torn into large pieces

1 large onion, rough chop

2 cups roasted tomato puree, apprx 8-9 Roma tomatoes

10 oz can Rotel

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 quart chicken broth

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

Salt and Pepper to taste

4-5 dashes of Frank’s hot sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Avocado

Queso Blanco cheese

Tortilla chips

Fresh parsley

Heat oven to 450*. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turning half way through. Peel off any charred skin (or all skin if preferred), and puree in a food processor. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add tortillas and garlic; saute until tortillas are crisp and garlic is golden; add torn chiles and continue to cook 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Make sure the chiles don’t burn. Add tortilla mixture to a food processor with the chopped onion; puree until smooth. Return to the pot and add tomato puree, Rotel, cumin, coriander and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes. If too thick, add more broth. Add in black beans and chicken; heat through. Stir in Frank’s hot sauce and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve soup with toppings of your choice. I like avocado slices, queso blanco cheese, tortilla chips and fresh parsley. 

Cube Steak with Caramelized Onion Thyme Gravy

This is a great lower-fat alternative to the forever loved, chicken fried steak.

The inside of the steak turned out super tender and juicy.

I know this isn't a pretty picture with the blood flowing and all, but that's what happens sometimes when you cook beef. I just wanted to show you how crispy the crust gets without frying in a bunch of unnecessary oil. Of course the panko bread crumbs help out a lot.

The gravy rocked. I didn't make it a cream gravy, but you could substitute 

some milk for part or all of the broth and just add a little beef bouillon. 

Some of my onions got a little dark because I added my balsamic at the very 

beginning (wasn't thinking), but we really didn't mind. 

It tasted great and the thyme gave it amazing flavor.

Linked with Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday,

Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck 

Cube Steak with Caramelized Onion Thyme Gravy

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt, plus

1/4 tsp pepper, plus

4 beef cubed steak

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 egg whites, slightly beaten

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp butter, (small pat)

Caramelized Onion Thyme Gravy

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Small pat of butter

1 onion, halved and sliced into half moons

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth, low sodium

1/4 tsp thyme

Salt and pepper, if needed

Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef steak with a little additional salt and pepper on both sides.

Place flour in a shallow dish; place egg whites in another shallow dish. Dredge beef in flour, dip in egg whites, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Set aside and prepare gravy.

Once gravy is prepared, heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium low heat. Add beef steaks and cook 4-5 minutes on first side, or until dark golden brown (cook in batches if needed). Before turning, drizzle top side of steak lightly with olive oil. Turn and cook another 3-4 minutes or until done. Keep warm on a clean wire rack in a jelly-roll pan in a 200° oven, if needed.

Gravy - Heat up a medium size skillet with 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and small pat of butter over low heat. Add onion and sauté until caramelization starts, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drizzle on some balsamic vinegar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tbsp of flour stirring to combine and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of beef broth. Add 1/4 tsp dried thyme (use fresh if you have it) and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Taste for seasoning; reduce heat and keep warm.

Orange Chipotle Chicken Breasts

This chicken couldn't have turned out any better. 

It was a huge hit and really enjoyed by all. It needs to be filed in your "recipes to try" box.....with a star beside it. Not kidding!

Along with the Hoisin Rice (will post very soon), I made some 

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Broccoli.

It's super easy, fast and delicious. 

Just heat your oven to 400*.  Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, spread out the broccoli and drizzle on a good amount of olive oil and some chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to coat every piece, then roast for about 7-8 minutes. Add freshly grated parmesan and continue to roast for another 1-2 minutes. I shake the pan a time or two during the cooking process.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck,

Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday,

Foodie Friends Friday,

Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday,

Addicted to Recipes: Scrumptious Sunday Link Party.

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Orange Chipotle Chicken Breasts

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp soy sauce, reduced sodium

1/2 tsp *chipotle puree

2 tsp orange zest

Combine cumin, chili powder and salt. Rub into both sides of chicken breasts.

Using a large skillet, heat oil to medium high. Brown breasts, 3-4 minutes per side or until a nice crust forms and chicken is just shy of completely cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, chipotle puree and orange zest. Add to skillet, scraping up any brown bits. Bring to a simmer; add chicken back to skillet, cover and let chicken braise until completely cooked through, apprx. 4-5 minutes depending on thickness of breasts. Do not turn chicken. Remove breasts and keep warm.

Bring sauce to a boil and reduce by about half. Add a small pat of butter and swirl pan until melted and combined. Taste for seasoning. Serve over chicken.

I like to serve this along with Hoisin Rice.

*As for the chipotle puree, I keep a covered glass dish in the fridge with a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that I puree up in my food processor. ALWAYS...I use it all the time.

BBQ Beef Sandwich with Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw

Wow, I feel like I haven't been on here in quite some time, which I guess I haven't.

But I'm back in gear after the busyness of the holidays

 and ready to get some good food posted.

This is a very simple bbq beef sandwich that I served with some 

jalapeno coleslaw and bbq sauce.

The beef was cooked in a slow cooker with Dr Pepper among other things, including chipotle peppers. Really tasty. You could use coke or pepsi too. Whatever you have on hand.  

I used some of the juices from the slow cooker and mixed it with my favorite bottled bbq sauce, which is KC Masterpiece-Original, yum.

The beef had huge flavor on it's own, but along with the slaw and sauce all 

piled on a toasted onion bun...perfect combination.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck,

Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday,

Foodie Friends Friday,

Addicted to Recipes: Scrumptious Sunday Link Party.

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Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches w/ Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw

3-4 pound chuck roast

1 large onion, quartered

Salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic, rough chop

1 cup beef broth

12 oz can Dr Pepper

2 tbsp Worcestershire

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp *chipotle puree or chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

 Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw

1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayo

1/2 – 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1-2 tsp honey

1/4 tsp celery seed

Dash of onion powder

Dash of garlic powder

Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 cups of coleslaw mix or cabbage

Whisk together Miracle Whip and next 8 ingredients. Stir in slaw mix and refrigerate until needed. Make at least 15 minutes ahead of time for flavors to meld.

Place onion and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker. Salt and pepper each side of the roast and place on top. Whisk together broth and next 6 ingredients. Pour into slow cooker, cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or high 5-6 hours, or until very tender.

Spoon out 1/2 cup of the juices and let sit. Skim fat off and discard. Mix juice with 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce to serve on beef.

I like to serve the beef shredded on a grilled bun with a couple of drizzles of bbq sauce and creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw. I shred the beef as needed for each sandwich because I like to have any leftovers in larger pieces for cold sandwiches the next day.

*As for the chipotle puree, I always have a covered glass dish in the fridge filled with a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that I puree up in my food processor. ALWAYS...I use it all the time.