It’s been pretty quiet over here on the blog lately. I’ve made some great recipes that I’m really excited to share with you but I’ve been having trouble finding the time to sit down in front of the computer to type it all up. I have no other excuse besides the fact that having two children is totally kicking me in the ass right now. The Fruitaholic is about to turn four and the Baby Burrito learned how to sit unassisted, crawl and pull herself up to standing all in the same day. Gone are the days where I could simply turn on Nick Jr., plop the baby down on the floor with some toys and take a half hour to let the words flow (or cook dinner or wash dishes or do laundry or, well, you get the picture).
So I’ve counted on my participation in the swap to keep this little old blog afloat. It ensures that once, every other week, I spend some quality time in the kitchen with a new recipe rather than trying to get something on the table quickly. And then I missed the last swap because I forgot about the deadline to submit a recipe and this page sat empty. So I made sure to get my recipe in as soon as I could this time around, especially because I was excited about the Mexican theme. Some days I think about whether it’s worth it to keep the blog going but the people I’ve met within the blogging community and the opportunity to continue to push past my comfort zone make me think otherwise.
What I loved most about this recipe was how easily it came together. Being short on time, I set aside the bag of potatoes I had purchased earlier that morning at the farmers market in lieu of premade mashed potatoes (I love the Simply Potatoes brand, found in the refrigerator section. The only ingredients used are potatoes, mik and butter – nothing artificial!). The most time consuming part was caramelizing the onions. The Baby Burrito was having a bit of a tough day so I popped her in the carrier and she was happy as a clam while I tended to them. I’ve been attempting to keep a little edible garden this year so I added swiss chard to the recipe just because I could. And who doesn’t like added veggies?
The enchilada sauce I bought was a little bit on the spicy side so the Fruitaholic didn’t get a chance to try it but the Husby and I were big fans. We were both pretty bummed that I forgot to put the leftovers away so he made me promise to make it again soon. And I will, as long as I have a free moment!
Mashed Potato and Swiss Chard Enchiladas.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
- 6-8 Large Leaves Swiss Chard, ribs removed and chopped
- 3 Cups Mashed Potatoes
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Cups Shredded White Cheddar
- 6 Tortillas
- 2 Cups Green Enchilada Sauce, divided
- Sour Cream, for serving
- Cilantro, for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and turn a rich golden brown color. Add the swiss chard and cook 2-3 minutes, until wilted and soft.
Add 1 cup of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish and spread to cover.
Mix together the mashed potatoes, sour cream and caramelized onion and shard mixture. Place a large spoonful of the potatoes on the bottom half of a tortilla and top with cheese. Roll the tortilla up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes until bubbly. If desired, broil 2-3 minutes until cheese starts to turn golden brown.
Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.
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http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/mashed-potato-and-swiss-chard-enchiladas/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
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I’m always on the lookout to add more seafood recipes to my repertoire. It’s sooooo good for you, but the Husby is picky (no salmon, no scallops, no fishy-tasting fish) and making a seafood dish typically means I have to make a different meal for the Fruitaholic. The original recipe I received for the swap called for flounder, a fish I’d never had. I was intrigued albeit a bit nervous that it could be one of the fishier fish but I was determined to try it.
Note my disappointment when Whole Foods didn’t carry it. Luckily, they have a great fishmonger who chatted with me about my preparation intentions and suggested a similar fish, sole (another I’d never tried). She assured me it was a mild whitefish – something I know the Husby would eat. I could just tell him it was tilapia if he questioned it. The only other thing holding me back was his hatred of capers, but I just made sure to de-caper-ify his portion. Oh well, that just meant more capers for me (note: upon being served, he told me he could have just picked the capers off. I always create more work for myself.)!
After poaching the fish, I removed it from the pan and let the remaining sauce reduce for a few minutes before pouring it over our plates. It was awesomely tangy and I might have eaten half of a demi-baguette trying to savor every last drop. Even the Fruitaholic took a few bites! In my book, that’s a winning dish!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Large Shallot, finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. Capers, drained
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 Dry White Wine
- 3/4 Cup Chicken Stock
- 3/4 Lb. Sole Fillets (or 6-8oz other white fish)
- 1 Lemon, thinly sliced
- Handful Seafood Herb Blend (or flat leaf parsley), chopped
- Crusty bread, for mopping
Instructions
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the capers, Worcestershire sauce and wine to the pan. Cook for one minute, then stir in the stock.
Arrange the fish in the skillet and scatter with lemon slices. Poach the fish for 10-12 minutes, until firm and opaque.
Remove fish from skillet and transfer to serving plates (deep plates or shallow bowls are suggested). Let the sauce reduce 3-5 minutes, then pour over the fish. Garnish with herbs and serve with crusty bread.
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http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/poached-sole/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
Fried chicken is one of my ultimate comfort foods. It’s so outrageously bad for you but so deliciously good. I’m constantly searching for a worthy substitute that won’t clog my arteries. I’d seen this one in an issue of Cooking Light but never got around to making it so I was pretty thrilled to get it for this week’s swap.
While fried chicken this was not, the toasted panko gave it a crispness that many other oven-fried recipes lack. And the buttermilk helped keep the chicken nice and juicy. I think I must’ve skimped on the rosemary because I was expecting there to be more of a pronounced flavor but it remained nice and light. It was easy to prepare and the short list of ingredients was a plus in my book. And for just about 300 calories per cutlet? Your arteries will thank you.
Walnut and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Panko
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1/3 Cup Walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, minced
- 4 Chicken Cutlets
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange a wire rack on top of it.
Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko and, stirring constantly, cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the panko crumbs.
Whisk together the buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together the panko, walnuts, cheese, rosemary and salt and pepper.
Coat the chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge through the panko mixture, being sure to coat evenly. Place the chicken on the wire rack and bake 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
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http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/walnut-and-rosemary-oven-fried-chicken/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
It’s a well known fact that the Husby and I tend to order a lot of takeout. Had I known sooner that it was this easy to make my own, we could’ve saved ourselves a lot of money!
We absolutely loved this meal from the Blogger’s Choice Swap. The recipe jumped out at me right away and even after poring through the other recipes on the site, I knew this was the one. I already had most of the ingredients at home so I only had to pick up a few things, which is always nice. It was quick and easy. The rice took longer to cook than the tofu! I can always count on the Fruitaholic to eat tofu, but was a little bit unsure of how he’d react to having it smothered in sauce. He ate his entire portion and asked for more. Yeah!
I stayed pretty true to the recipe, although I cut the sugar a bit and added cornstarch based on the original recipe. It made a ton of sauce, so I recommend either adding another block of tofu or halving the sauce ingredients. Even after spooning additional sauce over rice, there was still quite a bit leftover.
Ingredients
- 1 Block Extra Firm Tofu, pressed and cubed (to press, place the tofu block on a plate and cover with a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place a heavy pan on top of the towel for at least 30 minutes.)
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- 2 tsp. Sesame Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1/2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Green Onion, chopped
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the cornstarch to the tofu in a small bowl and toss to coat.
Add the tofu to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.
While the tofu is cooking, combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, water and brown sugar. Mix well.
When tofu has browned, add the sauce, stir, then bring to a simmer before reducing heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened and reduced.
Serve over rice and garnish with green onion.
Source -
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http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/mongolian-tofu/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
