Chicken (or pork) Enchiladas Verde

Served here with refried beans and guacamole, yummy yummy.

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken or pork
1 32 ounce jar (4 cups) salsa verde, divided (I recommend Herdez brand)
8 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese (or use a mix of jack, queso, cheddar)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
16 6-inch corn tortillas
1/2 medium white onion, sliced thin



Method:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the meat with 1/2 cup of the salsa, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, 1/4 cup of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread one cup of the salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Microwave tortillas until soft and pliable (about 30-45 seconds). For those of you who are not concerned with your fat intake, you can do it the old fashioned way and dip the tortillas in hot oil until they are pliable. Don't let them get crunchy.
Use about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture per tortilla. Roll them up and lay them in the baking dish.
Drizzle enchiladas evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the salsa, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Lightly spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray, cover dish and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with onion and remaining cilantro, let stand for a few minutes, and serve with remaining salsa verde, and optional sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo.
Optional sides are refried beans, rice, green salad...



You may have noticed that mine is not actually green. It is red. That's because I cooked my pork loin in a New Mexico style red sauce. Then I used the leftovers for this dish. I did use the salsa verde, but the red sauce kind of over powered the color. The dish is delicious. And very easy. The original recipe actually called for using the meat of two store bought rotisserie chickens. I haven't tried it that way, but it would make it really easy (and quick).

Rosemary Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

A friend gave me a set of dipping spices as a gift several months ago. You know, that stuff you mix with olive oil and use to dip Italian bread? Since I'm usually by myself, I don't eat much bread. Inspiration struck tonight, so I peeled and cubed a large sweet potato and tossed it with olive oil and one of the spice mixes. Pan roasted it until the taters were brown, caramelized and tender. I wish I had a camera, the sweet potatoes were visually appetizing (and mighty tasty). I might try one of the other flavors with a regular potato next time.

Chocolate Skillet Cake

Here it is chaki. Click on the pic to make it bigger.



This recipe is from the "official" 8th Grand National Cookbook from the Pillsbury's BEST Recipe and Baking Contest from the year 1956. I got this cookbook from my mother, along with several more old ones from Pillsbury Bake-Offs of bygone years. They are great. Fun to read.

As I said before, I have not tried this recipe. But I'm thinking that I might. I believe you said you have an electric skillet, chaki? If you look at the first starred comment at the bottom of the recipe it gives the directions for "baking" this in an electric skillet. I have one too, (electric skillet, that is). It might be fun to try, eh? I like the idea of melting chocolate bars or pieces on top rather than using frosting. I detest frosting...

I Pulled Some Pork

I have to thank Danielle, my Daughter-in-law for this one. She has a shop called the Dinner Station, where they make up the recipes and flash freeze them. All you have to do is pop it out of the freezer and cook. This was one of there latest and proved to be easy and most delicious. I of course had to adapt and I don't have a Dinner Station.

I put my little pork terderloin in my great big crock pot covered it with about a cup of barbecue sauce. This is where I adapted...I used Jack Danial's Hickory Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce.
Turn the crock pot on low and forget about it for the rest of the day. Just before I was ready to serve I used 2 forks to shared the meat. Presto...pulled pork! I have to say it was heavenly.

Pitiful little pork tenderloin in great big crock pot.

After shredding.

Neil's plate. Mine had a whole wheat bun and onions.

I can not begin to tell you how easy this was and how good. I wish I had bought a bigger tenderloin. This little guy fed 4 people 1 sandwich each.

Pot Luck Party -- With International Flair

Chinese cabbage and pork hot pot by a French/British mom who is very into authetic Japanese culture. Simple, easy and HER whole family likes it. (But I know her kids and they are not picky eaters. My husband doesn't eat even Chinese cabbage...sigh)

Is this not the most awesome food photo???? Captured the steam rising, didn't even have to use dry ice or fake stuff like the food photography book recommended!!! Yes, food photography, well photography in general, is one of my stated goals for the year. And it starts HERE!!

I love Tim's (the principal) idea of using plain colored paper as background!! And will incorporate it at home as well. Light reflects well and I can do macro shots without flash.

These are photos for a cookbook put out by the moms at my kids' old school. Lots of Japanese and international recipes. I was very valuable, not for my cooking, but my language skills and was "invited" back to help. As you all may have already figured out, I ADORE working on fun group projects with a bunch of cool people. And this definitely qualifies.

This uber cute bread is made by PA. When your kids start first grade in Denmark, moms celebrate the occasion by baking a boy or girl shaped bread like this one. Isn't that great?

These are Japanese dango, small version of mochi. Very easy to make if you get dango flour.... If you like mochi, you'll love this stuff, if not, no. The drinks are cherry blossom tea which is an actually cherry blossom soaked in salt water.... It's an ... acquired taste... a cultural experience. Made by MY who did not pluck the flowers herself, but bought a jar of them. It is probably in the spring, for Girl's Day.

This is Spanish yellow rice made by SL. It is like a vegetarian paella. Lots of pepper and garlic chunks.

Got a bit too avant garde with this photo maybe... This is Japanese chirashi sushi, no fish, just veggies and egg. Very pretty to look at, it is a sample for Girl's Day in late March, which I will blog about. CI is a fabulous cook!

This is an American adapted chocolate cake by KP. She managed to do it on the stove top rather than the oven, but ovens in Japan are .... weird. Hard to follow American baking instructions. She also put the icing on the side because Japanese people don't like their sweets too sweet.

This is for hard core Japanese food fans. A salad with raw scallops, boiled octopus, hijiki seaweed, raw onions and cherry tomatoes. I pigged out on it!! (Okay the chocolate cake too...) Made by the multi-talented NT.

There are other dishes I didn't bother taking photos for and some I didn't include. A Russian salad that had eggs, oranges, ham and apples.... One interesting fact was that a French woman made a scrumptious blueberry/apple crumble. When I asked whether it was French, JH replied that she thinks it's an English dessert and in northern France, their food is very English-influenced. I thought it was American?? Oh well, like who REALLY invented chocolate cake right?

CS made a French apple crepe dessert that deserves a mention. Scottish principal tried to make shortbread but didn't bake properly in the middle. (Happens to me all the time.) I made Hong Kong style pork chops. Will blog about that another time maybe...

All in all, it was a wonderfully delicious afternoon!!!

Food Diary: Mahi Mahi dinner & Fajitas

This is my baby! I love this thing! Cooking the fish with my favorite cooking toy!
.

I ought to get commission for this griddle or something.. because I swear I use it a lot! Anyway.. in an effort to eat healthier.. I bought some Mahi Mahi when I went out to my Wegman's trip! It's the first time I'd ever buy fish that was pre-frozen that wasn't shrimp.. so it was a risk. I figured a time on the griddle with just salt pepper should be just fine.. and the verdict?

My plate on the right.. just Grilled Mahi Mahi with frozen veggies (cauliflower, brocoli and carrots in a cheese sauce).

It was GOOD! We should backed down on the salt (we use kosher salt) but other than that it was a great first try! Definately will buy more of that and whatever fish they got since we can just grill it for speed and healthiness!

And because I'm too lazy to make another post..

Typical fajitas diner at our place..

Yes I use a premix.. hang on lemme see which one.. HA! Found it online :) mwahhahaha ehem.. World Harbor - Mexican Style Fajita Sauce and Marinade. I LOVE this stuff. I only use like 1/8th of the bottle each time so it lasts a long time for us. Usually we grill the chicken first (see grill just above.. again.. we beat the crap out of that thing.. (we use boneless, skinless chicken breast) and add it in a pan with onions and peppers (he used green this time.. I don't eat peppers.. but love the taste) and heat it for a few minutes until the flavors combine. Mexican cheese, lettuce.. and or some reason I'm nuts over the Ortega taco sauce.. Can you tell I'm a sauce person? Yes yes.. I digress.. OH and fajita shells (lately we have been using fajita size though these are burrito size (a bit bigger).

Food Diary: D&D Day.. more food :)

Homemade pot stickers :)
.

My friend Jen's wonderful cooking again on display :) We finally toned it down for the next D&D adventure :p This time we concentrated on a few things rather than the orgy of food LOL! This time were in Delaware. Lunch was pot stickers (she made herself!)

Food of the gods.. Homemade salsa and homemade chips!

Always onhand are chips and salsa. She makes this fantastic thing that is not at all hot but actually very sweet! It's mostly regular peppers rather that omfg-it's-hot salsa for this totally not-into-hot-foods person :p It's a staple really.. this time she made her own chips (cut up shells and fried and salted).

Small burgers, fries and quesadillas! (renegade pickle since I like mine cold and not INSIDE a sandwich..)

I love smaller burgers.. sometimes I want a burger and a half or something like that and the small ones allow me to eat just the right amount! She again made all of this from scratch.. Except the bread :p LOL but still.. this was about 2 weeks or so ago. Still a nice spread.. just a lot more tame than usual :) I know I'm gaining weight.. but I'm totally blaming it on it being winter :)