Donut Army

I make this dish with one of the roasted salsa verde recipe suggested by Rick Bayless, and I may toss in whatever is in the fridge that goes well with enchiladas -- here, you see some cherry tomatoes that blistered nicely in the oven. This is a nice dish to use up rotisserie chicken, or, leftover turkey breast. Turkey Enchiladas Gimme Some Oven   2 c salsa verde 2 avocados, pitted, dicedd 1/2 red onion, diced 8 flour tortillas 3 c turkey or chicken, cooked 3 c Mexican cheese, shredded 1 14 oz can Great Northern beans 1/2 c cilantro, chopped Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a large 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Then spread ⅓ cup salsa verde evenly along the bottom of the dish.  Set aside. Set aside 1 cup of the shredded cheese, 1 avocado, and ½ cup red onion for later use. Lay a flour tortilla out a workspace.  Spread 2 tablespoons salsa verde all over the surface of the tortilla.  Then in a line down the center, layer about a handful of avocado, r...

Yum, yum, and yum. The slaw is a lovely addition and the whole thing is a treat to offer to guests. I assembled leftover tostadas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next few days. Just terrific! If you had pulled meats on hand that you wanted to use, you could also add those in as a topping. Black Bean Tostadas with Cabbage Slaw Cooking Light  3 c beans, cooked* 1/2 c pico de gallo, drained 4 T olive oil 2 T red wine vinegar 1 tsp oregano, dried 1/2 tsp salt 10 oz cabbage, shredded 1 c radish, chopped 1 c cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 c red onion, thinly sliced 6 tostados 6 oz questo fresco cilantro *You can use any bean you'd like, except perhaps beans in the lentil or lima category. I recommend cooking beans via the Parsons method -- it's foolproof and eliminates any food safety issues. Combine beans and pico de gallo in a small saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring often, until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and cover to keep warm. Whisk together oil, vinegar, or...

This recipe is eminently tweak-able and forgiving. I adjust seasonings based on what is in the house. And, I can even adjust portions overall, making a small batch just for lunch one day. Refried Beans Lean Bean Cuisine 1 c beans, any type 1 onion, peeled and halved 2 T vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1/2 jalapeno, seeded, minced 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp salt 2 T cilantro, minced 1/2 - 2 tsp Tabasco   Prepare beans via the Parson's Method by putting beans in an oven-safe pot and covering with severla inches of water. Bring to a boil on the stove while the oven preheats to 350. Once the beans are at a boil, toss in an onion, place the lid on the pot, and put beans in the oven. Cook for 1-2 hours, depending on the age of the beans. When cooked, drain the beans, reserving 1/2 c cooking liquid. Discard the onion. Heat oil in pan. Add onion. Saute 5-7 minutes. Add jalapeno, cumin and salt and cook 1 minute. Add half the beans and a little of reserved liquid. Cook over medium heat. Mash beans wi...

This soup comes together very quickly, especially if you use rotisserie chicken or otherwise have a cooked chicken on hand. Flavorful on its own, or with as many garnishes as you'd like! Chicken Tortilla Soup Penzey's One 2 6-oz chicken breasts 3 8" flour tortillas 1 T olive oil 1/2 tsp coarse salt 4 c stock 1 16 oz jar salsa Garnishes: sour cream shredded cheese cilantro, chopped avocado, chopped scallion, sliced lime wedges To poach the chicken, bring 6 c water to a boil. Add raw chicken and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and cover. Let sit for 30 minutes in the hot water. Drain and then shred the meat. While you are poaching the chicken, you can bake the tortillas to make tortilla strips. Brush both sides of tortillas with oil, sprinkle with salt, and place on a cookie sheet. Now, cut into strips either using kitchen shears or a pizza cutter. Place into a cold oven. Turn oven to 375. When oven reaches temperature, turn oven of...

Tortillas are one of those foods that, once you realize how easy they are to assemble and fairly foolproof to bake, you wonder why you ever suffered through store-bought. Not to mention that these are way healthier --- or, as healthy as fried bread made with Crisco can be. This variation on the plan flour tortilla comes from the book Tacos: 75 Authentic and Inspired Recipes by Mark Miller. But, I editorialized -- something is off with the proportions, and, his cooking instructions were more for burrito-sized tacos than for taco-sized tacos. One of the forgiving things to remember about dough is that it rather enjoys being set aside. So, even if you are a small group having a smaller dinner, assemble this dough through the step of portioning the dough and rolling into balls. Then, cook when you want that night, and pop the rest (covered) in the fridge until you need them next. Also, as with making pancakes, the first one kind of never counts. If you're using an electric ski...

This is one of my favorite go-to casseroles. I frequently make this for quiet dinners at home -- particularly since it shines as a leftover. But it is something I would easily serve to guests. This recipe can use a lot of dishes, but I assure you the end result it worth it. In the above, I served the casserole with some quick-pickled radishes and salad of greens, red cabbage, red onion, pepitas, and cojita cheese. Arroz con Pollo Cooks Illustrated 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp oregano, dried 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 lbs), trimmed of excess fat and skin 2 T olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine (about 1 c) 1 green bell pepper, chopped fine (about 3/4 c) 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 c cilantro, minced 8 oz tomato sauce 1 3/4 c chicken stock 1/4 c water 3 c rice 1 T capers 1/2 c piminetos, jarred, in 1/4x2" strips Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add oregano, 1 tablespoon vineg...

Calabacitas con Queso Rellenos 2 T canola oil 1/2 c yellow onion, chopped 2 T garlic, chopped 1 1/2 c zucchini or squash, diced 3/4 c corn kernels 4 T anaheim chile, peeled, seeded, diced 1/2 c tomato, chopped salt and pepper 1 1/2 c queso fresco, crumbled 4 poblano peppers 2 oz cilantro Preheat oven to 400 heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and suate 1 minute until they just begin to soften. Add garlic, zucchini, corn, and Anaheim chiles. Saute 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the zucchini becomes fairly soft. Add tomatoes and cook anotehr 4 minutes, stirring constantly. The zucchini and tomatoes will give off a fair amount of water, making the mixture a little wet. Season with salt and pepper. Let mixture cool. Fold in 1 c queso fresco. Stur rellenos and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with green rice and black beans. Serve with homemade tortillas.

I love chile rellenos - in almost every shape and form vegetarian. This one could use a bit more viscosity so I might recommend pureeing longer, or, with a dash of liquid to thin it out some. The sweet corn pitas are amazing! Black Bean Chile Rellenos with Spicy Romesco Sauce Kiss My Balsamic food blog Stuffed Peppers: 6 poblano peppers 3 red bell peppers black beans, cooked (about 2 c) mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced gruyere cheese, thinly sliced Romesco Sauce: 1 cloves garlic 1 c almonds, whole 1/2 habanero 8 leaves sage, fresh (opt) juice from 1/2 lime 1 T olive oil 1 T agave nector salt and pepper Sweet Corn Pitas 1 1/8 lb cornmeal 1 1/8 lb flour 1 T active dry yeast 2-3 T olive oil 2 T sugar 2 T salt 1 T agave nectar 2 1/4 c warm water Grill peppers (the poblanos and the red bell peppers) over an open flame until charred. Set aside and, when cool enough to handle, rub off the charred skin. Take the poblanos and...

I love this dish so much that I can barely stand it. Delicious the night it was made, and fantastic as leftovers throughout the week. Mayocoba beans are easily replaced -- try pintos, if you can't find mayocobas. Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles Baptism of Fire 3-4 green chiles, roasted and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T lard or olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin pepper 1 c mayocoba beans, dry 3 c water 1 tsp salt Cook the green chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in the fat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, uncovered, for an hour. You may drain the water to remove some of the slightly indigestible sugars that cause gassiness. If you decide to drain them, add enough water back into the pot to cover the beans with about 2" of water above the beans for cooking.  Bring the beans back to a boil and cook, until tender. This will take...

Have you ever made something, only to then go "Ooooooh, THAT'S how they do it!?" This is one of those recipes. This is how you get a texture where the grains of rice are separate, and each one flavored. Highly, highly recommended! Arroz Verde Diane Kennedy's From My Mexican Kitchen 1 1/2 c long-grain rice 1/4 - 1/3 c vegetabl oil 1 T white onion, finely chopped 3 1/2 c stock 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced 2 T peas 1 c pureed herbs (I used all cilantro) Pour hot water over the rice and let soak 5 minutes. Strain. Rinse in cold water and strain again. Be sure to shake strainer well to remove excess water. Do not do this step in advance as it will make the rice damp. Heat oil in the pan. Stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, until grains are evenly coated. Add onion, garlic, and herb puree. Continue frying until they sound brittle, about 10 minutes. Tip pan to one side and remove excess oil. Add stock and optional ingredients along with salt to ta...

These were delicious, but I recommend increasing the amount of sauce that you make and use -- at least doubling it. Keep this in mind if you replicate! Enchiladas in Pumpkin Seed-Chile Sauce Vegetarian Planet Sauce: 1 green bell pepper 1 jalapeno pepper 2 tsp canola oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 8 tomatillos, husked and chopped 1/2 tsp coriander 1/2 c pumpkin seeds, unsalted, toasted 6-8 minutes in a 350 oven 1/2 c water salt and pepper Filling: 1 T canola oil 2 medium onions, sliced thin 3 cloves garlic, minc 1 small green cabbage, sliced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander 1/4 c cilantro, chopped 1/2 c ricotta cheese 1/2 tsp salt pepper 8 tortillas Grill both the bell pepper and the jalapeno pepper over an open flame. Blacken, cool, and then peel off the skin. To make the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cabb...

I am so excited to put posts up this week! I participated in a chili cook-off a few days ago and while my entry did not win (more on that later...), I did try some interesting (and easy) chilis and some really wonderful cornbreads. I hope you'll find this week fun, too! Today, I bring you this very simple, but flavorful chili. I must admit - I haven't actually eaten this yet as a traditional chili. Instead, while it was cooking, I got a big craving for a chili-based taco salad -- torn greens, tortilla chips, scallions, sour cream, and chili. Oh my - this is a particularly delicious chili when served this way. Highly recommended! Rocky Mountain Chili with Anasazi Beans Lean Bean Cuisine 1 c anasazi beans or red kidney, cranberry, or pink beans - dried, soaked overnight and drained 2 T vegetable oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 c summer squash, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced 1 la...

Have you ever cooked something and, when tasting it, said “No way. This could not have come out of my kitchen. This is too good!” I have. And this is one of those times. The other reaction you’re going to have to this dish is, “Are you sure there’s not meat in this?” Not only is the texture and filling satisfying, but there is a smoky richness to it that suggests pork. And I say that as a person who generally finds "imitation meat" and "meat flavoring substitute" kind of gross.  It’s yummy, yummy heaven in a tortilla. Smothered in cheese. Mushroom Enchiladas Inspired by Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures 1 T oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced ½ tsp dried oregano 1 ½ c pinto beans (dried and cooked) 1 c small curd cottage cheese ½ c fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 c salsa 8” flour tortillas 1 c Chihuahua cheese, grated (or, Cheddar) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, or until ...