Enchiladas

It's Mexican Dinner Night!  Another cold wintry day in NC calls for a nice meal at the house.  Tonight, we turned to a dish that Bill learned to make several years ago (OK, more than 10 years ago) while in college before he headed off to Oaxaca, Mexico for a month -- Enchiladas!  This is a simple and original recipe passed down to Bill from his professor that accompanied him to Mexico for the trip. 

The recipe gets a bit messy with frying the tortilla shells and rolling them in tomato sauce, but the mess is part of the fun (so long as you have a helping hand in the kitchen).  As is Mexican tradition, these are simple and not overly complex like Americanized Mexican dishes.   We also have made these with chicken, and you can't go wrong with beef or chicken. 

With fried tortillas lots of mexi-cheese, how can you go wrong?  We absolutely love this dish served up with some rice and beans.

Here's a quick summary of how to make them (OK, be prepared we are not recipe chefs):

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion
• 1 small green pepper
• Mexi-cheese (2-3 cups)
• Large can (28oz) of tomato sauce
• 1 package of corn tortillas (fresh, not already fried)
• Canola (or veg) oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Chop the green pepper and onion.
3. With approx a tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, saute the green pepper and onion until slightly softened (approx 5-7 mins) over medium heat.
4. Add the ground beef to the frying pan and cook until browned.  Remove from heat.
5. Setup an assembly line with two plates, the beef, and a bowl of mexi-cheese.  Also, prepare another plate with about 20 pieces of paper towel, 3-4 lining the bottom of the plate and the rest just to the side.
6. Pour a few ounces of tomato sauce in the first plate (reserve remainder to refill the plate as you go).
7. In a small frying pan, heat about a cup of oil (enough to fry the shells in) and bring up to frying temperature on medium heat.  We prefer to splash a bit of water (very small amount) in the oil when you think it is getting hot -- it will 'pop' back at you when it is ready so be careful!
8. Use tongs to quickly fry a tortilla, flipping it once, just long enough to soften the tortilla (no more than 15-20 secs).
9. Transfer the tortilla to the plate lined with paper towels and use the remaining towels to pat the tortilla dry.  Then, transfer the tortilla to the plate with the tomato sauce. 
10. Dip each side of the tortilla in tomato sauce to coat it, then transfer it to the final plate.  Fill the center with beef and a bit of cheese.  Roll the tortilla and transfer it to a baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray.
11. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
12. When you have all your tortillas prepared and lined up on the baking sheet, cover the tortillas with the remaining tomato sauce and then cover with a layer of mexi-cheese. 
13. Bake for approximately 12 minutes at 375 degrees (long enough to warm the enchiladas and melt the cheese).

Prepare the assembly line

Frying the tortilla (no more than 15-20 secs)

Coat each side of the tortilla in tomato sauce

Fill with beef and cheese and roll the enchilada

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Polenta

Beautiful Savoy cabbage freshly blanched

@FoodNetwork #FNMag  As was mentioned in a previous post, this past Saturday we passed the day with three bottles of wine and quality time together.  We did neglect to mention the adventurous meal we made.  We started prepping somewhere between our second and third bottle of wine, but we were committed to preparing this intriguing recipe from the November issue of Food Network Magazine, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce.  This is certainly not a weeknight 'go to meal' but if you want to explore something less than traditional and have the time to commit, we would certainly recommend it.

Very simply, these are nothing more than a very flavorful (and homemade) sausage wrapped in Savoy cabbage and steamed to perfection.  They are topped with a simple semi-homemade tomato sauce.  Made with a blend of fresh herbs, Cognac, meats, and cheese, this sausage is not be understated. 

Rolling the sausage

We were, admittedly, a bit apprehensive with the next step -- wrapping these little gems of meat into blanched Savoy cabbage and rolling them tightly like you would a burrito.  Surprisingly, though, it was quite simple and all rolled without incident.  TIP: Buy fairly large heads of Savoy cabbage -- smaller leaves just do not work as well.  We actually bought three heads of Savoy so that we could experiment.  To finish off the cabbage rolls, they are steamed for 45 minutes in a steamer insert.  This not only softens the Savoy, but also keeps the sausage incredibly moist and melds all the flavors. 

As mentioned earlier, the accompanying tomato sauce is pretty simple and is 'kicked up' with 3 tablespoons of Cognac (though we can't say we could really taste it when all was said and done, but perhaps our palate was not perfectly attuned at that point in the day either).

They are all ready to be wrapped in Savoy!

We also prepared the Two Cheese Polenta that you can see in the final product photo below.  This dish is a perfect accompaniment to this recipe and made completely from scratch -- a first for us.  We did miss one ingredient at the store which is called for in the recipe -- fontina.  We used some smoked Gruyere we had left over from another meal. What a great substitute!  The smokey rich flavor of the Gruyere really brought this whole dish together. 

The recipe indicates 2+ hours of total time, but we might suggest setting aside at least 3 hours. Preparing this fun, new dinner on a cold winter night was a great ending to a great day "in."


Beautifully wrapped cabbage rolls -- not bad, huh?!

And...at long last...the finished product served on homemade Polenta.  Lots of pretty colors!!

A Cold and Wine-y Saturday

The weather forecast did not lie -- Saturday was indeed a cooolldddd day in NC.  We woke up to light flurries that lingered throughout the day.  Honestly though, we are over the snow and are ready for Spring.  That said, we planned ahead for a day in the house which means a bottle (or three) of wine.  What else is there to do?!

The morning started with breakfast and La Dolce Vita from Raffaldini, a wine from NC that we picked up on a recent trip to the vineyard (see an earlier post).  This light, sparkling, and slightly sweet wine is not a replacement for champagne, but it was a great way to get the day started. 

The next two bottles, Kumbaya (a California blend) and a Cotes Du Rhone blend followed us through lunch, dinner, and the evening. 

Our favorite wine of the day?  The 2011 Les Violettes Cotes Du Rhone. 

Movies, some cleaning, a few small projects, and three bottles of wines -- a great cold and wine-y Saturday at home!

Turkey With Warm Barley Salad

@foodnetwork #FNMag  A quick and easy recipe from Food Network Magazine (Jan/Feb 2013 issue), we decided to give this unique recipe for Turkey with Warm Barley Salad a try.  Admittedly, turkey cutlets are not one of our 'go-to' ingredients, but this recipe helped to transform a rather flavorless cut into a great dish.  The simple combination of tomatoes, lemon juice, and butter added a fresh flavor to the turkey.  (Note that we did leave the almonds out of the dish as we are not huge fans.)  We also chopped the cutlets after they finished cooking. 

We would certainly recommend the turkey, however, we strongly suggest the warm barley salad with brussel sprouts.  A quick and easy side with a hint of lemon, this would compliment any meat dish.  It was also Bill's first time having barley (yes!) and he loved it! 

Chicken with Quinoa and Veggies

@allrecipes On Thursday night, Mark made one of our favorite recipes, Chicken with Quinoa and Veggies.  This is a special recipe because this was the very first meal Mark prepared for Bill early in our relationship (Bill is the chef in the relationship).  Mark found this recipe two years ago when searching for a dinner to make that involved quinoa because neither of us had tried it.  It is fun to see the evolution of Mark's cooking skills, though.  In the previous attempt, it ended up involving Bill quite a bit.  However, Thursday night, Mark had the dish ready when Bill finished work. The dish is quite tasty and relatively simple.  Quinoa is as easy as rice to prepare and has a very distinct, earthy flavor that we love.  The recipe calls for chicken broth, which does enhance the flavor.  However, we were saving the chicken broth that was in the cabinet for another dish, so we just used water.  It is still scrumptious.  The remainder of the dish involves just a few steps of time management and adding the zucchini, chicken, tomatoes and feta.  The feta and veggies really compliment the earthiness of the quinoa.  This is definitely a fun recipe to prepare if you have a box of quinoa at home.

 

King Cake

@allrecipes #MardiGras #KingCake  So if we cannot be in NOLA for Mardi Gras, then it only seems fitting to make our own celebration -- with food, of course!  With that, we sought out a well-reviewed recipe for King Cake, a Mardi Gras tradition.  Sure, you can find this cake at local bakeries, but what fun is that, and, of course, we need a giant king cake! 

Baking always means a fun time in the kitchen.  The recipe was very much a hurry up and wait adventure.  Between allowing time for the yeast to activate and for the dough to rise, we spent about 3-4 hours in the kitchen. 

Despite the mound of dishes (and several rounds of dishes after each step), the recipe is relatively easy.  Several reviewers noted doubling the filling, but we didn't and really don't think it is necessary.  On the other hand, if you are cooking for 2, you may want to halve the recipe.  We have eaten the cake for 3 days and still have left overs. 

Here are a couple of quick suggestions if you give this recipe a try (recipe link).  The dough only requires 5 cups of flour (step 2).  Don't let the ingredient list fool you as the final 1/2 cup of flour is in the filling.  Also, as with most baking, be sure not to overwork the dough. 

Oh, and for the record, we did leave the "baby" out of the King Cake -- maybe next year!


Locking in the yummy filling in the first half of the cake



King Cake!  Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

@SunnyAnderson #ChineseNewYear  @FoodNetwork  Happy Chinese New Year!  It's officially the year of the Snake now.  This day calls for one of our quick go-to dishes - Asian Lettuce Wraps.  Compliments of Sunny Anderson, we have made this dish countless times, and it seemed like a perfect dish for today.

A quick combination of Ginger, garlic, hoisin, soy, scallions, peanuts, and ground beef served with some fresh and crisp lettuce this makes for a light and flavorful dinner.  Served along some chicken egg rolls, we are now in the new year spirit!  Thanks, Sunny, for this great recipe - one of our favorites when we are craving some Asian flare at home!

Vietnamese Lunch

@Spizecafe @visitRaleigh  A trip to Raleigh on Saturday means a new adventure in food!  We headed to Raleigh for the day for our second trip to the North Carolina Museum of History and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.  Yelp! lead us to one of the top rated restaurants in the downtown/capital neighborhood - Spize Cafe.  We both love Asian cuisine and this place, specializing in Vietnamese specialties, hit the spot!  The downtown spot has a casual, urban feel with walk-up service. 

A Shrimp Baguette Sandwich and Pork Tenderloin over Asian Noodle Salad made for a great lunch for the both of us.  As you can see from the photos below, the presentation is amazing and the flavor is just as stunning.  We will certainly be back the next time we are in the capital city. 

Shrimp Baguette Sandwich

Pork Tenderloin over Asian Noodle Salad

Super Bowl Snacks

BBQ Turkey Sliders

@FoodNetwork @clairerobinson5 @inagarten In celebration of the Super Bowl, we decided to make several appetizers for dinner.  We made Claire's BBQ Turkey Sliders.  These are a tasty twist on the typical bbq slider.  We halved the recipe and ended up with like 9 small turkey burgers.  The bbq sauce and onions caramelized and provide the turkey burger with a tangy kick.  The sliders were the "healthy highlight" of our meal, but it can't be the Super Bowl without a bit of indulgence...

We made Ina's Pan-Fried Onion Dip.  This is one of our favorite appetizers, much better than any store bought onion dip.  It is a creamy onion concoction that is a perfect dip.  We paired it with plain pita chips, but any chips would work with this fun recipe.  We followed the recipe's method of slicing the onions, but the onions seemed long and stringy for a dip.  We'd recommend dicing the onions or chopping then in half before cooking.  Lastly, we made Six Layers and a Chip Dip.  This is a healthy take on the typical Six Layer Dip.  It substitutes Greek yogurt for sour cream.  1/2 of our duo (Mark) is not a fan of avocados and thus guacamole, so we did not include this in our version.  It is yummy with tortilla chips.




Layered Dip

Pan Fried Onion Dip and Pita Chips

Homemade Tomato Soup

@inagarten @foodnetwork  From the #FNMag (Oct 2012), this is our second time making this delicious homemade soup.  Both the orzo (in the soup) and the addition of the grilled cheese croutons provide a great deviation from the traditional tomato soup.  This soup certainly helped to make a very cold February night a bit cozier. 

 

The thought of a homemade soup, especially something as simple as tomato soup, may seem arduous, but this dish certainly does not disappoint and is ready in less than 45 minutes.  Our only deviation from Ina's recipe is the elimination of the saffron.  It is too darn expensive to include in a simple soup.  (Are we missing out!?) 

 

The blend of the Gruyere in the grilled cheese croutons along with the orzo in the soup make this dish a full meal.  We would recommend it if you are looking for a hearty dish on a cold winter night!  Thank you Ina and FNM for another great dish.  Here is a link to the recipe if you want to give it a try.

Cuban Picadillo

@simplyingrid @foodnetwork  To know us is to know that one of our favorite cuisines is Cuban.   Having met in Fort Lauderdale and with Mark having spent more than 8 years in South Florida, we certainly enjoyed having some of the best Cuban food in our backyard.  Now, more than 500 miles from South Florida, we are forced to recreate some of our favorites at home.  One such is Picadillo.  A delightful mix of olives, raisins, tomatoes, and ground beef (along with some Cuban spices), brings us back to the place we met over 2 years ago.

We have made this recipe countless times.  If you are looking for a quick, simple adventure to somewhere tropical, we would definitely recommend.  This recipe is very simple and always turns out great.  Pair it with some Moros y Cristianos (black beans and rice) and you will have a great meal.  Click here for a copy of this recipe compliments of Ingrid Hoffmann.