Easy as {Enchilada} Pie

Look at those colors...this has to be healthy.  Totally tasting the rainbow.

I made a version of this recipe awhile ago, and I think it was from Pinterest, but I am not exactly sure, and I didn't double check.  Basically, I winged it, and I succeeded.  There is a decent amount of chopping, but if you put on a good playlist, it's really not that bad.

If you ever need to bring a friend or family member dinner (like if someone has a baby, is ill, has had surgery, etc.) this is perfect.  When fully prepared, it fits in one dish and all the recepient has to do with it is throw it in the oven (I say "throw it in the oven" a lot, sounds like I might be harboring some aggression).  Ya'll ready for this?

Note:  This makes a LOT.  You can definitely cut it in half, but I strongly recommend the leftovers.  Really Strongly.  Share some when it's fresh and then save some for yourself for the rest of the week or for after the bars.

Equipment you will Need:

• Baking/Cookie sheet - probably two
• Tin Foil - love that stuff
• Baking Dish - I used a glass pyrex dish, 9x13, about 2in deep.  I never have size dish that recipes call for, so don't stress if yours isn't exactly the same dimensions.  You'll live, I promise.  And this will still taste good, that I also promise.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of caulifower, cut into florets
• 2 poblano peppers, seeds removed, sliced into strips and then strips cut in half - if your grocery store calls them "pasilla peppers," your grocery store and I are talking about the same things but the grocery store is WRONG.  I googled it.  They should look like this:

A whole poblano pepper.

A sliced poblano pepper

• 2 bell peppers, sliced and then cut in half - you pick the colors!  You should pick 1 red and 1 yellow.  Just saying.
• 10-12 Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion - quartered and sliced
• 1/2 of a small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• Olive Oil, you knowwww like 3-4T?  I don't really know I just pour enough to coat the veggies
• Salt - a few strong grinds
• Cumin - um, like 2T.  More if you like it, less if you want it to be more mild
• Cooking spray
• Simple Jarred Salsa - I used "Herdez Casera Medium"
• 1 Can of Green Chiles, diced
• 3/4 Pound Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded.  If you want to buy it pre-shredded, go for the gold, it's a little bit more expensive, but it definitely more convenient.  It took me 4 minutes to grate the block of cheese, not really that bad if you ask me.  You can decide how much you value your time.
• 8 corn tortillas, the good ones, auténtitcas (I double majored in Spanish, #yup)

Directions (I am so excited for you to make and eat this!!):

• Preheat the oven to 400
• Line your baking sheet(s) with tin foil
• Put allll your veggies on your baking sheet(s).  Use two if they are over-crowded
• Drizzle with Olive Oil, grind your salt, and sprinkle with Cumin
• Toss the veggies with the seasoning.  Just use your handsssss.  Ina Garten says that our hands are a chefs best tool...just wash them first por favor (there's that Spanish major again)
• Throw those veggies in the oven and let them roast for 20-30minutes, tossing every 8-10minutes so that they brown on all sides
• While the veggies are roasting, spray your baking DISH with cooking spray
• Mix together your salsa and your diced green chiles.  Literally, dump the green chiles in the jar of salsa, or dump them together in a bowl and stir.  Whatever you like.
• Spoon a little bit of salsa into the bottom of the dish, like 2T 'ish
• Tear up 1-2 tortillas into pieces and lay the pieces in the bottom of the dish, over the salsa

Little bit of salsa, and pieces of tortillas starting to lay down in there

• When the veggies are done...take them out of the oven (shocking, I know)
• Spoon enough veggies into the baking dish to cover the tortillas
• Sprinkle cheese over the veggies.  Oh come on, don't be so shy...a little bit more...
• A little bit of salsa
• A layer of tortillas
• A lot of salsa
• Veggie layer
• Make as many layers as your dish will fit, finishing with tortillas, salsa and then cheese on top (at this point, this dish is transferrable to the sick, to those with a new babe, or if you offered to bring the main course to a friends house...bless your soul if this is the case)

I love cheese.  Almost ready to bake!

• Bake for 20-30 minutes until its bubbly and the cheese is melted.
• Spoon it out like a casserole and enjoy

Yummmm

Just like cheesey, saucy vegetables...but still so healthy

**Optional:  Serve with guacamole and/or sour cream.  The leftovers are reallyyyyy good with eggs.  Really good.

***Also, if you have leftover veggies, they are so good in salads and 

Good Ol' Southern Luck: Black-Eyed Pea Soup

MmmHmm, I'd eat that

 My mom is a southerner, to the bone.  She was born in Texas, raised outside of New Orleans, and moved to California in her early 20s, but those southern roots have stuck with her all the way, and may have rubbed off on me a little bit, too.  It's tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Years day for good luck all year long, and even though it's after new years, this soup is still good, and it took all of 20 minutes to make.   So channel your inner Paula Dean and start serving up everyone you love a big bowl of luck.

Equipment You Will Need:

• Stock Pot

Ingredients:

• 2T Olive Oil, roughly
• 2 Leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (the green parts are gross, sorry)
• 2-3 Carrots, sliced into half moons (my geometry teacher would be so disappointed.  semi-circles is more technical)
• 1 14.5oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes, NOT strained.  #savortheflavor
• 1 Bunch of Kale, ripped into bite size pieces 
• Prepared Vegetable Broth, 32-48oz
• 1c - 1 1/2c Prepared Black-Eyed Peas (you can buy them in a can, or Whole Foods sells them in the refrigerator partially cooked, or you can buy them dried and cook them all.  the.  way.  talk about home made)
• Salt and Pepper

These are the ones I buy from Whole Foods - "quick cooking"

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in your stock pock over a medium heat
• Add the leeks and the carrots. Salt and pepper those little guys, this is the base of the soup so don't be shy, give it a few good grinds of each. Saute in the pot until veggies start to soften, about 5-7 minutes
• Stir in your can of tomatoes, you want it it to get warm with the carrots and the leeks
• Add the kale, give it a stir, and let it all stew together for a few minutes, maybe 3-5
• Add the vegetable broth, as "brothy" as you like
• Add the Black-Eyed Peas
• Stir it all together, and put the lid and turn the flame down to low on so that those flavors marry in there.  Martha taught me that, "let the flavors marry" what a genius...until that little hiccup of hers
• 10 or so minutes later, ladle yourself a bowl and cozy up.  Ya done good.

  

  Some people say that the pot of the end of rainbow is full of gold and good luck, I would prefer a pot full black eyed peas, and I am pretty sure that my mama would, too.

  
  

  
  

Perfectly Poached Egg

Would you look at the size of that egg? There were two yolks in there.  Good old organic, farmers market eggs.  I think it's good luck to get two yolks...

For whatever reason people are scared of poaching eggs.  They will scramble them, but poaching them is uncharted territory that is to remain uncharted.  Unless it involves Eggs Benedict, then  Bring.  It.  On.  I won't argue that, a little benny does a body good.

Here are some insanely easy tips and tricks that make poaching an egg easy and fool proof, every time.  Flawless, really, just like my skin was as a 9 year old.  #theglorydays (calories didn't exist then either, heaven.)

Equipment you will need:

• A small sauce pan
• A slotted spoon

This is the approximate water level, in case you don't have an idea of what 2in looks like.  Pretty sure you do though.

Ingredients:

• About two inches of water in your sauce pan
• 1-2 T of vinegar (just plain, white distilled)
• Eggs!  I usually eat 1 or 2, I wouldn't poach more than 2 at a time per small sauce pan
• Salt & Pepper (optional)

Directions:

• Bring the water (in your sauce pot) to a boil, and then turn it down to a simmer
• While the water is heating up, crack your egg into a small drinking cup, like a 6 ouncer.  See the pic...this just makes it easier when it's time to start cooking

I was multitasking...hence the olives on the cutting board, and the beets in the background

• Pour the vinegar into the simmering water, don't measure it, just give it a quick splash
• Let the water come back to a simmer

Look for small bubbles, you don't want them so big that they break up the egg white

• Pour the egg into the simmering water/vinegar (see how easy that was? thank god you put it the cup first, #fewf).  Here's a play by play:

• No touchy for two minutes.  You can set a timer for this if you want, I don't, but I should.

It just brings itself back together!  The vinegar does that.  Don't ask me why.

• Use your slotted spoon to scoop that sucker out of the water

Oh Helloooooo

• Give the spoons a few taps on the edge of the pan to shake off the excess water, and serve it up

Serving suggestions:  On toast with melted cheese. On a tortilla with a smashed half of an avocado and salsa. In soup.  On top of mixed greens.  On top of just about anything that feels almost like a complete meal, but that is still missing a little something

Meet Brussels Sprouts, Your New Fave Veggie

This pan is "well loved"

I have NO idea where Brussels Sprouts got such a bad wrap.  They are the token vegetable for vegetable haters and I cannot figure out why.  They are delicious.  They cook so quickly and serve as a perfect side in the winter.  They are in season now so.....jump on it, jump jump jump on it.

I like them roasted and this is how you do it, #amazing.  Also, did you know that they are BrusselS Sprouts?  Like the city of Brussels, with an "s" at the end?  I just had my mind blown.  Learn something new everyday.

I buy mine at the Farmers Market.   I think you can see why.

Equipment you will need:

• Roasting Pan - I used a brownie pan, it's the perfect size for 1-2 servings, if you have a crowd go for a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil

Ingredients:

• Brussels Sprouts: however many you want, I eat about 8 whole ones, 16 halves. If you end up with leftovers, enjoy them.  And congratulations on the self control.  You got me beat.
• 2t olive oil.  No measuring, I beg you.  Pour for about 3 seconds
• Salt & Pepper

HUGE Sprouts

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400
• Remove the stems/bottoms of your Brussels Sprouts and then cut them in half (quarters if they are really big like the ones in my pictures)
• Put the halves AND the stray leaves in the pan.  The leaves will fall off and you should absolutely keep them.  They get a little crispy and salty and are to die for.
• Pour the olive oil over the sprouts
• Sprinkle on some salt and pepper - a couple of twists from each grinder
• Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, shaking them around once or twice throughout

Post Olive Oil & Seasoning, pre-roast

Eat up.  So easy.  So tasty.  And your peers will be impressed that you are making such a trendy vegetable.  Really though, they have gotten trendy, kinda like babies.  Talk about a key accessory for the season.

See those Crunchy pieces? #getafterit

Sorry Grandma, but This is the Real Base for Chicken Soup

Every once in awhile you have a bowl of soup that just warms you up on the inside, and not just because it's hot, because there is an insane depth of flavor that just feels so good going down.  Secret:  it's the broth. #factsoflife.  I made fun of my mom for YEARS for making her own chicken broth, and then I saw the light.  If you call in sick really just to watch TV, it's too cold to go outside, you're a homebody, you're lazy, or you want to impress anyone and everyone, you should make chicken broth.  As long as you can commit to having someone at your house for 3.5 hours, you can do this.  I promise.  It's so easy, and so worth it.

Equipment you will need:

• 1-2 Large Stock Pots with Lids (these are the big guys.  Mine are medium sized, so I divided my ingredients between two of them.  I have so much broth it's heavenly.
• A Strainer and a Large bowl for separating the goods
• Hm, I guess that's it

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Garlic, cut in half crosswise (hamburger-style, so each individual clove is cut in half) with the skin on
• 1 Onion, quartered, with the skin on
• 4 carrots, unpeeled, each broken into 3-4 pieces
• 8 Stalks of Celery, each broken into 3-4 pieces
• One Bunch of Parsley - I prefer flat leaf (also called Italian parsley) but I couldn't find it, so I got "curly."  Since you don't eat it in the broth, either is fine.
• 1 Chicken Carcass - you can rip this into pieces with your hands.  It's actually kinda fun.  I used the one from my Roasted Chicken, or you could use that of any store-bought Rotisserie Chicken, just eat the meat first...and you should maybe save some for chicken noodle soup :)
• 2t Salt and 
• 1t Pepper
• Optional: 1/2 Bunch of Thyme

See it all there?  Ready for action? Images like this are what make me love cooking :)

Carnage?  Wreckage?  Disgusting?  Flavor.  My deconstructed Carcass.

No Water.

Directions:

1.  If you have kitchen twine, you can tie the herbs (parsley & thyme) into a bunch, two bunches if you are doing two pots.  No twine?  No problem.  Just please do NOT use floss.  You will have minty fresh broth.  Disgusting.
2. Put your veggies, chicken and herbs in your big pot, dividing it evenly if you are using two pots.
3. Add salt and pepper - again divide it evenly.  I feel like you get that part now.
4. Fill the pot(s) with enough water to cover everything.  I know, it's a lot of water .
5. Put the lid on and turn the flame on Med-Medium/High to get things hot and boiling.
6. Once fully boiling, turn it down to a slow boil, a notch above a simmer, I'd say Medium/Low (High Low?  Low to high? Lo-Fi? That's a bar in SF.  I digress.)
7. With the lid on, just let it simmer away for about 3 hours, checking on it and your kitchen periodically to make sure nothing is catching on fire.
8. Clean your bathroom.  Wash your sheets, you should've done that last week anyways.
9. Your house should smell amazing about 2 hours in, and a craving for soup should be in full force.
10. After 3-3.5 hours, turn the heat off and let it cool so that you don't burn yourself when you separate the liquid.
11. Once room-temp, put your large bowl in the sink, and rest your strainer inside the bowl (see image below).  
12. Dump the pot-of-goods into the strainer to separate the veggies and chicken from the liquid.
    
    

    

    See this little set up?  Strainer inside the bowl.  Get it? So easy.

13. Discard the Veggies and Carcass (it's so overcooked) and voila! Broth! Store it in the fridge or freeze some in Tupperware so that it doesn't go to waste - then you have it handy anytime you want soup!  I probably made about 1.5 gallons...definitely freezing some!

Just finished cooking and ready for cooling.  The house smells amazing.  All 800sq ft of it.

**Note:  After it's been refrigerated, the fat will solidify more or less, and you can skim it right off the top with a fork.  #keepitlightkeepittight


Recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup is coming next!

Towering Fajita Goodness

Fajitas are just fun.  When you get them in a restaurant, they come out sizzling, you get to control how much extra guacamole you put on each bite, how much hot salsa, how much mild...and really making them at home is no different.  In this case I had left over chicken (not ready to share the chicken recipe yet), but you could use shrimp, tofu, steak, pork, mushrooms, (anything really) to "beef" it up....no pun intended.  Or, pun intended.

This is my favorite brand of guacamole.  Hands-Down. Just as a side-note , I like a LOT on each bite.

Equipment you will need:

• Wide, flat bottom pan, not a pot
• Spatula or big spoon so that your hand won't get too close to the heat (comin' in hotttt)
• Knife & Cutting Board
• Tongs (unless you have really quick hands that can avoid flames)...look right here:

Fire Seared Tortilla - que auténtico.  Really though, this is a huge flavor booster. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Onion, mine was a medium sized one, but a big one would be fine
• 1 large Red Bell Pepper 
• 1 T of Oil, I used Safflower.  Please don't measure this, just pour for like 4 seconds 
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 t Cumin - don't do it, please don't measure.  Just give it a couple good shakes.  It's not spicy, more smokey
• 1/4 t Chile Powder - no measuring, but fewer shakes, this has a little more heat.  Go for half the amount of Cumin....más o menos (more or less - I was a Spanish Major. #yup)
• Any meat or protein that you want!  Already cooked. (If it isn't cooked, just brown it up in a separate pan before you add it so that it gets a good sear and the raw meat doesn't mix with the veggies. #ecoli #nogracias)

I just used my hands to shred this chicken.  After I washed them of course

• Tortillas - I like the corn ones that say they are home made.  I am 99% sure that they are made in a factory, but that factory is home to many machines and some employees, so that works for me.
• Topping Potentials: Guacamole, Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt (yes, you can use greek yogurt, I swear), COTIJA CHEESE (the capital letters express my strong feelings), fresh cilantro, salsa.  Go crazy.

Directions:

• Slice your onion in half, and peel that skin away, cut it in quarters and slice that baby up
• Slice your bell pepper into 1/4 - 1/2 inch wedges, and then cut them in half again..I;m not articulating myself well, just look at this picture:

See what I mean? Sliced long ways, and then in half so that the pieces aren't so long...easier to eat.

• Heat the oil in the pan - get it hot, you want the onions & peppers to sizzle
• Add the onions & peppers (and mushrooms if you are using them) to the HOT oil.  hot hot hot.  #hot #notwarm
• Add Salt & pepper (a few twists of each from your grinders)
• Sprinkle on the Cumin and the Chile Powder - smell these. Wait, don't get them too close to your face or they will go straight to your brain.  Try wafting.  If you like the smell, add more!

Mmmhmmm...freshly seasoned and starting to sizzle

• Once things have sizzled for a bit, start to stir them, but keep the pan hot
• The veggies will wilt and pick up the coloring from the spices...that's the magic happening
• Add in your cooked meat or protein of choice
• NOTE - if you feel like anything is burning and instead of browning (turning black and not brown) you can add some broth or water
• When the meat is hot and incorporated...it's ready!!  

I mean, you can see the smokey/spicy steam.  #yesplease

• Stack your fajita with whatever toppings you like best...here's my work of art:
  
  
  

  

  This is like Base Camp for the Mountain that is about to be constructed...

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  In case you forgot what it looked like at the top of this entry... ta dahhhh.  I give you Fajita Mountain.

  
  
   The aftermath...

  

  yes.  I single handedly ate what is no longer in the pan.  I'm a growing girl.  That's what my mom says at least.

  
  

Keep the Seeds!

Did you ever toast pumpkin seeds after you carved your pumpkins at Halloween when you were a kid?  Maybe you still do.  This is the same concept.  We are putting this whole squash to use.  Talk about a zero-waste initiative.

I know, I already used this picture in a different post.

Equipment you will need:

• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil (can you tell that I love foil?)
• Metal spatula of some kind...to toss the seeds around
• Strainer

Ingredients:

• Seeds from your Squash (I have done this with Spaghetti squash, butternut squash and pumpkins so I am sure it would work with acorn, kabocha, etc)
• 1-2T Olive Oil, about a 3 second pour...enough to coat the seeds, not worth measuring
• Salt & Pepper
• Optional to add other seasonings...see the bottom of this post for other ideas

Directions:

• Rinse your seeds in the strainer, in the sink, washing off all the squash guts.  #gross
• Lay the seeds flat on a plate or in a baking dish, like the one you use for brownies (I know you have one of those) and let them air dry over night, just on the counter or the stove, as long as the stove is turned OFF

Clean seeds!  Drying out on top of my stove for the night.

• They will feel dry crispy when they are dried out.  When they feel like that, heat your oven to 375 and transfer the seeds to your foil-lined cookie sheet
• Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper

These have oil, salt, pepper and are about to be paprika'd.  My mom brough this paprika back from Hungary...it came with this cute little dude as the scooper

• Roast for 5-7 minutes, you will hear them start to "pop" in the oven - it literally sounds like popcorn when it first gets going
• Enjoy!

Apparently seeds polarize when you roast them?

Optional seasoning: cumin for some chili/Mexican-like spice, paprika for some smoky heat without being spicy, cayenne pepper for some spice, any meat or poultry seasoning.  What do you have in the pantry?  Get creative!

Basic Butternut Squash, Safely

I really do like the taste of butternut squash.  I really don't like wrestling with it, with a huge knife in hand, to try and prepare it.  I honestly prepare them so rarely because I'm truly afraid of hurting myself with a large knife in the process.  Problem solved.  In the easiest way possible.

Equipment you will need:

• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• Fork
• BUTTER Knife (get it? butternut squash)

All the equipment you will need, minus the butter knife.  If you don't have a knife and fork, you have problems bigger than knowing how to safely roasting butternut squash.  Just saying.

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash - mine was probably 2-2.5, if yours is smaller, your bake time will likely be less.  You might just have to keep a closer eye on it!

This was honestly probably a foot long, and I'm not just saying that because Subway succeeded with their "Footlong" marketing campaign.  Massive.

 Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350
• Line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil
• Poke your Butternut Squash with a fork.  Everywhere.  Really, everywhere.  I didn't do it evenly on all sides and one side was a little harder to peel.  I think that poking the holes allows air to get under the skin, so it bubbles and then peels right off without a hitch.  I'm not really sure about the physics of the "air --> bubbles --> peeling" process though.  I'm not even sure if it's physics that we are talking about.
• Put the Butternut Squash on the foil lined cookie sheet and place it in the oven
• Bake for 30 minutes to an hour.  That's a huge range, I know.  If your squash is small, 4-6inches and around a pound, closer to 30 minutes.  Big like mine was, closer to an hour.
• After about 30 minutes, poke it with a fork again - you want the fork to easily poke the flesh, and sink deeply into it.  That sounds so dirty, #woah
• Once it's soft (now everything sounds inappropriate), take it out of the oven and let it cool on the cookie sheet for about 20 minutes, or until it's cool enough to handle

Roasty, toasty with bubbled skin, #physics

• Peel the skin with your fingers (I cannot handle myself)
• Cut the squash in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds and chop the squash into whatever size chunks you want!

Don't throw the seeds away!!!

• Use in your next recipe!  I will share a few too...upcoming posts :)