BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe and pictures from How Sweet Eats.

How Sweet Eats is just.....she just....NEEDS TO BE MY BFF AND COOK FOR ME EVERY DAY. That's all.

makes 8 enchiladas

8 large whole wheat tortillas 

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

28 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (or more depending on your tastebuds) (I will use more next time)

1/2 large sweet onion, sliced

1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low-medium. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt, and let caramelize until soft and golden – about 10 minutes. While onions are cooking, dump enchilada sauce into a bowl and whisk in your favorite BBQ sauce until combined.

Add shredded chicken to onions with BBQ seasoning and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Pour in about a half of a cup of enchilada/BBQ sauce mixture, and add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup colby cheese. Stir until mixture comes together and turn off heat.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/BBQ sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with 1/2 + of chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish. Dump remaining enchilada/BBQ sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. 



I snagged a rotisserie chicken at the store, and shredded that sucker right up. Easy peasy. These were SUPER easy to put together and came out really good. The sauce was pretty much enchilada sauce with a touch of bbq sauce. I would have liked it to be a little bbq-ier, so I'll probably add a bit more of that, next time.

Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup

Recipe and picture from The Food Network.

Oh soup season.

You were so desperately missed.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 large shallots, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence (yeah, idk, I just threw a bunch of herbs in there. Oregano, savory, thyme)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed (I used about a cup more)
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (I used one bag of that Trader Joe's frozen rice stuff)
• 1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, and serve.

So, I used a crap ton of kale and carrots (CRAM ALL THE VEGGIES IN YOUR SOUPS!), which I'm sure is why I ended up adding a little more broth to it. This was pretty simple to put together, didnt take too long (maybe 45 mins from start to finish), and is GOOD! A nice hearty soup. 

Now just cross your fingers we get one of the stock pots on our wedding registry so I don't have to make soup in a wok, anymore.

Butternut Squash and Pancetta Orecchiette

Recipe and picture from SpoonForkBacon.

I cooked, AGAIN!!! I've realized something.

I cook more when I DON'T have food in the house. If I have to go to the grocery store, then I might as well check out a recipe or two and actually MAKE something, you know?

I got back from my trip, immediately left for another, and came back to bowls full of air and emptiness in my kitchen.

BARE.

I had half a butternut squash leftover from a recipe I made...eh...ok kind of a long time ago. But it wasn't moldy or smelly! My two tests. If it's 9 months past the expiration date but isn't smelly or moldy? Get in my face.

So, a couple things.

1) When I first glanced over this, I was all "Thyme! I totally have that left over, too!". Nope. I had sage left over, so I used that. I have ZERO regrets. It was great.

2) What I love about this type of pasta recipe is that you can pretty much chuck whatever amount of the "topping" ingredients that you have in there. My half a squash ended up being WAY more than the amount called for, I just tossed my whole thing of pancetta in there, I have no idea if it's anywhere near the amount it was supposed to be, AND I halved the actual pasta. I'm a fan of a large topping to pasta ratio.

On the good stuff.

And it was GOOD.

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1 lb orecchiette pasta
3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, diced (I used the package from Trader Joe's)
1 shallot, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
8 to 10 threads saffron
1 tablespoon minced thyme (....or sage)
2 teaspoons thinly sliced chives
2 egg yolks
1 cup pasta water
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water has been brought to a boil, add pasta and stir. Cook pasta until al dente, drain (reserving 3/4 cup pasta water), toss with 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
2. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and sauté for 3 minutes. Drain pancetta onto paper towels and set aside.
3. Pour remaining oil to pan and sauté shallots for 1 minute. Add carrots, celery and garlic and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the squash and continue to sauté for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stir in the saffron threads (I own saffron now! How fancy of me!!) and cook until the liquid has almost disappeared or until the squash has softened.
6. Return pancetta to the pan, with the vegetable mixture and stir in the orecchiette until well combined.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently fold in the herbs.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and pasta water. Pour the mixture over the pasta and stir together. Sprinkle cheese over pasta and stir until just combined. Adjust seasonings and serve with extra pecorino sprinkled on top.

Egg yolk and pasta water sauce, you say? Huh? JUST DO IT, TRUST ME. I don't even know how, but it works. It works so so well. This was DELICIOUS. It was a pretty easy and quick dish to put together, too. 

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce

Recipe and picture from Skinny Taste.

So, Susannah mentioned that she was going to make this tonight. Cool. Whatever. Do your think.

She texted me while I was out running errands.

"HOLY CRAP THIS IS SO GOOD".

I had no dinner plans...

Welp...

SHE WAS RIGHT. There are very few ingredients and it's DELICIOUS. My Trader Joe's didn't have the pre-cut butternut squash, so I just bought a whole one and skinned it with a potato peeler. Pretty easy.

I've also never used leeks OR sage, so this was a big deal.

I served it with whole wheat penne pasta....sigh....so good.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 8 oz spaghetti of your choice (use brow rice pasta for gluten-free)
• 1 (1 cup) large leek (white part only)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese
• 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft.Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, melt the butter, sauté the leeks and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and sage and mix in pasta until well coated. (mine was much saucier than this picture, which was perfect for me)

GO DOOOOO ITTTTT!!!!!!!!

Chicken and Lime Soup

Recipe from Budget Bites.

I'm have fully claimed my seat upon the YAY IT'S FALL!! train. Soup. All the soup. I want nothing but soup. What I love about soup is that it's totally easy to make healthy (and it's almost impossible to buy actual healthy pre-made soup. SODIUM BOMBS) and to store. 

I had to doctor this recipe a smidge, because I didn't have everything on hand. Happens. 

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.24
1 medium	yellow onion	$0.28
2 stalks	celery	$0.45
1 medium	jalapeno (nope didn't have, used cayenne pepper)	$0.09
4 cloves	garlic	$0.32
3/4 lb.	chicken breast	$1.46
6 cups	chicken broth*	$0.42
1 (14.5 oz.) can	diced tomatoes w/chiles (used 1 can of tomato paste)	$0.95
1 tsp	oregano	$0.05
1/2 Tbsp	cumin	$0.08
1 medium	lime	$0.33
1/2 bunch	cilantro	$0.43
1 medium	avocado (didn't have. boo.)	$1.29
TOTAL		$6.39

*I use Better Than Bouillon chicken soup base to make my broth because it is less expensive than buying canned or boxed broths. (OK and I use the boxed low sodium broth from Trader Joes....haven't gotten around to trying that Bouillon stuff yet)

STEP 1: Dice the onion, celery, and jalapeno (scrape the seeds out of the jalapeno before dicing). Mince the garlic. Cook the onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. 

STEP 2: Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, canned tomatoes with chiles, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

STEP 3: After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.

STEP 4: Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves. Add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve. Dice the avocado and add a few chunks to each bowl. 

(might want to toss a bit of salt and pepper up in there, too)

Avo and some crunched up tortilla chips would be KILLER on this. I mean, it's BASICALLY a chicken tortilla soup. I loved how non-fussy the chicken was. Just chuck it in there raw, then shred it up an hour later. I didn't have diced tomatoes, but the tomato paste actually worked out pretty perfectly. 

Crap, I just realized that I bought some carrots to toss in there, but I forgot them!! Soups like this are nice, because you can just cram all the veggies you want in there. I bet you could put spinach or kale in this, too. Veggies are our friends, folks. 

Throwing this one in the keeper file. 

Spinach Stracciatella Soup With Orzo

Another Skinny Taste recipe!

I saw this recipe online, and the reviews said it was fast and delicious.

Welp, count me in.

It's almost November, so that means two things. SOUP AND BOOTS!!! Ok, fine, it's still in the 90's, so both are sorta still uncomfortable, but I refuse to give in. I'm going to sweat my ass off in my boots while eating hot soup AND I'LL LIKE IT.

Anyway.

This soup was GREAT. It was super fast, and a total hit. I cooked up some sweet chicken sausage and tossed that in there at the end. It fit together perfectly.

I also like that this has egg in it, even if just a bit. Provides a little protein.

• 6 cups fat free chicken broth
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 9 oz baby spinach
• 4 oz uncooked orzo
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring 5 cups chicken broth to a boil. In a medium bowl, combine remaining cup of cold chicken broth with eggs, cheese and parsley and whisk well. Whisk into boiling pot and cook 3-4 minutes on low. Add orzo and cook according to package directions. When pasta is done, add the baby spinach and mix until it welts. Remove from heat,add salt (if needed) and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with additional grated cheese.

Chicken and Chorizo Casserole

The other night, I decided to make myself dinner. I was going to make fish, rice and asparagus. Healthy! I got excited when I remember that I had some homemade balsamic dressing in the fridge and decided to dump it on EVERYTHING. Omg. 4 bites in and I never wanted to taste that damn dressing again. Blech. I called it a bust and ate frozen yogurt for dinner. That is how you adult. Before I left, I decided I wanted to do some late night cooking. REAL cooking. That way I wouldn't be screwed again the next day for food.

This recipe came from What to Cook and How to Cook It, a cookbook my sister got me last Christmas. I love it because it has a picture of all the ingredients AND a picture of each step. Ah lav pitchurs!

Ingredients
1lb 2oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs
5 oz chorizo (see note)
1 Tsp olive oil
1 onion (I used yellow)
2 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
3 Tbl dry sherry or white wine
1 (14.5 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsely
S & P

(chorizo note from the recipe: there are two types: cooking chorizo, which is soft, like a regular sausage, and cured chorizo, which is firm and dry, and is eaten raw, like salami. Either type will work, but choose the cooking chorizo if there's a choice. I got fresh pork chorizo from the butcher at Whole Foods and it was DELICIOUS.)

1. Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks and the chorizo into thin slices. Place a large heavy frying pan or shallow flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat, then add 1 Tbl olive oil. After 30 secs, add the chorizo. Fry for 3 mins, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is starting to crisp and has released some of its red oil.

2. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and set it aside. Add the chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper, then fry for 5 mins, stirring often, until golden.

3. While the chicken cooks, start preparing the vegetables. Thinly slice the onion and garlic, then seed the pepper and cut it into chunky strips. Add them to the pan, then reduce the heat. Cook gently for 109 mins until the onions, peppers and garlic have softened, stirring every few mins.

4. Stir in the cinnamon, paprika, and thyme and fry for 1 min, until fragrant.

5. Reduce the heat to medium. Now pour in the sherry or wine - it will sizzle and reduce down to almost nothing (Ehh...my pan must have had more liquid than hers did, because mine didn't sizzle and reduce that much. No harm done, though). Then add the tomatoes and broth. Stir, then simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins, until the sauce has thickened a little and the chicken is tender.

6. Add the chickpeas and chorizo to the pan, stir well, then simmer for 2 more mins, until heated though.

7. Roughly chop the parsley leaves, add to the casserole, then stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drillzle with extra-virigin olive oil, if you wat. Serve with crusty bread (I didn't, I served it over rice).

This dish turned out SO fragrant. It smelled and tasted delicious. I love the combination of spices, as well. It's a one pot dish, which is certainly always appreciated.