Recipe Review from 1/7/2013

Sliding back into a nice routine again after the holiday bustle.  The Man-barn continues to come into shape  - shingles were put on (right before the rain came thankfully!) and they started framing the loft.  Husband had to make one tweak to where a window on the backside would go.  If he had kept it centered in the loft area, then we wouldn't have been able to open/close it because of the stairwell. So it will now be off-center on the landing.

Progress as of 1/13/13.   It's about 8* F (-13*C) for my Warm Weather readers.

Side door to the left, stairs leading up to the loft

The loft looking out over our yard.

Our nice base of snow deteriorated with above freezing temperatures and rain.  It bleeping rained in January. So now outside activity-wise we're back to being in limbo land - can't ski because the snow base is gone or extremely icy, and can't bike because the amount of salt they had to throw down.  Back to walking on the lake.

Just a couple new recipes from this last week.  Leftovers were well utilized.

Tortilla Chip Casserole (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 2013) GF if you find an alternative thickener for the flour
I don't know if it's just the recipes I'm making or an overall trend, but I've noticed that many recipes are no longer made in a 9x13 size pan, but a smaller 7x11 pan, which I greatly appreciate.  Some recipes just don't lend themselves to halving.

I made this one more complicated than it needed to be, because I slowcooked my chicken and had to debone and shred right in the middle of prep.  Not that it's hard - the meat literally falls off the bones, but it added a bit more complexity to assembly.  Otherwise the flavor and consistency of this dish was very good and satisfying for dinner.  Skip the canned green chilies if serving to little tastebuds.  Not spicy perse, but maybe too much flavor for them.  Made good leftovers as well.

Photo from CookingLight.com

• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour  (cornstarch or arrowroot as GF alt)
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (I used water)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup organic canned black beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto beans)
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (good use for rotisserie chicken; or slow cook your own if GF)
• 4 ounces baked tortilla chips, crushed (I used Old Dutch brand and didn't crush)
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 ounces lower-sodium green chile enchilada sauce (such as Frontera)  (I used red enchilada sauce)
• 2.5 ounces shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend (about 2/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes. Add garlic and flour; cook 2 minutes. ­Gradually add milk and stock, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and cream cheese.
3. Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture over bottom of a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Layer beans, 1 1/2 cups chicken, and 2 ounces chips. Top with 1/2 cup milk mixture. Layer 1 1/2 cups chicken, bell pepper, and 2 ounces chips; top with 1 cup milk mixture and enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

Mary Drennen, Cooking Light
JANUARY 2013

New Age Succotash (Vegetarian Slowcooker by Judith Finlayson)   GF and Vegan (watch the broth)
A very bright dish in color and flavors - nice for the winter.  I did serve this over brown rice for lunches, just to add a bit of bulk to a straight vegetable dish.  White rice might be a bit on the bland side and basmati is the wrong flavor in my opinion.  Stick with brown rice or half the recipe and add some white beans.

Now I do need to confess, I completely forgot to add the parsley and paprika.  I didn't miss it really, but some additional background seasoning would have been better.  I also thought, in hindsight, caramelized onions would have been more appropriate.  This dish made a lot - about 6 lunches for two of us. 

1 tbsp oil (if sauteing)

1 onion, finely chopped  (for this dish, in hindsight, I do recommend sauteing at minimum the onion)

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped

(1 clove garlic - optional)

1-2 tsp crushed rosemary

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 28-oz can tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

4 cups shelled edamame

4 cups corn kernels

2 roasted red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 tsp dried parsley (or 1/2 cup fresh)

2 tsp paprika, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

**The Author prefers to do a saute of the vegetables before putting into the slowcooker.  

I chop and plopped everything but the roasted red pepper.  That I did add about 20 minutes before taking off the heat.  Cook on low 6 hours, high 3 hours.