Recipe Review from 8/7/2017

This past week we hiked from Temperance River to Britton Peak on the Superior Hiking Trail, not once, but TWICE!  We volunteered to be Hike Leader and Naturalist for this segment waaayy back in February or March.  I like to know what trail conditions are before we head out with a group of people, so we went up the Wednesday before the hike with the dogs and timed the drive, the shuttle and the hike.

The we went back sans dogs (SHT asks no dogs on Guided Hikes) on Saturday for the event itself.  We had about 30 people for a glorious Saturday morning, with some familiar faces and many new-to-guided hikes attendees.  Temperatures hovered right about 75* (warmer on the rock faces), with a slight breeze, and clear skies.  I marked time at 3.5 hours by the time I got off the trail as "Sweep", just a half hour longer than when we hiked on Wednesday.  Most excellent! 

Pictures coming!  Phone is not talking to the internet this morning...

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L)  shish-k-bobs and corn on the cob  (S)  Fish sandwiches
Sun (L)  Fish sandwiches (S)  Chicken Enchiladas
Mon (yoga) leftover enchiladas
Tues - leftover enchiladas
Wed (hiking)  Corn, tomato and basil salad
Thurs (yoga) leftover enchiladas 
Fri - leftover corn salad

Lunches - hummus sandwiches



Blackened Grouper Sandwiches (Ckng Lght June 2017)  vegetarian option**

My notes: For a vegetarian option, skip the bun and serve open face on the lettuce and tomato with the sauce on the side.

I used tilapia for this dish - I'm not even sure I could get grouper in my corner of the world.  I also forgot I was out of paprika so I pulled out a jar of Penzey's Northwoods seasoning - it has the paprika, salt and pepper, plus thyme, rosemary, garlic, and chipolte.   Close enough plus I can use something I have on hand.

These do come together quickly, I thought they tasted as good or better than fish sandwiches I've eaten in restaurants, and I would make these again.  Recommended!


1 teaspoon paprika  (I used 2 tsp Penzey's Northwoods seasoning)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

photo from cookinglight.com

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 (6-oz.) grouper fillets
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted ketchup
4 (2-oz.) whole-wheat hoagie rolls, split**
4 romaine lettuce leaves
8 plum tomato slices

1. Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 8 inches from the heat.

2. Combine paprika, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over fillets.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add fillets to pan; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

4. Combine mayonnaise, relish, mustard, and ketchup in a bowl. Arrange rolls, cut sides up, on a baking sheet; broil 1 minute or until toasted. Spread mayonnaise mixture over cut sides of rolls. Top bottom halves of rolls with lettuce, tomato, fillets, and top halves of rolls.

Roasted Chili Verde Chicken Enchiladas  (Ckng Lght, June 2017)  gluten free
This dish is going to take a bit of time, expect that going in; there really isn't much in the way of short cuts here so plan on this being a weekend dish.  The link and magazine note this as being 1:30, it took me probably closer to 2:30 - but I'm including prep in that and clean-up.   

I didn't want to heat up the house any warmer than it already was, so I did part of my prep on the grill.  I charred the veggies, then grilled a portion of the meat because my Dutch oven isn't large enough to properly sear 4lbs of thighs. 

And that was my second modification - I used two whole chickens (+/- 2.5lbs ea - my chickens were on the smallish side), cut-up.  I grilled the breasts and legs, and seared the thighs in a large sauce pan (again, amount of meat).  Because I used a whole/cut-up chicken, it did take a tich longer to shred the meat. 

I also didn't split the dish into two, but cooked it (on the grill) in a 9x13 pan.  

End result?  Very tasty and a nice change from the usual El Paso Enchilada sauce.   Best part?  Supper is ready for the next several nights - LOVE the leftovers!  

Cooking spray

photo from cookinglight.com

2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
4 poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed
1 large yellow onion, quartered
6 garlic cloves
1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 lb.)
16 (6-in.) corn tortillas
6 ounces reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tomatillos, poblanos, onion, and garlic on prepared baking sheet. Broil for 12 minutes, turning vegetables after 6 minutes, until well charred. Let stand 5 minutes. Scrape mixture and any accumulated juices into a blender. Add cilantro leaves and stems, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper; process until smooth.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Place chicken in a single layer in Dutch oven, meaty sides down. Cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Pour tomatillo mixture into Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook until sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Place chicken on a plate; let stand 5 minutes. Set aside 2 cups tomatillo mixture. Shred chicken and return to Dutch oven; discard bones. Toss meat to coat.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup reserved tomatillo mixture in the bottom of each dish. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla; fold into thirds, and arrange in dishes (8 enchiladas in each). Spread 3/4 cup reserved tomatillo mixture over enchiladas in each dish. Sprinkle each with 3/4 cup cheese. Coat 2 pieces of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover each dish. Follow freezing directions, or continue to step 5.

5. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, until heated through. Remove foil. Increase heat to broil. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.

Magazine Notes:  How-To FREEZE: Cover dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil or an airtight lid. Freeze up to 2 months. THAW: Remove foil; reserve. Place dish in microwave. Microwave on MEDIUM for 20 minutes, until thawed. REHEAT: Cover dish with reserved foil. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and a thermometer inserted in center registers 160°F. Remove foil during last 5 minutes.

Corn Tomato and Basil Salad (Ckng Lght, June 2017)  gluten free, vegetarian

I modified this a fair amount:

• I used 1 pint small cherry tomatoes (whole) instead of cutting up regular tomatoes  (putzy)
• I grilled 4 ears of corn (makes about 2 cups) instead of eating raw
• I skipped the parsley (I was out)
• I used some green onions instead of the shallot (had the green onions in the fridge)
• I used a Roasted Garlic infused olive oil
• and I added 2 andoullie sausage links, grilled and cut up, to make my resident carnivore happy

This was very good!  I was concerned that there was too much dressing for the amount of food, but it turned out okay, maybe a tich much for my tastes, but still good.  This would be great as a side for just about any grilled meal, or, as a dish in its own right.  As I noted above, I added two sausage links for The Husband.  Added a nice zing!

Recommended! 

2 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-in. dice, or 1 diced heirloom tomato and 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

photo from cookinglight.com

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon white miso  (I used 1 tsp red)
1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
2 cups fresh yellow and white corn kernels
1/4 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 oz.)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
12 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1. Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt; let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

2. Combine oil and next 6 ingredients (through shallot) in a pint jar. Seal jar; shake 30 seconds or until blended.

3. Add vinaigrette, corn, cheese, chopped parsley, and basil to tomatoes. Toss gently to combine; serve immediately.