Chicken Burrito Bowls

This quarter I'm working until 6 or 6:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays so I've returned to my crock pot as a main way to get supper on the table.  This was a new recipe that I came up with one day by tossing a bunch of stuff in a crock pot when I hadn't planned ahead very well but it turned out yummy.  This is a great filling for burritos but we ended up making "burrito bowls" - sort of a variation on a taco salad.  .  I bought the flour tortilla bowl / boat things from Vons and put a bunch of shredded lettuce on the bottom and topped it with the chicken filling.  My girls ate theirs in tortillas like tacos.

Chicken Burrito Bowls (serves 4-6)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced green chiles

1 can black beans

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. salt
1 T dried onion (some diced fresh onion would work too - maybe 1/4 cup)

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup cooked white rice

For serving (optional):  shredded lettuce, tortillas, tortilla bowls, shredded cheese, sour cream, more salsa, avocados, cilantro

Place the tomatoes, chiles, beans, broth and salsa in the crockpot and stir.  Place the chicken thighs on top and sprinkle the spices over the top of everything.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours.  Shred the chicken with a fork and give the whole thing a stir.  Stir in the cooked rice.

Serve over lettuce, in tortillas, in bowls, or by itself.  We like to add cheese and more salsa or avocados if we have them!  It's good with tortilla chips to dip into it or as a nacho topping.

Meyer Lemon Souffles

Family dinner birthday cake with my girls

12 kids between us . . . how did that happen?

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I turned 38 two weeks ago.  Age and numbers are so strange sometimes.  I look in the mirror and I know I'm getting older but I don't feel 38 at all.  Two days before my birthday Little got sick - fever, sniffles, laying on the floor completely listless.  I was sad for her and a little sad for me and having to reschedule plans but on Friday night, we sent Big & Middle to their Friday night drop off anyways and after putting the sick baby to bed, I made myself a birthday dinner.  My husband and I learned long ago that going out to eat on Valentine's weekend (aka my birthday weekend) is not always a great experience.  Before we had kids and when they were very young, we'd cook an elaborate and fancy dinner at home instead, working together in the kitchen.  Resurrecting this tradition (with our only kid at home asleep) was really fun this year and I made a couple of new things.  Stay tuned for the risotto . . . 

I still had Meyer lemons and decided to make souffles for dessert.  You may need to adjust the recipe below for cooking time if you use big ramekins like I did but the recipe will yield enough for 6 small ramekins.  I forget how easy and satisfying souffles are and it was nice to have a different treat from cupcakes and cakes.  Not that I didn't appreciate them but I ate. too. much. cake.  My mom made me an awesome birthday cake for family dinner and my BFF bought Valentine's cupcakes on my actual birthday.  Did I mention that party?  It was going to be me, 3 of my girlfriends and our families.  We ordered pizza, drank wine, ate the cupcakes and had a really fun evening.  But when we lined up the kids for that photo above, it was amazing to see how some friendships between girlfriends have now grown to include 15 kids - one friend and her 3 kids weren't there :(.  I also got to see my two best childhood friends that weekend and have a rescheduled adult birthday dinner with my parents and all my siblings - I feel loved and celebrated!

One more recipe note:  If you've met my husband, you know he always has great ideas for improving any recipe.  I didn't make any sauce to pour in the souffles so he mixed together some lemon juice, simple syrup, cointreau and maybe a little brandy and poured it in the middle . . . it was divine!  So, you may want to make a sauce to go with these.

Meyer Lemon Souffles (serves 6)

from Sunset 3/97

1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice

2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

4 T butter (plus more to butter the ramekins)

1/4 c. flour

1 cup half n half

2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

 6 large eggs, separated

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Powdered sugar for serving

Begin by buttering your ramekins and coating with granulated sugar.  Once they're prepared, stick them in the refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

Melt 4 T butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour, then half and half, and then 1/3 cup sugar.  Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and then boil for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.  Use a little of this hot mixture to temper your egg yolks and then incorporate egg yolks and 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice, and lemon peel.  Pour this mixture (it'll resemble a custard or lemon curd) into a large bowl and let it cool slightly while you beat the egg whites.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat just until the egg whites hold glossy straight peaks when you lift the beaters.  I like to use the whisk attachment of my stand mixer and I take the whisk off to check the stiffness of the egg whites.

Stir about one cup of egg whites into the lemon/yolk mixture.  Then, very gently fold the remaining egg whites into the batter until you can barely see any white streaks.  Do NOT overmix at this point.

Scoop into prepared ramekins, filling them almost to the edge.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-13 minutes.  The souffles should barely ripple in the middle if you gently shake them. This will give the souffles a creamy texture.  If you like a drier or stiffer texture, you can bake a few additional minutes.

Serve warm with a little powdered sugar dusted on top!

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Gelato

When life gives you lemons, make gelato!!  Last weekend we had such an awesome time with our cousins from the east coast.  In several different conversations, my cousin and I couldn't get over the similarities between our husbands . . . no wonder they're such great friends!  

To celebrate their time in California (and the amazing 80 degree February weather we enjoyed while they were here), I busted out my ice cream maker for a batch of gelato.  My Meyer lemon tree has been producing quite an abundance of lemons and my mother in law has been bringing me bags of (certified organic) lemons.  By the way - you never know - if you are interested in purchasing organic citrus in bulk, let me know!

I found a couple of online gelato recipes for proportion and included rosemary from my backyard.  My Vitamix hasn't been getting much use this time of year but blending the gelato base worked great to incorporate the fresh rosemary flavor.

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Gelato (makes approx. 1 quart)

1 cup Meyer lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
zest from 1 Meyer lemon
3/4  - 1 cup sugar (depending on your taste)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Pulse 1-2 minutes or until all ingredients are combined and rosemary is very finely chopped.

Transfer to the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to machine instructions.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  I love Valentine's Day - what better than a day about telling people that you love them?  My girls share my love and this week made Valentines for our neighbors, for far away cousins, and friends who don't go to their school.  We also made 45 classroom valentines to pass out tomorrow.

Here are some photos of making this year's valentines (I bought the brown cutouts from Amazon) and the super cute Olaf ones we made last year:

If you want to make something for someone's birthday (like mine on Saturday - hint, hint) or Valentine's Day, here's a tried and true yellow cake and chocolate buttercream combination.  I think I've written before about how much I love my 5 layer mini cake pan set.  It makes these cute cakes that are just the right size for about 4 adults and some kids to share.  You can do all sorts of things with the layers like make this rainbow cake.  The recipe below has baking times and proportions for cupcakes but you can adjust it to the pan size that you prefer.

Yellow Cake (makes 16-18 cupcakes or one cake layer)
from Sally's Baking addiction

2 large eggs, room temperature and separated
2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat 2 egg whites on high speed in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.  You want them fluffy without liquid at the bottom of the bowl.  Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a mixer, beat the butter on high speech until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute.  Add the sugar and beat on high for 3-4 minutes or until creamed together well.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.  Add 2 egg yolks and vanilla.  Beat on medium-high speech until combined.  Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl.  With the mixer on low speech, alternate adding the dry ingredients and whole milk, about half of each at a time.  Mix until just incorporated (do not overmix).  Fold in whipped egg whites.  The batter will be smooth, velvety and slightly thick.

Chocolate buttercream frosting (enough for 1 doz cupcakes)

1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2.5 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Use the wire whisk attachment on your stand mixer and whip the butter on medium high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar.  Once it's all incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla.  Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium high speech until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

Spoon into cupcake liners, filling halfway full.  Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Football Food (part 2)

Go Broncos!!  While we'll be out of town to watch Super Bowl 50 (isn't it weird the NFL dropped the Roman Numerals or am I the only one who notices such things?), I still have some ideas about your football food!  Last post was about a main dish idea but this is a new appetizer.  My friend Lisa makes this tomato feta dip and I've enjoyed it at some of our parties before, but this was my first time making it.  It went great with pita chips and veggies.  I think it would be a good addition to any greek / mediterranean menu or to your football snack repertoire.

Tomato Feta Dip

Dice three tomatoes and mix together with 4 thinly sliced green onions, and 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese.  Add some Greek seasoning to taste (I have the "Cavender's" kind).  Stir it all together and drizzle with about 1/4 cup of olive oil, folding gently together.  Serve with pita chips or crackers.

Football food!

How about them Broncos?  We had a great time with friends watching the Broncos victory over the Steelers last weekend and we have two more great football weekends left in the season.  If you need some food ideas for the big game, these mini french dip crescents are something new I made that turned out great.  In fact, they were pretty addicting and I think this sums up what happened to me as I watched the game:

I don't usually think of making french dip at home and what I liked here was using deli roast beef and making the simple au jus instead of a big roast and the au jus with the pan drippings.  I bought the horseradish sauce in the deli area at Vons but if you can't find it easily, I think a spicy mustard would be a good substitution.  You could also use a thinly sliced swiss cheese instead of provolone.  My husband's only critique was that the Pillsbury Crescent dough is a bit sweet and that something like phyllo or pie dough might be better.  I'll post an update if I give that a try.

Mini French Dip Crescents with Easy Au Jus (8 servings)
(recipe from Mama Loves Food blog)

2 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2.5 cups beef broth
1 T worcestershire sauce
freshly ground pepper

2 packages crescent rolls (8 count)
1 lb deli roast beef, thinly sliced
1/2 lb deli provolone cheese, thinly sliced
Horseradish sauce


Start by making the au jus - saute the red onion in olive oil until soft and slightly browned.  Add the garlic cloves and saute another minute more.  Pour a little bit of beef broth (1/4 cup or so) in the pan and deglaze.  Add the rest of the beef broth, the worcestershire sauce, and a couple grinds of pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain and return to the pan.  I left it off the heat while I baked the crescents and then heated it back up to serve.  You could also make it ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to heat and serve.  I used the little dishes that are for soy sauce when we have sushi to serve the au jus on the side.

To make the crescents, unroll the crescents on a large lined cookie sheet (silpat, foil or parchment paper).  Spread 1-2 tsp. or horseradish on each crescent and lay one slice of roast beef and a half slice of provolone on top of the crescent.  Roll the crescents starting with the wide end and ending at the narrow end.

Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes, until crescents are lightly browned and cheese is melty.  Serve warm with au jus.  (makes 16 total).

Spicy Soup

Happy New Year!  I'm looking forward to trying new recipes and feeding my family in 2016.  We started out the year with this nurturing spicy soup. Eating lentils on New Year's Day is a tradition thought to bring good luck in the new year in several cultures.  You can adjust the spiciness to your liking so don't be scared off!  And, definitely don't skip the lemon and cilantro at the end.  It's delicious!

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon (makes about 6 cups)

from NYT Cooking

3 T olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T tomato paste

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

pinch of ground chile powder or ground cayenne, more to taste

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

3 T chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, heat 3 T oil over high heat until hot and shimmering.  Add onion and garlic and salute until golden, 4 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper, and chili powder or cayenne (I used a bit of both) and saute for 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, water, lentils, and carrot and bring to a boil.  Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes.  Test and see if the carrot and lentils are soft.  When they are, taste and adjust the salt and cayenne pepper (I like it spicy!).  

Using a traditional blender or an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup so that it's slightly chunky still.  If you like it smooth, you can blend all of it.  Reheat soup if necessary then stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.  Serve soup drizzled with a little olive oil.