Quesadillas stuffed with chicken, poblanos, and corn

I'll admit, these quesadillas are not as simple than the ones I made in college.  In college, I'd throw a little cheese between flour torts and microwave for 30 seconds.  Yep, these aren't as easy, but boy are they tasty.  These are grown up quesadillas!  Plus, they are great for using up leftover chicken.  Of course, if you're looking for a good vegetarian dish, eliminate the chicken altogether.

What you'll need:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 ear corn, kernels scraped from the cob
salt and pepper
1 lime
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tomatillos, peeled and chopped
cilantro, small handful, chopped
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp cumin
3-4 large flour tortillas
2 cups monterey jack cheese
*leftover chicken  - I used the leftovers from the Red Chile-Chicken Tacos

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 275.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the peppers and corn and cook for ten minutes or until the corn browns.  Add the salt and pepper and the juice of a half of a lime.  Transfer peppers and corn to a small plate and clean this skillet to use later.

In another skillet (yes, I know, I try to eliminate cleaning extra dishes, but this needs to be in a new skillet), heat a little olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for only a few minutes.  Throw in the tomatilos and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the juice of a half a lime, cilantro, honey cumin, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet (the one you just cleaned) and warm a large tortilla until it bubbles just a bit.  Flip and cover half the tortilla with a little chicken, cheese, and the pepper/corn mixture.  Fold over and cook for another minute.  Transfer to the over.  Continue this same process until you run out of tortillas.

Cut into wedges and top with the tomatillo salsa.

Dog Treats: Frozen yogurt with blueberries

It's summer in south Florida; we're all hot - including the little doggies.  When I found this recipe in Rachael Ray's magazine, I thought it would be just perfect for Nikko and Capone.  Everytime Chris and I eat our frozen treats, the two of them give us the staredown.  Now, I don't have to feel so guilty.

The first time I gave this treat to the dogs, Nikko tried to devour the entire cube all at once.  He shoved it his mouth and chewed and chewed and chewed.  Capone, on the otherhand, needed a little help.  He tried to bite it; that didn't work.  He tried to lick it; that worked.  Since Capone took so long to eat his, Nikko wanted more.  Oh, the dogs...

Easy ingredients:
16 oz plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt
1 pt fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana smashed

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Divide into two ice cube trays and cover with plastic wrap.  I only had mini muffin trays, so I used those. Allow to freeze solid.


That's it!

Red Chile-Chicken Tacos

Yum, yum, yum.  These chicken tacos combined so many flavors.  Plus, they were simple, simple simple.  I can't remember where I found this recipe.  It's possible it was in the Rachael Ray magazine, which is better than the show since I don't have to listen to her voice.

What you'll need:
4 dried ancho chiles (next time I'm going to try pasilla negro chiles)
Boiling water
1 15 oz can sliced pineapple with its juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 onion, peeled
1/4 dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts (or you can use a whole chicken - it's just more work)
bag of shredded cabbage with carrots
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup mayo
a pinch of cayenne pepper
tortillas, corn or flour
cheese - whatever you want

Tear the chiles into pieces and throw away the stems and the seeds.  Place in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the chiles to cover.  You may need to cover with a plate in order to submerge the chiles.

Allow them to soak for about 30 minutes.  Let them cool.  Then, peel off the skin.  Put the chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid into a food processor or blender.

Add 2 pineapple slices, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, onion, brown sugar, cumin, a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine until smooth.

Clean the chicken and pat dry.  Put into a Ziploc bag and pour the chile sauce into the bag.  Put the chicken in the fridge and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.  If you have a whole chicken, make sure you add the marinade to the inside cavity too...and obviously, this won't fit in a Ziploc.

After marinating, transfer the chicken and sauce to the crock pot and cover.  Cook on high for the first hour and then on low for a few more hours or until the internal temperature reads 165.  It should cook for a total of 3-4 hours.

While the chicken is cooking, make the slaw. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and carrots with the scallions and four chopped pineapple slices.  Add in a bit of the pineapple juice to taste and toss in a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat.  Allow the slaw to cool in the fridge.  

Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate.  Pour the sauce into a saucepan and simmer until the sauce thickens.  If you used a whole chicken, you will need to skim the fat first.  

Using two forks, shred the chicken and add to the sauce.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas, pineapple slaw, and cilantro-lime rice (found in the Braised Pork Tacos recipe).

Enjoy!

Poblano Chicken

Since Peru, I've been experimenting with more peppers.  So, in the next few recipes, you'll see a bit of a Peruvian influence.  I came across this recipe one morning last week.  While organizing my spin playlist, The Rachael Ray show was on in the background.  She's so annoying, but just when I was about to flip the channel, she spoke my language - poblano peppers and cheese!  I'll admit, I had to flip the channel anyway.  As she threw the cheese on the top of the dish, she said something like, "Yeah, I did it."  That was my breaking point.  I'm not sure if it's her squeaky, but loud voice or her mannerisms, but she drives me crazy.  In any event, I got the basics.

What you'll need:
3 poblano peppers - chopped and seeded
1 cup chicken stock
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
a small handful of cilantro
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack because that's what I had in the house)

What to do:
In a food processor or blender, combine the peppers, chicken stock, onion, cloves, cilantro, and salt and pepper until smooth.

 In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour and whisk.  Pour in the milk and cream and raise the heat just a bit. Add the poblano sauce and allow to simmer and thicken for about 15 minutes (just enough time to brown the chicken).

Heat the oven to 375.

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Brown the chicken on both sides.  Put the chicken in a casserole dish and pour the sauce over the chicken.  Then, cover the chicken and sauce with the cheese.  Bake the chicken for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is brown a bubbly.

I served this with rice, but you could shred the chicken and serve in tortillas.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Mint Sorbet

I am obsessed with watermelon - especially when in the middle of the summer when it's sticky hot and the watermelon is cold and sweet.  So, I knew this was a must try recipe for my ice cream maker.  I'll tell ya, I wasn't let down.  This watermelon mint sorbet was the perfect combination of refreshing and sweet (and so easy).  You can even add a little rum!

What you'll need:
1/4 to 1/2 of a large watermelon
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint (or eliminate if you don't like mint)
1 tablespoons simple syrup (you may need more or less depending on the sweetness of the watermelon)

Chop the watermelon in large pieces and throw into a food processor or blender along with the lime juice and simple syrup (make sure the simple syrup is cool).  If you want to add a bit of rum, do so here. Blend until smooth.  Then add the mint and allow the mint to chop into small flecks.  Pour mixture into a bowl.  Cover and allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and allow to churn for 20-30 minutes.

Then pour into a glass container with a lid and put it in the freezer for a few hours.

Once you take it out, you may need to let it rest for a few minutes, but you should be able to scoop it out easily!

Enjoy!  I certainly did!  Next week, I'm going to try a mango habanero sorbet.  

Gnocchi with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

My basil plant is out of control.  With this heat and humidity, the basil might take over my entire back yard by the end of the summer.  So, the next few recipes are all going to involve basil! This recipe is super easy, semi-healthy, and delicious.  Since I was too lazy to go to the store, I just used what I had in the house, which means no pine nuts for today's pesto.  It's certainly something you can add if you MUST have pine nuts in your pesto.  You can also vary your pasta.

What you need for 4 servings:

Packaged gnocchi or any type of pasta (if you're feeling adventurous, you can make your own gnocchi)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil - if you use sun-dried tom in oil, use one 8 oz jar)

3/4 cup of olive oil (eliminate if you use the sun-dried tom in olive oil)

2 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to instructions.  Before straining reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, add the sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil to a food processor and blend until the mixture is combined.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese. 

Add the cooked pasta to a medium sized bowl and toss in the basil.  Add a bit of the cooking liquid to create a bit of creaminess.  Top with freshly grated cheese and serve.  Because the husband likes a little meat with his meal, I cooked up a few Aidells Caramelized Onion Turkey Meatballs on the side.  I also made a small salad with champagne vinaigrette.  Oh so good!

Enjoy!