Chicken Enchildas in Red Chile Sauce

For many years I used the vile McCormick chili powder for a lot of my cooking. It wasn’t until I made mole for the first time that I learned how to use whole dried chile pods. Whole dried chiles have so much more flavor than chili powder.

My friend Eliah taught me how to make enchiladas. Her recipe utilized canned enchilada sauce . She recommended El Pato. The enchiladas were awesome even with the canned sauce. (Not everything has to be homemade.) It wasn’t until culinary school when my friend Phil said, “enchilada sauce is basically tomato sauce and chile powder” that I a light bulb went on inside my head. I can make my own enchilada sauce. If you read the label of the sauce, you will see that the ingredients are basically tomato sauce, chile powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and a few other spices.

I set out to make my own sauce using toasted dried chiles. The first batch turned out better than any canned sauce I have ever tasted. Over the years I have refined the “recipe.” I use the broth from poaching the shredded chicken to intensify the flavor and the last time I made it, I decided to add a little bit of Mexican chocolate. I love the flavor of chiles and chocolate. This sauce took on a more mole characteristic but I would never dream of calling it mole sauce because mole is much more involved.

I realize that the tomato-based red enchilada sauce is the Americanized version and that authentic sauce is made with just chiles and thickened with a roux but I can’t help it. I like the tomato-based sauce.

Chicken Enchiladas in Red Chile Sauce
For shredded chicken filling
A:
5 chicken breasts
4 cups water
3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
½ medium onion, diced
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced

B:
onion powder
ancho chile, ground
salt
pepper

For enchilada sauce
C:
6-8 dried red chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 tablespoons oil
½ onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ cups of reserved chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce or puree
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ Ibarra Mexican chocolate tablet

For assembling
D:
oil
corn tortillas
cheese
1 can sliced black olives

1. Combine all ingredients from set A and poach chicken until cooked. Transfer chicken breasts to a bowl and refrigerate. Reduce broth to about 2 cups.

2. Toast dried red chiles in oven or cast iron skillet. Set aside.

3. Heat a large sauté pan, add oil and then add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and then add cumin and toast until fragrant. Add toasted chiles and then add about 1 ½ cups reduced chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Make sure chiles are submerged. You may need to weigh it down.



4. After the chiles have been simmering about 15 minutes, add Mexican oregano, sugar and Mexican chocolate. Simmer about 5 minutes more until chocolate is melted. Let sit and allow to cool a while.

5. Shred and season chicken with ingredients set B.

Use really a high quality ground chile. I get mine from a local spice shop here in Denver.

6. Puree in blender until smooth. Return sauce to pan and adjust seasoning and consistency. (Add more broth if too thick or simmer a while longer if too thin.)


7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

8. In a medium skillet, heat about a teaspoon of oil and fry each tortilla and fill with chicken and cheese. Roll each enchilada and place in baking dish. Repeat until all enchiladas are filled. Top with sauce, cheese and sliced black olives.

9. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes or until bubbly.


Out of all the readily available Mexican chocolates, I prefer the Ibarra brand. I cannot stand the Abuelita brand made by Nestle. If you can get your hands on the real stuff...use it to make Mexican hot chocolate. The Ibarra brand works fine for this recipe. A friend once brought me an assortment of the real stuff from Mexico. I used it for hot chocolate.

I used New Mexico chiles this time. I prefer anchos but in Denver, New Mexico chiles are a lot easier to find than any other type of chile. I didn't want to drive to the hispanic store so I used what I had. The popular brand is from a Colorado chile company. They label these chiles as Chile de Ristra. It is a little misleading since a ristra refers to the hanging chile arrangement. Many different types of chiles (and even garlic) are arranged this way to dry. New Mexico chiles are a popular chile used for ristras in the New Mexico/Colorado region.

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Favorite Apple

Guess what's in season? My favorite apple: the honeycrisp. This is a relatively new apple on the market. A few years ago (I think it was 2004) I discovered this new love. I love this apple so much. I remember checking out at the grocery store and three apples cost over $5.00. It is difficult to eat healthy.

Prior to discovering honeycrisps, my favorite apple for the longest time was the pink lady. I still eat pink ladies because the honeycrisp has a very short growing season (about a month). I think I will be eating honeycrisps every single day for the next month.

What is so special about this apple? The taste. It is sweet and tart at the same time and the crispness is to die for.

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Capellini with Shrimp and Spinach

This is a very simple dish to make for a busy weeknight dinner. We eat a lot of chicken at home. Mainly because I still have an aversion to red meat that taste too “meaty.” I’ve been trying to cook other types of protein so I bought a few bags of frozen shrimp. I don’t care too much for shrimp. I think it tastes okay but it is usually more expensive than chicken. The bf eats large portions.

I am stumped most nights when it comes to what I want to make for dinner. I cannot come up with or stick to a weekly meal plan. I never know what I want to eat and I won’t cook it if I’m not feeling it. I admire those who can come up with a weekly dinner plan and stick to it.

I usually start to think about my dinner in the morning. One day last week, I was inspired to make this dish by a dish I like to order at a restaurant called Cucina Colore. The restaurant is described as warm, upbeat, contemporary Italian cuisine. We rarely dine out these days. I like dining out but I feel that I can make the same dishes for a fraction of the cost. The bf said we should go out to a nice restaurant at least once a month. I would rather stay in and make it myself. Maybe it is because I ate out too much during my dating and socializing days. I notice that most of my friends now have families and it is really difficult for them to dine out.

The Cucina Colore version features both shrimp and scallops but I don’t cook usually cook scallops at home so I decided on a shrimp only version. I also made it a lot less brothy than the Cucina Colore version. I wanted leftovers for work and the brothy version would result in soggy pasta.

Here is my version of this very simple pasta dish inspired by a dish simply called Capellini - seared sea scallops, gulf shrimp, roasted tomato, spinach, pecorino, garlic broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds extra large shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, concasse (peeled, seeds removed and diced)
½ cup dry white wine
salt
pepper
1 pound capellini pasta, cooked al dente
12 ounce bag baby spinach
fresh Italian parsley
grated pecorino

1. Cook pasta.

2. Heat a large 4 quart sauté pan, add oil and olive oil. When butter is melted, add garlic and sauté about a minute. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp slightly pink. Add tomatoes, white wine, salt and papper. Cook until tomatoes are soft and wine is reduced by about half.

3. Add pasta, spinach and parsley. Stir to combine. Cook until spinach is wilted. Serve with pecorino cheese.

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Freezer Pesto (Harvesting and Preserving Summer Basil)

It has been really cold the last few days. We were at the baseball game on Tuesday and Thursday and it was about 42 degrees out. I figured it was time to harvest the leaves and cut the plants back. I will try to grow the pruned basil plants indoors but I'm not holding my breath.

I really love the taste of fresh basil. There is no really perfect way to preserve the flavor of fresh basil. I use a lot of dried herbs but basil is not one of them. I've tried freezing whole basil leaves but was never really satisfied with the results. The best way I found to preserve the basil flavor is to make it into a pesto but minus the cheese.

I'm using an 11 cup food processor. This batch is sweet basil. I added three cloves of garlic and a handful of toasted pine nuts.

Pulse it a few times and then add a drizzle of olive oil. Pulse some more to combine.

Transfer into freezer containers or ice cube trays. I've done the ice cube method but I find it too messy. Frozen pesto is usually still soft enough that I can spoon out whatever I need. Top the pesto with more olive oil.

I made another batch using Thai basil.

I grew three types of basil (sweet, lemon and Thai) this year. I only grew one of each type because we can never eat the basil fast enough.

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Fish en Papillote

No recipe for this dish. You basically put dig through your fridge and see what you have. I always try to season with salt and pepper then add something acidic and something aromatic. Sometimes I use more herbs and spices but most of the time it is just salt and pepper. For the acidic ingredient, I usually use a splash of wine but this time I decided on lemon slices. I also like julienne leeks but I didn't have any so I did julienne carrots and added flat leaf parsley for color.

Preheat your oven to about 375 degrees. Cut heart-shaped parchment.

Place the fish on one half of the heart. Pretty much any fish will do.

Season with salt and pepper. I added a pat of butter because I was feeling it.

Top with slices of lemon, julienne carrots and some parsley leaves.

Fold over, crimp the edges and cut a few vent holes. Put the packets on a baking sheet and put them in the preheated oven.

Bake about 10 minutes.

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Lion Brand Coffee - Toasted Coconut

I'm not a flavored coffee person but on a whim I grabbed a bag of Lion Brand coffee in the Toasted Coconut flavor at Target in Hawaii. I grabbed a few different bags of coffee thinking I would give them as gifts. On my return, I don't know why I decided to try the Toasted Coconut. I had unflavored Lion coffee and Tully's and Newman's K-Cups for the Keurig.

Using ground coffee in the K-Cup filter is not as convenient as using a prepackaged K-Cup. I've had the reusable filter for a while but it sat in the box while I used my Tully's K-Cups. One Saturday, I opened the bag of Toasted Coconut, filled the reusable K-Cup filter and brewed a cup of coffee. I added a little sugar and half and half. It was the most delicious cup of coffee I have ever tasted. Wait, I don't even like flavored coffees. How can I possible love this flavored coffee?

It is rich, smooth and not overpoweringly coconuty. Most of the time flavored coffees have a chemical aftertaste. Not the Lion Toasted Coconut. I look forward to Saturday and Sunday mornings because of Lion Toasted Coconut.

I am sad because I drank the last cup last weekend. Don't panic. I can probably order it online. Or ask Scott to send me some. Or wait until I go to San Diego and hit up the Lion Coffee Shop. Oh darn, Yelp says that the coffee shop closed but someone in the comments sectioned mentioned the monthly coffee club. Five bags of coffee shipped monthly or bimonthly with free shipping. They only take orders over the phone.

I've been meaning to call all week but when I remember in the mornings, it is too early in Hawaii and then I forget as my day gets busy. Today, after cooking dinner, I looked at the time. It was only 6:30 so 3:30 in Hawaii. I called and talked to the nicest lady. I chose two bags of ground and three bags of whole bean. I figured the whole bean would keep better and the ground, well just in case I get too lazy to grind the beans. I was tempted to try the vanilla or chocolate macadamia nut flavors but I decided to stick with my love.

Now I'm thinking about buying a regular coffee maker. (I gave my old one away when I got the Keurig.) The Keurig has served me well. I usually only drink a cup of coffee on the weekends. During the week, I drink the coffee at work (another one of favorite coffees: Tully's Madison Blend). I'm the only one who drinks coffee so brewing coffee in a large coffee maker was always a waste. Now I find that I am drinking a second and third cup of this coffee and having to clean the filter between each cup has become somewhat of a pain.

What coffee maker should I buy? I thought about a grind and brew but I read bad reviews. I want something not too large with a thermal pot instead of the heated glass pot. I'm not in a rush since my Keurig is still doing a great job.

The nice lady said my order will ship tomorrow or Monday. I should get my shipment next week. I love getting presents in the mail =)

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Pioneer Woman's Baked Beans

I read the Pioneer Woman's blog often. I love her sense of humor and the fact that she can make something fancy one day and something simple the next. I also love her photography. I can't take a good photo to save my life. I've been wanting a really nice camera but a photographer friend told me not to buy one and that if I learn how to use the functions of my camera, I can take good photos. I never took the time to learn.

I've been coveting the Nikon for a while now. This picture was taken by my non-photographer friend with his Nikon.


So one day I clicked on the link to the Pioneer Woman's cooking blog and I see these amazing pictures of the most yummy looking baked beans. I had to make them. They are as good as they look on her blog. I took some pictures but mine are no where the quality of hers. Go to her site for the recipe.

I used one of my favorite barbecue sauces from Head Country.

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Chicken Egg Rolls

I wrapped 75 egg rolls last Friday, froze them in layers and then fried them on Saturday morning. I like to make a large batch of egg rolls and freeze them. Sometimes I freeze them prior to frying and other times after frying. They are better frozen in their un-fried state but so much more convenient when frozen after frying. All I have to do is heat them up in an oven for about 15 minutes and they crisp right back up.




I've had this All-Clad 6-quart deep saute pan for a while but I never thought about using it for deep frying. I like my electric deep fryer but that darn thing fries about 5 egg rolls at a time. I wanted to fry in large batches. When I opened the Williams-Sonoma catalog, I saw this set up and wanted to give it a try. I didn't have the fry basket or the tongs but I have the pan. I thought about buying the basket but never really got around to look for it. It is so awesome.

I fried all 75 egg rolls in about 3-4 batches. It isn't my mom ginormous wok but it worked really well for me. So if you are looking for something to take care of your deep frying, I highly recommend this pan. The only downside is that it is not as fool-proof as an electric deep fryer. You can't set the temperature and wait for the light. You can use a separate thermometer. I've never found a need for one. I learned how to deep fry from my mom and we never used thermometers. After a while you just learn how to look at the oil and you can tell if it is hot enough. You can also dip a piece of your food in the oil to see if it sizzles. You also learn to adjust the heat of the oil between batches by judging the rate the food is cooking.

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken with Rice (Com Ga Nuong Sa)

I usually order either the noodle (bun) or the rice (com) at Vietnamese restaurants. I prefer chicken over other types of meats but sometimes I will be a little adventurous and order the combination version.

This week I had a craving for the rice version. I went to a local Vietnamese restaurant and ordered a bowl and thought...this shouldn't be too difficult to make. I decided to take a stab at this dish.

1 pound chicken tenders (or bonesless thighs)
1/2 stalk lemon grass, finely minced
1 thai chili pepper, finely minced (my mom just brought me a large bag of thai chilis from San Diego)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon MSG
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Allow to marinate a few hours and grill. (I grilled some sliced green onions to top the chicken.)
Serve with steamed rice, sliced lettuce, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, bean sprouts and nuoc mam sauce.


Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
juice of one lime
shredded carrots

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Chinese Birthday Cake Take Four (or Five)

I've been a little lazy with posting again. I'm still cooking. (I just downloaded tons of pictures off the camera.) I've just been a little busy with family (preparing for their arrival, entertaining them and then recovering from entertaining).

I've been so out of it that I baked a cake (and made 75 egg rolls and 3 dozen zucchini muffins) to take to a birthday party and when I got to the party, I discovered that the party is next Saturday. Maybe next time I need to learn to read the date correctly on the invitation.

By special request, I made this birthday cake for the cutest 2 year old girl. (I will be making another one next week.) It will be three straight weeks of Chinese birthday cake baking. I made it last week for a friend's 30th birthday party. (We were out until 4:00 AM.)

The cake is the same recipe as the other cake but doubled to make a half sheet cake. Did I mention that I LOVE this cake? It is my favorite cake in the whole wide world. Growing up in California, we always had Chinese cake at every birthday.


Chinese Sponge Cake (aka Chinese Birthday Cake)
(Gai Don Go)

18 eggs, separated
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
½ cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

For decorating:
Chantilly cream
2 pounds strawberries, sliced
3 bananas, sliced
2 cups slivered almonds, toasted

Chantilly cream:
1 quart heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Beat egg yolks until thick, add sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, water, oil and vanilla and beat until creamy. Set aside.
2. Beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
3. Fold a third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until incorporated.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Divide batter between two quarter sheet cake pans. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
5. When cool, slice cake two make two layers.
6. For chantilly cream: whip heavy whipping cream with vanilla, sugar and cornstarch.

Spread whipped cream on the bottom layer. Arrange strawberries and bananas on top of the whipped cream.

Spread a thin layer on top of the fruit filling. (I also sprinkled with some almonds because I like the taste of the spongy cake, sweet strawberries, creamy whipped cream and the toasty almonds. Whenever we have Chinese cake, I always ask for the edge piece because the middle slices never had any almonds. Now every slice comes with almonds.)
This is the coolest tool ever. It is an f.dick 9" spatula. I have no patience for decorating cakes but this tool makes the task easier.

Arrange the second layer on top of the bottom layer.

Spread with whipped cream.

Decorate sides with toasted slivered almonds and top with fresh fruit.
Okay the middle looked empty so I decided to place three whole strawberries there.

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