Turkey Enchilada Casserole

I made this the first time after Thanksgiving 2007, and the second time after Christmas 2008. The second time I was floored, not because it turned out well (it did), but because my sister, who hates nearly everything, liked it. It's a great use for leftover turkey from large turkey dinners, but if you feel inclined to make this any other time during the year, chicken will probably work well. Serves 6-8.

8-8" Flour tortillas
3 c. Cooked turkey, shredded
1 c. White rice, uncooked (2 cups, cooked)
1-12 oz can Black Beans
1-12 oz can Diced tomatoes w/Green Chiles
1-12 oz can Corn
1-10.5 oz can Cheddar Cheese condensed soup
Green onions, chopped and divided
Cilantro to taste
Shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese
1-10.5 oz can Enchilada sauce

Cook the rice and set aside. In a large pan, combine the beans, tomatoes, corn, and turkey. Once that mixture is heated, add the soup, rice, green onions, and cilantro. Scoop the mixture into the tortillas, roll them, and place them in a 9 by 13 glass pan. Top with the enchilada sauce and cheese and garnish with the rest of the green onions. Bake at 350 until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

My First Thanksgiving...

...or how I became friends with Jake, Colin, and Ross. This is the story of Thanksgiving 2007. I worked at Panda Express, and was given a turkey at Thanksgiving by the management. In spite of the fact that I was spending Thanksgiving alone, I decided to cook the twelve-pound bird. I figured I was a semi-experienced cook and it would be a breeze. I was slightly incorrect in that assumption and have since repented for my pride and presumptiousness. Even though I'd taken physics, I forgot Newton's law of cooling (or in this case, thawing). It takes longer than a day to thaw 12 pounds of turkey in the refrigerator, and I had too much food safety experience to thaw it on the counter (perish the thought!), so there I was, Thanksgiving morning, standing over the sink running this thing under cool water to thaw. De repente, there's a knock on the door. Normally I like to answer the door; not only because it's more formal, but also because I don't want to give a derelict invited access to my house. However, with a partially-frozen bird on my hand, I just shouted "come in!" Thankfully, it was not a derelict, but Jake, followed by Colin. Being much stronger than I, they helped me thaw the bird and forcefully remove the plastic thingy from the legs. I was so grateful that I had them over for Turkey Enchilada Casserole the following Sunday, and thus the friendship began. And now I've left them forever...sadness. But this post is a tribute/congratulations to Jake, who is getting married in 2 days! Congrats pal!

Pollo con Papas

I have no picture of this one, but it's not hard to mess up visually. This is a copycat recipe of something that is made at Panda Express, Chicken with Potatoes, however, most of the staff is Spanish-speaking, so I know it by its Spanish name, Pollo con Papas. My sister liked it, and she's incredibly picky, so it's definitely good. Serves 4.

1 Chicken Breast, cut into small bite-sized pieces
3 Carrots, cut into medallions
4 Green onions, chopped into small pieces
1 Bag of frozen, crinkle-cut french fries
1 Packet of chicken gravy mix
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Ginger
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water

Prepare the fries according to package, but keep them in the oven longer than the recommended time. Broil them for a few minutes at the end--you want them to be really crispy (but not burnt). While the fries are going, brown the chicken breast in oil (I like grapeseed) in a large frying pan. Add salt and pepper to the chicken to taste. Once the chicken is browned, add 1 cup water to the pan. Add the carrots and allow the whole thing to simmer until the carrots are slightly tender (nobody likes mushy carrots). Once the carrots are tender, stir in the gravy mix and add another cup of water. Let the gravy thicken a bit and then add the ginger and soy sauce. Once the potatoes are done, add them to the mix along with the green onions. Serve immediately as to preserve some of the firmness of the potatoes.

Unnamed Apple Dessert Creation

I have no idea what to call this. It's one of those "it's a dessert but you don't feel terrible about eating it for breakfast" kinds of things, but it's absolutely delicious, easy to make, and a perfect way to welcome in the first days of fall (which in Utah feel a lot like summer).

2 large canisters of plain biscuit dough (don't get anything with the word "butter" on it)
9 small to medium-sized Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c white granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon (this goes a long way)
1 tsp nutmeg
Slivered almonds (optional)
1/3 c powdered sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp milk (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large pot, melt the butter on low heat. Once melted, add the white and brown sugar and let it form a syrup. Add the vanilla (this part's fun--it sizzles), cinnamon, and nutmeg; and just barely let the mixture start to bubble. Stir in the apples and increase the heat to the low side of medium. Let the apples tenderize, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, open the biscuit dough (I usually have my roommate do this as the spontaneous explosion of the can terrifies me) and cut each biscuit round into fourths. Roll the fourths into balls and use them to line the bottom of an ungreased glass 9 by 13 pan (don't worry about squishing them together too much, they'll expand in the oven). Place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes to let them bake a bit before the next step.
Spoon the apple mixture over the semi-baked biscuit cobblestones and let any remaining liquid coat the biscuits. Bake for 3o minutes or until the biscuits in the center are no longer doughy (I usually take some out with a fork and rearrange the apples to cover the hole, but if you have a more sophisticated way of doing this, go for it).
If desired, garnish with slivered almonds and a glaze made from the powdered sugar and milk. Enjoy!

Signature Peach Cobbler

This is a recipe that I doctored from http://www.soulfoodcookbook.com/ for a soul-food dinner party. My version is a little less sugary and more spiced than the original, and it's very simple to make. So simple that you can make enough for 110 people and only be moderately exhausted.

Prep Time 20 minutes, Bake Time 60 minutes

(1) 6 lb can of peaches, drained (you can use fresh or frozen, but I like the consistency--and price--of canned)
1 stick of butter (no substitutions)
3/4 c. white granulated sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 Prepared 9" pie crusts (if you have time to do this from scratch, feel free)


Melt the butter on low heat in a large pot. When the butter is melted, gradually stir in the white and brown sugar so you have a syrup. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg and allow the mixture to heat until mildly bubbling. Add the drained peaches and allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Note: This cobbler is very "juicy," which is good if you're serving with ice cream, but if you prefer a thicker filling, add 1/4 c. cornstarch to the mixture before the peaches.

Meanwhile, roll your piecrust into a ball of dough, and then roll it out again into a 9" by 13" rectangle; it should be a little thicker than a normal piecrust. Pour your peach mixture into a glass 9" by 13" pan and place the piecrust on top. Seal the crust to the edges of the pan as the crust tends to shrink when baking. Poke a few holes in the top and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until crust is golden. The peaches will still be bubbly, so allow to cool for about an hour before serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Lesson One: A Clean Kitchen is a Happy Kitchen

Have you ever had to cook in a dirty kitchen? Sweeping aside crumbs on the corner, seeing the two-foot-high pile of dishes in the sink, and stepping on heaven-knows-what really throws off the wonderful vibe that cooking can provide. My advice is to take a little time before your cooking project to tidy up. It'll make everything a lot easier and safer.

Step 1. Do the Dishes! Even if you weren't the one that dirtied them in the first place, it'll be nice to start with a clean slate before you have to pile even more stuff in the sink. Also, you don't have to spend ten minutes frantically looking for your fine-bladed grater only to find that it's in the bottom of the drain encrusted with yesterday's Gruyere.

Step 2. Sink, Counters and Stove. Now that your sink is empty, use some abrasive Comet to get all the germs out so you don't have to worry when washing produce or poultry (if you are washing poultry, or any meat, disinfect the sink before and immediately after!). Use an antibacterial spray cleaner on the counters and stovetop, followed by a clean wet sponge. Finally, don't get chemicals on the food. If you don't need to disinfect, but simply wipe up, a spray bottle filled with vinegar works wonders, and it's non-toxic!

Step 3. Floors! This is really my favorite part. Nothing is more fun to me than blasting my "Very Best of Cher" CD and scouring the floors on a Saturday night when nobody else is home. I like to use a sponge mop and a scrub brush and either Pine Sol or Parson's Ammonia. You might feel like Bambi on Ice for a while on your hands and knees before you get balanced, but once you get used to the lack of friction, you can work some pretty sweet dance moves with your mop. A word of warning: though open windows are recommended (so the floor will dry faster and you won't die from any fumes), the music and the smell might attract men, so be prepared.

Finally, your kitchen is clean and sparkly! Now have fun cooking and messing it all up again.

Foreward

Despite my love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with technology and all things digital, I've been inspired to start a recipe blog. The title says it all: "I Dream of Recipes." Literally. I'll be sleeping, enjoying a romantic subconscious date with Hugh Dancy, and all of a sudden, we'll be eating Turkey Enchilada Casserole, or Stuffed French Toast topped with Caramelized Pears. I wake up; Hugh Dancy is sadly gone, but the memory of the amazing culinary creation hangs in my mind. I have to create it, much to the delight, dismay, or mere entertainment of those around me.
My plan for this blog is to post some of these recipes for you readers to try, and maybe you'll be inspired to dream up your own fabulous desserts. Most of these recipes aren't super complex; quite often they fall under the category of "semi-homemade." I also want to post lessons I've learned in the kitchen, stories of projects that ended in complete disaster, and also some of the crazy stories that surround these recipes (stay tuned for Thanksgiving 2007, it's a doozy). Well, until the first post, sweet dreams!