Archive for May, 2007

Growing up, Mexican food night meant Mom’s Beef and Bean Enchiladas with Dad’s Spicy Nachos. I’ve always left enchilada duty to my mom since she made them so well. Fajitas – now those are my specialty!

Never far from the back of my mind has been a recipe for homemade chili gravy, posted by Lisa at Homesick Texan earlier this year. Chili gravy truly is what “makes” Tex-Mex. It’s why my husband and I left a Mexican restaurant on an out-of-state ski trip still hungry (that never happens, I promise) – the tomato sauce they served us on top of our enchiladas just didn’t taste the same.

I whipped up several dishes while my mom was recovering from surgery and since enchiladas are most definitely a house favorite, I had the perfect opportunity to give the recipe a whirl. The deep, dark chili sauce was a fantastic homemade addition to the dish. I hear it got a big thumbs-up, even from my brother

Beef & Bean Enchiladas
20 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
1 lb ground beef
14 oz can refried beans
2-3 cups cheddar (or cheese of your choice), shredded
1 recipe Chili Gravy

Preheat oven to 400. Brown the ground beef in a saute pan and drain. Add the beef and refried beans to the pan, along with 1/2 can of water. Stir until smooth and cook until bubbly.

Put 1/2 cup of chili gravy into a 9×13 baking pan. Add 1/4-1/3 cup beef mixture to the center of the tortilla and top with a handful of cheese (1/8-1/4 cup). Roll up and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat until all the beef mixture is used. Pour remaining chili gravy over the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.

Bake 12-15 minutes in the oven, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I’ve had little success with scones in the past. A batch of fresh rosemary scones that I whipped up for Easter? They tasted fantastic – but only after being drowned in the garlic and citrus pan gravy I made after roasting chicken. “Don’t over-bake, don’t over-work, don’t dawdle.” There are more rules than ingredients!

Mom had major surgery last week so I’ve been cooking everything in double-batches and taking half out to my parents’ house so that the last thing she, dad, or my little brother has to do is worry about dinner. Easy stuff that even my baby brother can reheat – beef and bean enchiladas, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken pot pie, beef tacos, lasagna, French bread pizzas, and Ziploc omelets.

I decided to try my hand at scones again after seeing my favorite omelet ingredients baked into tender, flaky goodness. Rebecca Rather’s The Pastry Queen includes a scone recipe with cheddar, bacon, and a big handful of green onion scones. I was smitten. It also called for a full tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper. I was really smitten.

I love green onions – and I’ve only known them by the name “green onion.” I was older than I care to admit before I realized that scallions were one and the same and that leeks were not exactly a gigantic green onion. A green plant – it sounds perfect for Weekend Herb Blogging which is being hosted this week by its founder, Kalyn’s Kitchen.

I use green onions in just about everything except Tex-Mex and cupcakes and I use the entire thing – the white area just above the small bulb and the green tops. My dad always puts a huge mound of green onions in his baked beans – the best part, in my opinion!

A couple hours into a late-night marathon baking/cooking session I gave in and grabbed a stick of butter from the fridge and tossed it into the freezer. I would finish the pastry for the chicken pot pies and then I would try my hand at scones again.

I was careful to follow all the rules and was heavily rewarded for it. A wonderfully textured scone full of visible chunks of smoky bacon, green onions, and cheese. It really is an entire meal all on its own. And they freeze well, too! I usually keep one or two out and then pop the rest into a freezer bag and pull one out for breakfast ’til they’re all gone.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Green Onion Scones, adapted from The Pastry Queen
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (I freeze my butter for 15 minutes before needing “chilled” butter)
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
heavy cream, optional*
1 large egg
2 tsp water

*Heavy cream can be substituted for half of the buttermilk.

Preheat oven to 400. Grab your peppermill and start grinding – use a full tablespoon for a wonderfully peppery background or reduce by 1 tsp for less pepper flavor.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl on low speed. With mixer running, gradually add cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour – butter bits about the size of small peas. Add grated cheese and mix just until blended. (This can also be done by hand: In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in cheese.)

Add green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk to flour and cheese mixture. Mix by hand just until all ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a lighter-textured scone. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface. Pat dough into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick (the circle might be anywhere from 8-10 inches wide). Cut dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges, depending on size scone you prefer.

Whisk egg and water in a small mixing bowl to combine. Brush each wedge with egg wash. Place scones on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.

To freeze: Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight freezer bag (and reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes on medium power).

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I really love frittata. Like risotto, it is one of those clean-out-the-fridge dishes – you can put just about anything in it and never make it the same way twice.

I never feel guilty about buying too many vegetables just because they’re on sale now that I know I can chop them up and throw them in a casserole dish and be 35 minutes away from a fabulous dinner. It also takes care of leftover pork chops.

I caught an episode of Everyday Italian a couple of weeks ago featuring Giada’s Chicken and Orzo Frittata. I lightened it up a bit using reduced-fat and fat-free ingredients. Sometimes, you run the risk of losing the richness of a dish that way, but the flavors of the leftover meat banished those fears quickly!

Frittata, Adapted from Everyday Italian
3/4 cup orzo pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1 1/2 cup Egg beaters (or 6 eggs)
1/3 cup reduced fat ricotta
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
2 cups leftover pork chops or chicken, cubed*
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup diced roasted red bell peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and sour cream and stir until the eggs are beaten and the ingredients are combined. Add the cooked orzo, pork chops, scallions, parsley, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes (longer if your casserole dish is taller rather than wider). Turn on the broiler. Place the pan under the broiler until golden on top, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

*The pork chops were cooked using a Cooking Light recipe for chicken. I love that recipe and I love putting the leftover pork chops or chicken breasts into garlic-parm risotto or frittata – the spices impart a ton of flavor into the one-bowl meal.