Cooking @ MindSay

So my boyfriend and I have combined our cooking skills together and come up with a Peruvian/ Jamaican fusion dish.  It's Pollo Saltado and Rice & Peas.  Turned out to be a hit with our friends and family.



We even created a stuffed pepper, no meat version for our vegan friend.



We also perfected our "Pasgetti & Meatabolls"...





And for our breakfast menu, we created a Garlic Shrimp in Mole Sauce served with scrambled eggs and rice.



Buen Provecho!

I made some awesome enchiladas tonight for dinner, following this recipe from the July issue of Real Simple magazine:

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa (serves 4)

A gift from Mexico, enchiladas have been part of the American diet for more than 125 years. Quickly dipping the tortillas in hot oil eliminates any raw taste.

4 tablespoons canola oil
2 small zucchini, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1/2 cup)
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Kosher salt and pepper
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

>> Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and corn and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

>> Add the chicken, Monterey Jack, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine.

>> Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining oil over medium heat. One at a time, cook the tortillas in the oil until softened, 10 to 15 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

>> Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, roll them up, and place seam-side down in a large baking dish. Bake until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes.

>> In a food processor, pulse the tomatillos, jalepeno, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Serve the enchiladas with the salsa and sour cream, if using.

Although I had to make quite a few substitutions and changes to the above recipe because I didn't have half of the ingredients on hand.

I cut the ingredients in half, so I'd have two servings instead of four. And because I didn't have a rotisserie chicken, I defrosted three boneless, skinless chicken breasts and then grilled them on my Foreman grill until cooked. I then shredded the grilled chicken and added it to the cooked zucchini, corn (frozen sweet corn kernels from Trader Joe's), and red onion in the large bowl. I then threw in four cubes of frozen cilantro (from TJ's), which was the equivalent of four teaspoons, some shredded cheddar cheese (no Monterey Jack on hand), and mixed all of the ingredients together.

No corn tortillas were around, but I used some Lavash flat bread slabs from TJ's. Once the enchiladas were rolled and in the baking dish, I sprinkled them with some more shredded cheddar cheese.

I also didn't have, or want to bother with, the tomatillo salsa, so I used some fresh-made mild salsa from TJ's (not the canned stuff... this was FRESH salsa, with chopped up tomato, onion, cilantro, and garlic). The enchiladas were then topped with sour cream, and voila! Dinner is ready!




iFeel: full
iTunes: "That '70s Show"

My son always tells me "You're a really good cooker!" LOL! He is too funny. What he doesn't know is that I adore making foods that make people smile. I am always looking for an interesting way to jazz up a recipe or make my own up from my ideas of what I think tastes good together. It has been an interesting taste journey. I have made up the ultimate tuna fish salad complete with grated parmesan and cheddar cheeses. I have also come up with some nice twists to plain old mac n cheese. Do you find yourself doing the same?

I just picked a few figs off of our fig tree out back. Washed one up, peeled the skin off ( they say you can eat the skin, but I have never been a fan favorite of fruit skins) and I found the taste to be delicious and now I cannot wait to try something besides a fig newton :) I may try making a pie.

 

The fig is:

• Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium
• High in Dietary Fiber

The nutritional value of raw figs make them ideal for:

• Maintaining optimum health
• Weight loss

Figs played an important part in the diet of both the ancient Greeks and Romans. The ancient Greeks fed large quantities to their athletes, the Spartans, in the belief that the fruit encouraged strength and swiftness. The Roman's fed fresh figs to their slaves, particularly the agricultural workers, but dried figs were also widely consumed.

 

I don't give a fig
 

Meaning:	Complete lack of concern about an event.
Example:
Origin:	This phrase comes from the Spanish Fico (Fig) which gave its name to a traditional gesture of contempt made by placing the thumb between the first and second fingers. The gesture was common in Shakespeare's time and was known as The Fig of Spain. The modern-day equivalent is the "V" sign.

So a friend pointed out to me the other day that I will make an awesome wife. And yes, I will. For these reasons:

 

1.I love to cook and have extreme mad cooking skills.

2.I love to do laundry. All the time.

3.I am a clean freak and it has to be done my way therefore, no one else has to do any cleaning.

4.I am great at getting things put together for other people.

5.Something else I have been told I am amazing at that you will understand if I say "use your imagination" ;)

 

And for all the reasons that any wife has to be, understanding, caring, loving, blah blah. I am those. =]