Chicken, Black Bean, Kale, Roasted Butternut Squash, & Avocado Enchiladas


Say you have friends over on Monday, and you make an enormous roasted chicken. Then let’s say you have a ton of leftovers, since apparently an 8 lb. roast chicken is way too much for 4 people. And let’s also say that you would like Mexican food, but not turkey tacos, since although they are delicious, you make them all the time.  

Enchiladas??  Okay.

These were so tasty, and so filling, and I was able to convince myself that the kale, squash, and avocado made them healthy (enough). I thought the roasted butternut squash might add too much sweetness, but it ended up acting as sort of a binder for the filling, and lending just a little bit of flavor. This recipe uses a  tomatillo sauce that I found in the store, so if anyone has a tomatillo recipe they love, I’m all ears. These keep, and reheat, really well. I think they might actually even be good cold.

CHICKEN, BLACK BEAN, KALE, ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & AVOCADO ENCHILADAS (makes 7 enormous enchiladas)

– 1 lb. shredded chicken
– 2 cups kale, “ribs” removed and roughly chopped
– 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
– 1/2 roasted butternut squash
– 1 small avocado, diced
– Mexican cheese – I was able to find a small wheel of “quesadilla cheese” in the grocery store which was perfect
– 2 cups tomatillo sauce
– Smaller-size flour tortillas
– 1 small onion, diced
– 2 tbsp. EVOO
– kosher salt or Herbamare
– Fresh-squeezed lime juice
– Sour cream, for topping

1. Roast your butternut squash. This is really easy but takes a little time. First, heat the oven to 400. The just take the whole squash, with a couple of holes poked into it, into the oven for about 15 minutes.  The squash will soften, and make cutting it a slightly less terrifying experience.
2. After 15 minutes, cut off the bottom of the squash, then cut it down the middle and scoop out all of the seeds.


3. Rub a little olive oil on the cut side of each half of the squash, then place cut-side down on an ungreased baking sheet.

4. Cook at 400 for approx. 30 – 45 minutes (depending on the size of the squash). Remove from the oven and let cool a bit.  The skin of the squash will peel right off, and you can then cut the squash into chunks for this recipe, or salads, or soup, or whatever.

5. While the squash is roasting, dice an onion.  The easiest way to do this is to cut the onion in half, then make vertical cuts along the onion’s natural lines.  When you then cut the onion, it will dice itself naturally.


6. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tsbp EVOO, and when hot, cook the onion until soft. 

7. Add the rinsed and drained black beans, chopped kale, and chicken. Stir to combine.
8. Add about 1/2 C. of the tomatillo sauce to the bean/kale/chicken/onion mixture for some flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning.

9. When the mixture is cooked, add the roasted squash and the avocado. Stir gently to combine.

10 Lower oven heat to 375.  In a microwave, heat the tortillas (4 at a time) in paper towels, for approx. 45 seconds.

11. Spread approx. 1/2 C. of the tomatillo sauce over the bottom of a large baking pan.


12. Assemble your enchiladas – spoon filling into the middle of a warm enchilada, grate some mexican cheese over the filling, and squeeze a little lime juice over it as well.  Roll up the enchilada and place in the baking pan seam-side down.

13. Step and repeat.

14. When all the enchiladas are in the baking pan, pour the remaining cup of tomatillo sauce over the top of them, then top with approx. 1/2 C. of shredded Mexican cheese.

15. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for approx. 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

16. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, salsa, etc. Ole.

Apple, Banana, Avocado & Honey Smoothie

Not only does this smoothie give you, most likely, your total potassium values for the day, it’s also incredibly tasty. The avocado gives it a smoothness (a smoothness smoothie – ha), and the honey adds a lift of delicate sweetness. I had it for breakfast this morning and wasn’t hungry until hours later.

APPLE, BANANA, AVOCADO & HONEY SMOOTHIE (Makes 2 large smoothies)
– 1 red apple (I used Cortland), washed, and cut into chunks. Leave the skin on to retain the nutrients
– 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
– 1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
– 2/3 C. milk
– 1 C. ice
– 1 tbsp honey – local and organic, if you can find it (this, bizarrely, will help with allergies)

1. Cut up the apple, banana, and avocado.


2. Add ice, milk, fruit, and honey to the blender.


3. Blend until smooth. Add milk to thin to taste.

 

Roasted Lemon Cauliflower

I would eat this every day, if it didn’t kind of make your kitchen smell like you were roasting tupperware.  That said, please open a window and try this, because it’s one of the healthiest, simplest, tastiest snacks you’ll ever have. 

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH LEMON (serves 4 as a snack or side)
– 1 large head cauliflower
– 2 lemons, zest of 1
– 1-2 tbsp EVOO
– 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Wash and thoroughly dry the cauliflower, then cut into florets.  The easiest way to do this is to cut the cauliflower into quarters, then cut out the middle “stem” part.  The florets should fall away naturally, and you won’t end up with teeny pieces of cauliflower all over your kitchen.

 


3. In a small bowl, combine the juice of 1/2 a lemon and the salt, mixing to combine. Then, using a Microplane, add the zest of two lemons (just the yellow – zesting the white part, or the “pith”will make this really bitter) and the EVOO, and mix that together as well.


4.  Pour this lemon/EVOO mixture over the cauliflower florets, and toss to combine.  Arrange the florets in a single layer on an ungreased roasting sheet and put in the oven.


5. Every 10 minutes or so, take the cauliflower out of the oven, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over them, and flip them with a spatula. Repeat until the edges of the cauliflower are deep brown and caramelized – this should take approx. 30 minutes.

Cauliflower, after the first flip.

6. When roasted, remove the florets from the oven, squeeze the juice of another lemon half over them, then serve. This is fantastic either hot or cold.

Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts

Ok – I literally did not know there was an “s” at the end of “brussels” until just this minute.  That still looks weird to me, but it’ll stay. It fits, though, because much like getting used to the “s” at the end of the word, brussels sprouts themselves also took some getting used to. As a kid, I wasn’t a fan, but as an adult, they’re one of my favorite sides.  Roasting them in a pan caramelizes them somewhat, and the light dusting of parm gives them a salty little kick.  I swear these are better than candy.

PARMESAN CRUSTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS (serves 2-4 as a side – via 101 Cookbooks)
– 20 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (choose ones that have tighter leaves – these will be fresher)
– 2 tbsp EVOO
– kosher salt
– freshly grated parmesan cheese – a microplane works well to shred the parm into superfine little wisps

1. Wash and trim the brussels sprouts – peel away a few of the looser outer leaves, trim the stems. Then, cut them in half and toss them in a bowl with a tablespoon of EVOO.

2. Heat the other tablespoon of EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat.  When hot, arrange the brussels cut-side down, sprinkle with some kosher salt, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

3.  After 5 minutes, uncover, raise heat to medium high, and cook until the brussels are browned and caramelized. Using a spatula, toss them around the skillet a few times to cook the sides and the edges.

4. Turn off the heat, then dust the brussels with the parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately, and watch your guests become brussels sprouts converts.

Christmas 2012 Highlights

Christmas tree shopping at Helen and Ed’s Tree Farm, which we’ve been going to since we’ve been kids, and is one of the cutest places in America.


B and I exchanged presents on Christmas morning. We had a great snowfall the night before, so we turned on the Christmas tunes, the tree lights, made some coffee from Hillside, and got fully blissed out – I love Christmas morning.

For Christmas this year B got me these heels (!!!), yoga stuff, and an insane  Cuisinart food processor that I’d been lusting after for months.  Annnnd, that pretty much sums me up!
Colly and I made Christmas “dinner” at our parents’ house – Cornish game hens with cranberry walnut stuffing, the best broccoli ever, cauliflower mashed potatoes, roasted red grapes with thyme, and an awesome shredded kale salad.  We were going to try to make a goose for more of a “Tiny Tim” Christmas, but everyone we talked to who had previously tried goose themselves kind of gave us a series of “that might be a bad idea” looks.  So we scrapped it.  Cornish game hens were much cuter, anyway!  I’ll spare you the details of my last minute search for broccoli on Christmas morning, since for some reason it hadn’t occurred to me that everything would be closed on, you know, CHRISTMAS MORNING, but suffice to say that a fortunate run-in with the owner of Schiel’s Family Markets saved the day.
Christmas day party made even more delicious with a serious wine cellar

Part of the spread at the tree lighting party this year
My mom made a gingerbread bride version of me this year – too cute.

  

 Merry Christmas everyone!

Roasted Red Grapes with Thyme

I can’t even tell you how simple, delicious, and pretty this side is. It’s perfect for entertaining  – put it alongside a cheese plate, and you have a lovely little spread of hors d’oeuvres. Roasting the grapes brings out their natural sweetness, but that’s balanced by the thyme, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. We love this. Love this. Love this.

ROASTED RED GRAPES WITH THYME (orginial recipe found on Noble Pig)
– 1 bunch seedless red grapes (organic, if you can find them)
– 4-5 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
– 1 tsp. kosher salt
– 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
– EVOO (approx. 2 tbsp)
– Parchment paper

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Wash grapes and dry thoroughly.

3. Gently combine thyme leaves, EVOO, kosher salt, pepper, and grapes, then arrange on a single layer of parchment paper.

4. Roast for approx. 10 minutes, shaking the pan once about halfway through to rotate the grapes a bit.  The skins of the grapes will split and wither slightly – this is when you know they’re ready to come out of the oven.


5. Serve warm or cool alongside whatever other hors d’oeuvres you have, or just enjoy on their own!

Latkes!

Brad and I had a dreidel party this weekend, which was hilarious and a total blast.  For the “festive Jewish food” that Brad had promised, I made mini latkes with a toppings buffet.  This was my first shot at making latkes, so I took it as a good sign when Brad took his first bite and said that not only had I “made a Jewish man proud”, but also that this was his favorite thing that I’d made all year.  What the what!!!  These were adorable, and delicious, and a big crowd-pleaser. They also keep really well for reheating, so if you want to make them ahead of time, just pop them in the oven for 15 minutes or so before your guests arrive to re-crisp them.

POTATO LATKES (makes approx. 35 mini latkes – adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
– 2 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled
– 1 large vidalia onion, peeled 
– 1/2 c. flour
– 2 eggs, lightly beaten
– 2 tsp. salt
– 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
– Vegetable oil
– cheese cloth, for wringing out the potato and onion shreds

1. Using a grater or a Food Processor, shred the potatoes and the onions, trying for the longest strands possible of each.


2. Working in smaller batches (I had about 3), add the potato shreds to a medium size piece of cheesecloth. Put a small bowl underneath the cheesecloth to catch the liquid. Wring out the shreds into the bowl to extract as much liquid as possible. Let the liquid stand in the bowl – don’t throw it out! It’s about to do something completely bizarre that will help bind your latkes, and also keep them from turning grey. Add the potato shreds to a larger mixing bowl.

3. Add the onion shreds to the cheesecloth, then wring out the liquid and discard it.  Add the onion shreds to the bowl with the potato shreds.


4. In a different mixing bowl, combine the lightly beaten eggs, flour, salt & pepper.


Just the starch, ma’am

5. Pick up the bowl that contains the potato liquid, and tip it to discard the liquid that runs out.  The mixture should have settled into two layers – a liquid and a solid.  The solid at the bottom of the bowl is the potato starch – this is the secret to latkes!  Scrape that starch into the potato and onion shreds, and stir to combine.

Potato liquid and starch, separated





















6. Add the flour/egg/salt & pepper mixture to the potato/onion/starch mixture, and stir to combine.  I dug into it with my hands, because it was easier to mix that way. Either way, though.


7. In a large skillet, or ideally, a Le Creuset pan, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil over medium high heat until hot. 

8. Add approx. 1 teaspoon of latke mixture to the oil, flattening slightly with the back of the spoon so they cook evenly. I found that I was able to add about 6 latkes at a time to the pan, working in a clockwise motion, so that by the time I added the last latke, the first one was ready to be flipped – and so on.























9. When latkes are browned on both sides (they crisp up pretty quickly), place on a layer of paper towels to drain.


10. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve, then arrange with little ramekins of sour cream, fresh chopped chives, smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and applesauce.

These were.  AMAZING.

Roasted Garlic Hummus


I eat so much hummus on a weekly basis that I finally decided to try to make it myself. It seems like a really impressive recipe, but is incredibly easy and tasty, and has become one of the most-requested things that I make (and not just in our house!). The roasted garlic adds a nice dimension of subtle flavor, and you can skip it if you want, but why not just try it once?  

—– You willllllll tryyyyyy the roastedddd gaaarrrllliiicccc ——

Omg weird, didn’t you just get the urge to break out a garlic bulb to roast??

ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS (Serving size varies, depending on your house’s level of hummus consumption)
– 2 cans chickpeas (15.5 oz each), rinsed and drained
– 1 whole garlic bulb
– 1/3 C. tahini
– 1/3 C. EVOO
– Approx. 1 C. chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a full vegan side)
– 1/2 lemon, juiced
– 1 tsp. paprika
– 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley (flat leaf)
– 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
– 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450. 

2. Lop the top off a full bulb of garlic, and discard.  Place garlic bulb in a muffin tin, drizzle with olive oil, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake for approx. 30 – 40 minutes, or until garlic is roasted.

 

3. Squeeze out the roasted cloves of garlic (or use a fork to extract) into a large mixing bowl.

4. Add chickpeas, EVOO, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, parsley, salt & pepper to the mixing bowl.  Stir well to combine.
 
5. Add mixture to a Food Processor, pulse to combine, then add the chicken or veggie stock little by little as you continue to blend the chickpea mixture.  The consistency will change from kind of chunky to fluffy and thick – keep adding the broth until you have the consistency you want.

6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The flavors will continue to combine and deepen over this time, so when you add seasonings after blending it, make sure to add a little less than what you think it really needs.

7. Serve with carrots, celery, the ever-popular pretzel chip, or use as a spread on sandwiches or apps.

Happy 12.12.12!