Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas with a Butternut Squash Chicken Sauce

Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas with a
Butternut Squash Chicken Sauce

While we were enjoying our “Leftover Delight” dinner of Butternut Squash & Chipotle Chicken Stew Mark said “This would be great in an enchilada type thingy.” So that’s exactly what you have here in this recipe. We absolutely enjoyed this new spin on enchiladas.

Ingredients:

• about 3 cups of butternut squash soup that has been combined with shredded chipotle chicken. (Both recipes you can find here on my blog) OR  just use the leftover soup as the sauce.
  
• 1 dozen corn tortillas
• about 3 cups shredded spinach
• a handful of parsley, chopped
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 cups re-fried Black Beans
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ground black pepper
• about 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Pre-heat your oven to 350 and butter a casserole dish. You can use a non-stick spray if you want.

Mix together the spinach, parsley, tomatoes, onion, re-fried beans and garlic. Season with a bit of black pepper. Make sure your corn tortillas are warm and soft to ensure easy assembly. I microwave mine for a few minutes working with 6 at a time. Put a heaping tablespoon of the bean mixture in the middle of the tortilla and roll up. Place each one side by side in your casserole dish. Once all 12 have been assembled, spoon the butternut squash soup over them and top by sprinkling the shredded cheese. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with a non stick spray, this will keep the cheese from sticking. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve over a bed of shredded spinach and kale with a dollop of sour cream on top.

 

Caramelized Bourbon Cabbage

Caramelized Cabbage

Caramelized Cabbage is wonderful on top of steaks, pork chops, chicken or even a brat sandwich. Adding the Bourbon sauce brings a great BBQ flavor to this dish.

Ingredients:    yields 4 servings

• half a green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 TB Olive Oil
• 2TB salted butter
• salt
• cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup Bourbon Sauce (see my recipe)
• 1/4 cup honey

In medium skillet over medium heat melt the butter into the olive oil. Add the sliced cabbage, season well with salt and pepper, saute until it starts to brown. Whisk together the Bourbon Sauce and honey, pour over the cabbage. Increase the heat to medium high and stir until the cabbage is completely wilted and the sauce has not only thicken but has adhered completely to the cabbage.

 

Bourbon Sauce, Glaze & Marinade

After meeting Chef Edward Lee, trying his food and reading his book I found myself inspired and eager to try some recipes that would be enhanced by bourbon. I have never been that found of the taste, but realized I could tone it down a bit by the ingredients I combined it with. Here’s my try on a multi-use Bourbon sauce that can be used just as well as a glaze and marinade.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup true apple cider, the real stuff with, you know all cloudy with yumminess
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 TB Balsamic Vinegar

Whisk together all ingredients, making sure the sugar has completely dissolved and you have a well combined sauce. Try brushing this on chicken, pork or beef before baking. Thicken by simmering over medium heat to use as a glaze for meats & vegetables. Marinade your pork overnight in this sauce before cooking in the crockpot or dutch oven.

Let me know how you decide to use this versatile Bourbon sauce. I’d love to try your recipes.

 

Oven steamed Cabbage & Squash

Oven Steamed Cabbage
& Summer Squash

Fall is upon us so the window for grilling outdoors is narrowing. I find myself wanting the flavors I find in my grilled foods but with the ease of cooking them indoors. That’s exactly how I found myself cooking cabbage and summer squash in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 small green cabbage, cut into four wedges
• 1 summer squash, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• a couple tablespoon of herb butter (see my recipes)
• salt
• ground black pepper
• foil

Preheat your oven to 350. Lay out about double an arms length of foil.

Using a bowl, toss together the squash, onion and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Using your fingers press some of the herb butter into the sides of the cabbage wedges and season with the salt and pepper. Lay the vegetables in the middle of the foil and fold up to resemble a packet. Once sealed up, wrap with another layer of foil. Bake for 45 minutes, let rest 5 minutes before unwrapping. Careful when removing the foil as there will be hot steam escaping.

 

Butter sauteed Pecan Syrup

Butter sautéed Pecan Syrup

I find that when I’m making pancakes for breakfast I am continually trying new ways of changing things up. Sometimes I add different ingredients to the batter and then sometimes I just saute some pecans in butter and add a little syrup to them.

Ingredients:

• 2 TB salted butter
• 2 handfuls, of pecan halves, roughly chopped
• a couple of sprinkles of cinnamon
• 2 TB of dark brown sugar
• Maple syrup, as much as you are needing for your pancakes

In a small skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Add your pecans and saute them until they become fragrant. Reduce heat to low, add the dark brown sugar and continually stir until it has started to dissolve and completely covers the nuts. Sprinkle with some cinnamon, add your maple syrup and stir until well mixed. Serve warm.

 

Beer Batter

Beer Battered Eggplant

We all know that frying is not healthy for us….but oh how good it taste. Beer batter can be used when frying in a deep fryer or pan frying. Here’s a basic recipe that you can tweak with different herbs and seasonings. This beer batter works well with slices of eggplant, zucchini, dill pickles and of course fish.

Ingredients:  yields enough for an entire eggplant or 4 to 6 fish fillets

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 cups beer, I use Budweiser

Beer Battered
Fried Pickles

In a large bowl whisk together all the ingredients except the beer. Stir in the beer. Place your sliced eggplant, zucchini, dill pickles, or fish fillets in the batter and make sure they are completely coated. Using tongs lift the pieces out making sure any excess batter drips off in the bowl rather than your skillet. Fry until lightly browned. Let drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Here’s a little direction for pan frying:

In a large deep sided cast iron skillet, or a dutch oven, or a heavy bottom deep sided pan add enough vegetable oil to measure 1″-inch to 1 1/2″ inch in-depth. Heat oil over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Brown on one side then the other, this only takes a few minutes.

 

Rosemary Herb Butter

Rosemary Herb Butter

We just love using seasoned butter on our steaks, potatoes and pasta. My herb garden is in full swing and producing lots of fresh herbs. This seasoned butter has become a favorite of mine.

Ingredients:

• 8 TB salted butter, softened
• 4 springs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced
• 2 springs of fresh oregano, leaves removed and minced
• 2 springs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt

Butter on Steaks

Using a fork combine all the above ingredients together until fully combined. Place the butter mixture on parchment paper and wrap up. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. This butter mixture will last a very long time in your refrigerator. I’m not sure exactly how long because we use it up so quickly.

 

Purple Basil Pesto Sauce

Purple Basil &
Fresh Parsley

Our Amish friend is bringing her vegetables and herbs to our little Farmer’s Market in town. Last week she brought some purple basil. I had never tried purple basil before so thought I would make a simple pesto sauce of it. It’s flavor is very mild and delicate with almost a hint of licorice. We both loved it, next on my list, flavoring ice cream with it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup purple basil, firmly packed
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 to 5 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Using my food processor I combined all of the above ingredients and pulsed until the mixture is smooth. Place in a tight container and refrigerate until needed or as I did, place in a freezer zip lock baggy and freeze for the future.

Purple Basil Pesto

freezing pesto

 

Green Apple Vinegar Salad Dressing

Green Apple Vinegar
Salad Dressing

This weekend I was wonderfully surprised with a visit from my Son and Daughter-in-Law. They have recently moved from the west coast to the mid west which puts them within driving distance for weekend visits. Without my knowledge Mark and my son had planned this wonderful surprise for a couple of weeks. So at 1 am I was awakened by Mark telling me we had visitors. Imagine my surprise and joy when I walked into the entryway to see both my Son and Daughter-in-law standing there. Needless to say I had a glorious weekend of visiting with them both. There was only one setback. I went to make the “Loveless Cafe’s” tomato, onion and cucumber salad and found that we were all out of apple cider vinegar….what to do, oh what to do? Then I started thinking, I had 2 green apples and distilled vinegar. So I made the dressing for the salad with what I had. Below is the recipe that I will be using from now on.

Ingredients:

• 2 green apples, peeled and sliced
• 3/4 cup distilled vinegar
• 6 TB sugar
• 1 TB Olive Oil

Combine the above ingredients and process in your food processor until completely blended and smooth. Toss with about 4 cubed tomatoes, 2 sliced cucumbers, 1 sliced summer squash and half of an onion cubed. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Chill for a while before serving.

 

Cranberry Pancakes with Walnut Pecan Syrup

Here’s an easy way to change-up your Weekend Pancakes. Try adding fresh cranberries to your pancake batter and toasted walnuts and pecans to your syrup.

Ingredients added to your regularly used pancake batter:

• 1 TB sugar
• a couple sprinkles of cinnamon
• 1 cup frozen fresh Cranberries

Ingredients added to your regularly used maple syrup:

• 2 TB salted butter
• a handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
• a handful of pecans, roughly chopped
• a couple of tableware teaspoons of dark brown sugar

Using your food processor, grind the cranberries and add them along with the sugar and cinnamon to your regularly used pancake batter. Cook your pancakes just like you always do.

In medium skillet over medium heat melt the butter, add the roughly chopped walnuts and pecans, toss in the butter and toast for about 5 minutes until they become fragrant. Reduce the heat to low, cool slightly then add your maple syrup to the level you desire. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and toss until all the nuts are well coated. I set the mixture aside to cool a bit before serving.