Chilaquiles

 

I've had this post sitting in my draft folder since June 25, 2016. It's been a long time coming, just waiting on me to hunt down the pictures and get some graphics ready. The photos were taken with my iPad. Tyler Florence shot a whole cookbook with one...so, a blog post now and then is okay, right?

Up until about a month ago I'd never heard of Chilaquiles. I'm not sure how I've lived this long without knowing what they were, but I'm glad I know now! Here's the story...

I was sitting in my living room watching a new to me show (Guy's Grocery Games) when a contestant decided to make a batch of Chilaquiles. He had this really touching story about his Mom. He said that all her life she was always cooking whatever people wanted to eat. He said that he appreciated her cooking, but that the fact that she cooked what they loved really meant a lot to him. He got all teary when he explained that the last thing his Dad asked his Mom to make was Chilaquiles.

With a story like that, I figured these things MUST be good. So, I watched him make them. I watched the judges rave about them. And then I started seeing them everywhere. One of my favorite food bloggers made a batch, but used canned enchilada sauce. I wanted the REAL deal. Her post convinced me that I COULD do it and that I HAD to.

So, I scoured the internet for recipes and having never tasted them in m life, decided to take a stab at it. I used a combination of these three recipes to get the finished product that I had in mind. I can officially say that I LOVE CHILAQUILES!!!! And I hope you will too.

 

Ingredient gathering is super simple. Canned tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cilantro (or not), chicken broth, salt, oil, corn tortillas, and whatever toppings sound good to YOU are all it takes.

It's not as complicated as you might expect. This is one of those 30 minutes or less dinners. You make your sauce, you fry your tortillas (or use pre-made chips), and then you make a heaping mess on your plate and stuff your face.

They're goooood, I tell ya!

Chilaquiles

SAUCE
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
2 jalapenos, charred, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped (I had to leave this out because my store was OUT, yes OUT. I'll start with about a 1/2 cup and then add more according to taste and color. I suggest you do the same!)

1 Tbsp. veggie oil

1 tsp. salt
1 cup chicken stock

Place tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onion, and cilantro into a blender. I used a Vitamix and blended it until it was nice and smooth.

Heat oil in a sauce pan over med-high heat. Add the sauce to the pan being aware that it will start bubbling and spitting right away. Be careful and start stirring. You'll want to boil it for about 7 minutes, stirring very often.

Reduce heat to keep things at a gentle simmer and stir in the salt and the chicken stock. Let it continue to simmer while you work on your tortilla chips. The sauce just keeps getting better the longer it cooks.

When you're happy with the way your sauce tastes, prepare the tortilla chips OR use pre-made tortilla chips. If you go that route, skip to the assembly step.

TORTILLA CHIPS
20 (6 inch) white corn tortillas, left out for a day or so and cut into 8 triangles each
oil for frying
salt

Place tortilla pieces into hot oil. I could give you a temperature, but you'll know it's hot when you put your tortilla in and the oil starts to fry it. Cook until golden brown on each side.

Remove chips to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle hot chips with a little salt.

Continuing frying the chips until you've got enough to go around. You'll have to work in batches.

ASSEMBLY
All the recipes say to put the chips directly into the sauce pot. That's not how I work....

Place some sauce into a bowl or a small pot (I went the bowl route). Add chips, add more sauce, and stir until the chips are thoroughly covered.

Transfer your chip mess to a plate, being sure to pour the excess sauce that was left in the bowl onto the chips. Top with shredded cheese, onion, cilantro, lettuce, sour cream, and whatever else your little heart desires.

Repeat until everyone has a plate and DIG IN! These are traditionally a breakfast dish meant to use up old, dry tortillas, so feel free to top them with a fried or scrambled egg if that sounds good to you.

That's it! That's all there is to it. I REALLY like the way they turned out, but I've got plans to play around with different combinations of chiles (3 dried ancho chiles and 3 serrano chiles were recommended in one recipe) and I'd like to try to make it with fresh tomatoes (2 medium tomatoes OR 5 small tomatoes and 5 tomatillos) once as well.

Store the extra sauce in the fridge until you're ready for seconds. You can also do like I did and use it to make a batch of enchiladas. It's ESPECIALLY good for making cheese enchiladas, but that's a story for another day. 

What's a food you've recently discovered?

Have you tried to make recreate it in your own kitchen?

Chai Tea Lattes

Back in 2014, I reviewed a copy of Joy the Baker's second cookbook. One of the first recipes I made from it is one that I am finally going to share with you today! At the time, I wasn't sure if I was "supposed" to, but enough time has passed that I'm SURE Joy would love for you to have the recipe even if you haven't bought the book. 

Chai is something that has gained a lot of ground in the culinary world. We put it in cakes and cookies. We love the flavors so much that we try to find places for them in all kinds of baked and brewed treats. 

My sister and I have a thing for chai just like so many other people do! When we have the opportunity to try out a new coffee shop, we'll give them the chai test. We'll order one (or two) and see how their version measures up against Joy's and the one at the coffee shop that we both used to work at. How well they do can determine whether or not we'll be back. 

Since moving to this city, we've actually made it our goal to visit all of the shops JUST to try their chai. It's been a fun tradition and I think we'll keep it up wherever we go. It's less about the test and more about the time with my sister for me at this point, but it is still a lot of fun. 

On the best days, I'll head to the kitchen and make us a batch of Joy's to remind us what a GOOD one tastes like. Our friend Aubry has joined in on the craze now. I may or may not have sent some with her "to-go" on a few occasions. 

There is a secret to this recipe that MAKES this the best. I can pretty much promise you that you'll enjoy it more than any coffee shop version you've ever had.  

The secret is simply this: you brew your tea in milk. Of course, having a really good tea helps too. Our favorite is "India Spice Chai" by Celestial Seasonings. 

Joy's version calls for quite a bit of sugar. And coffee. I like the coffee, but my sister doesn't, so I cut the sugar way back (about 1 1/2 Tbsp) and only add the coffee to mine (about 1/3 cup). I'm putting our version of Joy's recipe below and I want you to feel just as free as I did to adjust it to YOUR tastes. 

To achieve the frothy coffee house style foam, simply twirl a whisk by rubbing your hands together (like a boy scout trying to start a fire). You'll want to do this during the reheat section of the recipe, just before you pour it into your mugs. 

Chai Tea Lattes

adapted from "Homemade Decadence" by Joy Wilson

serves 2

2 cups milk

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 chai tea bags

3/4 cup hot coffee

Heat milk and sugar over medium high heat, stirring constantly until very warm. This will take about 4 minutes.

Turn off heat, add the tea bags, and cover. Let steep for 15 minutes.

Remove tea bags from milk and reheat this milk tea mixture if necessary.

Split the coffee between two mugs and top each mug off with the milk tea.

Enjoy!

NOTE:

You can use white sugar, brown sugar, or a mixture of the two. 

My favorite tea to use is "India Spice Chai" by Celestial Seasonings.

If you choose to omit the all of the coffee,  simply add an extra 3/4 cup milk and reduce sugar to 1 1/2 Tbsp.

I know it's been a long time since I've shared a recipe around here. I hope you enjoy this one! If you decide to make it, I'd love to hear about it. It's perfect for rainy days, winter days, and any day you've got some time with the ones you love! 

Do you take your chai with or without coffee?

What's your go-to drink to "judge" a coffee shop by?

Dinner Fit For Winter

Every family has their list of favorite dinners. They are usually indulgent. They might require a bit of planning ahead and maybe even a little more effort in the preparation department. As I write this post I happen to be listening to The Shirelles' song "Mama Said" on repeat and thinking back to the January day my 19 year old self copied this recipe down into my recipe book.

The recipe I'm sharing today is for those winter days when you want comfort food, but need it to be quick and easy. I've been making it for years and I think it is responsible for helping my sister to come around when it comes to stuffing.

It's a weird combo, but you've got to try it at least once. Trust me.
 

You can go one of two ways with this recipe! You're going to need three things: 4-6 pork chops, one can OR one recipe of apple pie filling, one box OR one recipe of stuffing. That's it!!!

Whether you choose to go the easy route or the homemade route, you'll get no judgment from me because I've done both.

My Mom taught me everything I know about cooking. One important lesson I learned from the years I spent shadowing her in the kitchen is to pace yourself. If you need to take shortcuts, take the shortcuts. My Mom is one of those women who doesn't apologize for every little thing. She just goes for it. That's what this recipe is about: if you've got time, go for it. If not, go for the shortcut.

The first and most important step is to trim and debone your pork chops. Everything is layered and melds together as it cooks. Those bones will disappear into the stuffing and you DO NOT want to have to deal with that.

So, trim the fat and remove allll the bones from those chops. Then, lay them in the bottom of your crock pot so that they are touching.

Next, scoop your prepared stuffing out onto the pork chops. You want to keep as much of it ON the pork chops as you can. Easy, right???

Then, you'll scoop your apple pie filling out onto the stuffing, put the lid on the crock pot, and set the timer for 3 - 4 hours. My crock pot only has a low and high setting, so I end up cooking them for about 3 hours on high.

The key is making sure your pork is DONE, but not overcooked. If you do this recipe right, you will have the tenderest pork chops EVER.

Here you have it, your pork chop dinner alllll ready to dig into! I serve it straight from the crock pot so that everything stays nice and toasty, but you could separate each layer in individual serving bowls if you wanted to. By the time the food makes it onto my plate, I separate it out. My sister, on the other hand, likes hers to stay all piled together! 

The best family dinners include CHOICES. This is one of those from start to finish.  

 

When I made this a few weeks ago, I challenged my family to take pictures of their plates. ^ Here ^ is my sister's prize winning picture! I told you she likes hers in one big heap. :)

Special thanks to my brother for jumping up from his homework to take some pictures over my shoulder for me!

Ready for the recipe?

Crock Pot Pork Chop Dinner
adapted from cooks.com serves 6

4-6 pork chops, trimmed and bones removed
1 recipe stuffing, prepared
1 recipe apple pie filling, prepared


Layer pork chops in the bottom of the crock pot so that they are touching. Cover with stuffing. Top with apple pie filling.

Place lid on crock pot and set the timer for 3-4 hours, just until pork is cooked through and still tender. My crockpot only has high and low, so I end up cooking mine for about 3 hours on high. 

Remove lid and dig in!!!!

If you need stuffing and pie filling recipes, click HERE.

What are some of your family favorites?

What's one piece of cooking advice your Mom taught you?

 

Peppermint Syrup Recipe

When I was in high school, I worked at a coffee shop. The thing about working behind the coffee counter is that you learn things about people. There are the demanding people who know EXACTLY what they want and expect you to have magically known that they were coming and have their drink ready moments before they even walked through the door.  There are the usual people who come in everyday around the same time and order the same thing. These are the people who are about as carefree as they get and they're always up for a chat (unless they are in a hurry, in which case they apologize profusely and promise to see you tomorrow). There are the confused people who know that they have a "usual" but who have no idea what it is or what it tastes like and they look at you pleadingly to either know what it is or to somehow figure it out. Then you have the adventurous people. These are the ones who have no idea what they want or what they are in the mood for and are up for ANYTHING.

The adventurous people were the fun ones. I concocted all sorts of drinks for them and they're the ones I think of when I get the urge to create a coffee shop version of a beverage at home. Some of them turned into regulars whose visits (and orders) I could count on. Some of them stayed adventurers and that was okay too.

I learned a lot spending my afternoons (and then my mornings) working at that coffee shop. I learned how to spot these different types of people, how to please them, and how to keep a smile on my face no matter what. My years behind the coffee counter were some of the best lessons in learning to serve others and yet every single customer ended up serving me too. I know, we all say that about everything, but maybe we say it because it's true.

My latest kitchen success took me back to those days. I wanted a DIY version of one of THE most popular winter drinks and I think I achieved it. Whether you're Demanding Dan, Usual Ulysses, Confused Connie, or Adventurous Adam...If you're a fan of peppermint in your drinks, I think you'll love this at home version!

Ingredient gathering is SIMPLE. Basically, we're making a simple syrup infused with peppermint. It goes like this: sugar, water, extract. DONE.

 

First up is the sugar. Any kind of white sugar is what you're after. I happen to use pure cane sugar, but that's just me.

We're going to add the water and get a syrup going over medium heat. Basically, we're just disolving the sugar. Keep your eye on it, stir it occasionally, but don't stress. It's easy, it goes quickly, and it gets HOT because there is sugar involved. The longer you simmer, the thicker your syrup will get.

Once your sugar water has turned into syrup, add in your peppermint extract. Less is more when it comes to extracts, so go easy at first knowing that you will be able to add more if you want to. You can simmer it for a few more minutes, but you don't need to.

When you're happy with the syrup, remove it from the heat and let it cool in the pan until it has reached room temperature. Pour it into a little jar and store it in the refrigerator. To use, simply add about a teaspoon to your coffee or hot cocoa and you're all set! In case you're wondering, the cane sugar is the reason for the unsightly color of this syrup. Once it's stirred into your drink you'll have forgotten all about that strange looking specimen jar sitting in the back of you fridge. I promise.

Now...Go make some!


Peppermint Syrup

1/4 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Simmer sugar and water over medium heat until they reach a syrupy consistency (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add peppermint extract (I added just shy of 1/2 tsp to mine). May simmer for a few more minutes or you may remove from heat to cool down.

Once your syrup has reached room temperature, transfer to a small jar and refrigerate. Add 1 tsp to your favorite beverage for a peppermint kick.

Do you have a favorite at home coffee shop beverage?

What's your coffee ordering personality type? 

My Idea of Comfort Food: A Recipe For Salisbury Steak

Getting dinner on the table for a family of five can prove to be a challenge. Add busy schedules to the mix and sometimes you find yourself cooking said dinner only to eat it by yourself. Oh, they'll eat the food, it just might be a few hours. That's the season we're in right now.

It used to be that dinner was on the table most nights somewhere around 5:30. Everybody would show up and eat and then one lucky person would find themselves on KP duty. We'd go around the table talking about our day or quizing each other on some kind of trivia or mental math. If somebody couldn't make it to dinner, so be it, but most of the seats were always filled.

Now that my younger brother and sister are at the height of their teenage years, family dinners look a lot different. Lately, we've been eating sometime around 4 so that we can have the kitchen tidied and be on our way out the door to rehearsals with plenty of time to get there.

The point to all of this is: people need to eat. I believe in fixing full meals and sitting down to enjoy them. Sometimes you chat with people, sometimes you read the newspaper, and sometimes you plunk down in front of the tv. I like food that tastes good, fills you up, and begs you to take your time with it.

Salisbury Steak is a main dish I put on my list of foods to master last year. It's one of my favorites and whenever I make it, I feel so accomplished even though it is super simple. I like to serve it alongside mashed potatoes and green beans heated with one beef bullion cube (my Mom's secret to THE best green beans). This whole meal can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

Salisbury Steak
adapted from allrecipes and Taste of Home

Steak
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/2 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. Lipton Onion Soup Mix, reserve rest of packet for sauce*

Mix meat with all the ingredients above and form into about 7 patties. Patties should be about 4ish-inches long and oval shaped.

Brown patties on both sides in a skilled over med-high heat. Remove from skillet.

Sauce
1/2 pkg. mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 TBSP. butter
2 TBSP. flour
2 c. water
Remaining Lipton Onion Soup Mix*
1/4 c. ketchup
1 TBSP. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. ground mustard

Brown mushrooms in about half of the butter over med-low heat in the skillet you used to brown the steaks.

Add the rest of the butter and then sprinkle with the flour, stirring until the flour is absorbed.

Add the water and stir.

Add soup mix, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, and ground mustard, stirring to combine. Turn up the heat to get a simmer going. Continue stirring.

Once your mixture begins to look like gravy, turn down the heat, add the steaks, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

*I have made this without Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Before starting the recipe, I mixed the following spices together in a bowl: 1 1/4 tsp. onion powder, 1/4 tsp. dried parsley, 1/8 tsp. paprika, 1/8 tsp. pepper.

I used about 1/4 tsp. of this mixture in the steak and then used the rest in the sauce. I added 1 tsp. of Beef "Better Than Boullion" when I added the water to the sauce and found that the ketchup needs to be reduced to about 2 TBSP. with this rendition of the recipe.

*   *   * 

Just in case getting everything on the table at once is not your thing, I've added my tips to the recipe page. The process of preparing this meal and then sharing it with the ones you love is pretty much exactly what I have in mind when it comes to comfort food!

What's your idea of comfort food?

What season are you in when it comes to family dinners? 

Summer Style Pork Roast

This summer, I put together a four week long meal plan that we've been using more often than not. I tried to come up with recipes that were heavy on seasonal fruits and veggies, the use of the grill, and the meats I already have stored away in the freezer.

I have plans to tell you more about building your own plan, but for now, I've got to share this recipe that is PERFECT for summer before any more of it gets away from us!

When it's hot out we want to avoid heating up the kitchen. We want food that fills us up and yet feels more like a snack than a full on feast. I love putting a hunk of meat into the crock pot and deciding what to do with it later - you can shred it up and wrap it in a tortilla OR put it in a bun OR just serve it up with a few sides and you're good to go. The thing is...I've never actually used a recipe or turned out a PERFECTLY juicy roast. That is, until Tracy showed me the ropes.

I'm calling this summer style pork roast because that's exactly what it is. During the summer, I lean more towards pairing my pulled pork with BBQ sauce, buns, coleslaw, and beans. When the weather cools back down, I might heat up the oven to make  cornbread or I might change up the seasonings and turn on the stove top for mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and the whole Sunday Dinner style roast. 

It's summer and we know what we want! Let's get it cooking!

When one of your favorite food bloggers tells you this recipe begins with a rub...You listen up! Grilling has taught me that rubs can accomplish A LOT. This roast is no different. Make the rub.

Garlic and onions are two things I've ALWAYS paired with crock pot cooking. They're going to go in first. Big chunks are just fine, you won't be serving them up with the meat. 

Onion and garlic are in. The roast is rubbed. Take a moment to admire your work!

Here's the SECRET: MORE THAN 3/4 CUP OF LIQUID. For whatever reason, I've had it in my head that 3/4 cup is enough...It's not. I'm telling you, you'll be taking this roast out with tongs because it's going to be soooo tender that it will literally be falling apart. That's exactly what we're going for.

Up the liquid. You'll be glad you did!

Last but not least, diced tomatoes are going to add a lot to this dish! Diced tomatoes are something I've added to my pantry over the last year or so. I've only been using them for pizza sauce and now this roast, but that's enough to warrant having them on hand!

We put the lid on. Set the temperature to LOW and the timer for 6-8 hours. Then, we walk away and feel the freedom that comes with knowing that dinner is already going!

The roast comes out pretty and nice and ready for a million possibilities. Slice it or shred it. Eat it the way it is or dress it up with a favorite sauce. Serve it with fresh melon, your go-to salad, beans, rice...Whatever you're in the mood for!

Tracy says to save the stock you've created, but I'm a little unsure of what to do with it. I redenered off the fat and stuck the stock in the freezer. I'm thinking a mexican soup would be PERFECT, but I'm not sure if I can bring myself to add chicken to it. I'll keep you posted!

In the mean time...I've got a bit of the meat left over and it's going to be turned into pork fried rice tonight.

Summer Style Pulled Pork
slightly adapted from Tracy Benjamin

2 1/2lb pork roast
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
smidge of ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 c. chicken broth (more if you have a larger roast)

Combine salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub all sides of the meat with this rub.

Place the pieces of garlic and onion into the bottom of your crock pot. Set the roast on top of them. Pour the tomatoes and the chicken broth into the crock pot, avoiding the meat itself and making sure that everything is evenly distributed around your roast.

Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours. (If your roast is larger, you may need to cook it longer. Tracy cooked her 4 lb. pork shoulder on HIGH for 8 hours.)

Take the roast out of the crock pot and process the meat however you want. Shredding it with two forks and topping it with BBQ sauce is my personal favorite. You can also skip the shredding and serve it in slices if that's more your style!

Skim the fat off of the cooled stock and use as a base for soups.

What's your summer cooking style?

What are you favorite ways to use a roast?