Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I got this one from a New Mexico green chile promotion at Nob Hill Foods. Careful, though: it takes a lot more green chiles than you might expect to yield two cups. My three medium chiles, once roasted and peeled, yielded about half a cup. Improvise by adding jalapeños if, like me, you fall short.

Makes 6–8 portions.

• 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used 2 bone-in rib-in breast portions, poached, which was plenty)
• 2 cups roasted, peeled, and chopped New Mexico green chile (about 12; could probably substitute 4 green bell peppers and add jalapeños to up the heat)
• 1 26 fl.oz. can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
• 26 fl. oz. milk (measure using the empty can)
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• green jalapeños to taste, chopped (seeds in or out to taste; I used 4, seeds out, but would leave them in next time)
• ground pepper to taste
• 10–15 corn tortillas, torn into quarters

Fry onions, garlic, jalapenos in a large saucepan until soft. Add soup, milk, chile, pepper, bring to a simmer, and remove from heat.

Layer sauce, tortillas, cheese in casserole dish. (I found this made too much for my 13"x9" pan and had to overflow into a second dish; no big problem, can freeze the excess uncooked.)

Bake at 350°F, 20 minutes covered followed by 20 minutes uncovered.

(From a New Mexico Department of Agriculture promotion; more recipes, although not this one, at their website.)

Lentil-Bulgur Salad

for 6

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups water

1 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 cup boiling water
½ tsp dried oregano

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh finely-chopped mint
4 tbsp (¼ cup) finely-chopped parsley
½ cup finely-chopped red onion
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
½ cup olives, stoned and chopped
1 tomato, finely diced
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Mix bulgur wheat with hot boiling water in a bowl, cover, and let stand.
Simmer lentils 25 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain and add to bulgur.
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate.

A good mixture, and the lentils really work well with the bulgur and herbs, but we thought it needed more lemon juice—or maybe the zest of the lemon?—and more salt. I’ll tweak appropriately next time I make it.

(From Mollie Katzen’s revised edition of the Moosewood Cookbook.)

Deep-pan Pizza Dough

makes 1 decent-sized pizza

2; cups strong white flour
½ tsp salt
1tsp dried yeast
½ cup warm water, more as needed
2 tbsp olive oil

By hand: mix flour, salt, yeast in mixing bowl; mix in oil and water to form soft dough; knead 10m.

In a food processor: blend flour, salt, yeast briefly; run at slow speed, pour in oil and water to form a ball of soft dough. Rest 2m. Process 1m at slow speed to knead.

Prove in covered, greased bowl 1h or until doubled. Knock back and knead briefly. Roll out, or shape, onto greased baking sheet. Prove 10m, use.

(From Shirley Gill’s 50 Quick & Easy Pizzas.)

Cornmeal Pizza Dough

makes 1 decent-sized pizza

1½ cups strong white flour
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ tsp salt
1tsp dried yeast
½ cup warm water, more as needed
1 tbsp olive oil

By hand: mix flour, salt, yeast in mixing bowl; mix in oil and water to form soft dough; knead 10m.

In a food processor: blend flour, salt, yeast briefly; run at slow speed, pour in oil and water to form a ball of soft dough. Rest 2m. Process 1m at slow speed to knead.

Prove in covered, greased bowl 1h or until doubled. Knock back and knead briefly. Roll out, or shape, onto greased baking sheet. Prove 10m, use.

(From Shirley Gill’s 50 Quick & Easy Pizzas.)

Onion Dip

enough for 4 greedy people

3 onions, chopped finely
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp chili powder

2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 heaped tbsp sour cream
2 heaped tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp milk

Fry onions slowly with spices for at least 30m, until very soft and golden.
Let onions cool.
Mix remaining ingredients and stir in onions.
Refrigerate overnight to let flavours blend.

(Reverse-engineered from The Amateur Gourmet’s description of a recipe in Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook ; original weblog post.)

Asian Chicken Salad

2 servings

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
½ cup rice
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large), peeled and crushed
a good dash Tabasco
¼ tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice or other mild vinegar (cider vinegar works well)
1 cucumber
2 handfuls salad leaves (baby spinach works well)

Season chicken and pan-fry whole in a little oil.
Cook rice by absorption method with 1 cup water.
Mix soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, garlic, Tabasco, sugar, vinegar. Add 4 tsp hot water 1 tsp at a time until smooth and creamy.
Peel, deseed, and dice cucumber.
Dice chicken. Combine with cucumber and dressing.
Serve on rice and salad leaves.

(Heavily adapted from Mark Bittman’s The Minimalist Cooks at Home; original weblog post.)

Waldorf Salad

¾ cup walnut pieces
3 large crisp apples, cored and cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into ½ inch slices
1 cup grapes, halved
1½ tbsp lemon juice

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp grated lemon zest
ground pepper to taste

Toast walnuts in a 350°F oven or a dry skillet.
Toss apples, celery, grapes in lemon juice.
Whisk remaining ingredients, add to salad, toss.

(Adapted from this Food Network recipe.)

Beef Goulash

Serves 4–6.

2–3lb braising or stewing steak (US: chuck or 7-bone), cubed
2 tbsp flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 medium onions, cubed
2–3 red peppers, cubed
3 tsp paprika
1 can (~14 fl oz) beef stock
1 cup white wine
1 cup sour cream
(1 tbsp snipped fresh chives)

Toss the beef in the seasoned flour. In a casserole or heavy pan, brown the beef in batches in the oil and butter and set aside. Fry the onions and pepper 4—5 minutes until browned. Add paprika and cook 1 minute. Add any remaining seasoned flour and brown briefly. Add beef, stock, and wine and bring to a simmer.

Transfer to a 300°F oven and cook 2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove, stir in sour cream. Serve with noodles, garnish with chives.

Best made in advance and reheated (add sour cream after reheating) but really, who does that?

(Tip: if you cut up a 7-bone roast and have bones and trimmings left over, roast them alongside the casserole to brown them and render out the fat, and use the pieces to make beef stock for next time.)

(Adapted from this Waitrose recipe.)

Turkey Meatloaf with Apples

Serves 4. The original recipe adds raisins and pine nuts, but we didn't think they added much.

2 lbs ground turkey
½ medium onion, grated or food-processed finely
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

1 large green apple, cored and thinly sliced
vegetable oil for brushing

Mix all ingredients except apple and place in loaf pan. Fan out apple slices on top of loaf and brush with a little vegetable oil.

Bake 55m at 400°F. Remove and let rest 5m or more.

(Adapted from Sheryl Julian & Julie Riven’s The Way We Cook : Recipes from the New American Kitchen.)

Corn & Pasta Salad

6 servings.

2 cups tiny pasta shells
4 ears fresh corn, stripped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped—or double up the red onion
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup olive oil

Boil and drain the pasta. The original recipe cooks the corn briefly with the pasta, but I think if the corn's fresh and young it doesn't need any cooking.

Whisk the salt, mustard, vinegar, and oil together; toss the hot pasta with the dressing; mix in the other ingredients. Chill.

(Slightly adapted from Sheryl Julian & Julie Riven’s The Way We Cook : Recipes from the New American Kitchen.)