Patrice's Chicken Enchiladas

 All of Patrice's recipes are wonderful. This is no exception. (Patrice's Notes - I got this from my sister Anne many years ago. It takes some time, so plan ahead, but it's just so creamy and delicious that it is worth it.)

Patrice's Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:

2 Tbsp. butter

2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small pieces

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped, 1 red or green pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. sal1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. coarse ground pepper

1 bay leaf

Cream Sauce:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 Tbsp. onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 cube or 1 tsp. chicken bouillon flavoring

1 cup sour cream

For Assembly:

12-13 corn tortillas- lightly fried in oil

grated cheese, Monterey Jack or Cheddar

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350*

2) Make filling. Heat butter in a large saucepan; add the chicken and sauté until browned on all sides and mostly cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add chopped vegetables, cook until soft, then add the chicken and the spices and cook for 5-10 minutes (until it is all cooked through and flavors have melded).

3)For the cream sauce: Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan then add the onion and sauté until softened, then add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook for a few minutes to cook the flour flavor out. Stir in the cream, then add remaining ingredients but the sour cream.  Cook, stirring constantly, until cream has thickened, 5-8 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

4) For Assembly: While I'm making the sauce I usually start frying the tortillas. Fry them just until starting to brown; be sure to remove them from the oil before they start to get crispy. I layer them in paper towels as I remove them to let the excess oil soak into the towels. Spoon a few tablespoons of the chicken filling and top with pinch of the grated cheese on each tortilla. Roll the tortilla into a tight wrap and place fold side down in a 9"x13" pan. Once all the tortillas are filled, pour cream sauce over the enchiladas and top with more grated cheese.

5) Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

German Oven Pancakes

This is our traditional breakfast on General Conference Sunday. It is from the Junior League of SLC Heritage Cookbook. 

German Oven Pancakes with Strawberries

1/4 cup butter

1-1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup flour, unsifted

1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp salt 

3 cups strawberries, halved

2 Tbsp sugar

1 carton (8 oz.) sour cream

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed                                                    

Preheat oven to 400*. Put butter in glass 9" pie plate (Pie pan serves 3-4. I use a 9x13 and double recipe or I triple it and use a 10x15). Bake 5 minutes or until butter melts and bubbles. Adjust heat to 450*. Put milk, flour, sugar, eggs and salt into blender. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Remove pie plate from oven. Immediately pour in mixture all at once. Return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 450*. Lower heat to 350*. Bake 8-10 minutes more (until edges are puffed and browned). A well will form in the middle. Meanwhile, make filling. Sprinkle strawberries with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Toss lightly. Spoon strawberries into center of hot pancake. Serve with sour cream and brown sugar.  We also just use syrup, powder sugar, jam or whatever is your favorite topping

Variation

Cinnamon Apple Filling

3 apples, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp brown sugar

Toss apple slices in lemon juice. Set aside. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Melt butter. Stir in apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Simmer for 15-20 minutes ( until apples are barely tender). Spoon into pancakes instead of strawberries.

Brown Sugar and Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

From Bon Appetit

Another good, dense cake. 

Ingredients

12 Servings

CAKE

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1

12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

3

cups all purpose flour, divided

2

teaspoons baking soda

1

teaspoon baking powder

3

/4 teaspoon salt

1

cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1

1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar

2

1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1

teaspoon maple extract

4

large eggs

1

cup buttermilk

GLAZE

1

cup powdered sugar

2

tablespoons pure maple syrup

2

tablespoons (or more) whipping cream

Preparation

CAKE

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 12-cup Bundt pan. Spray pan generously with nonstick spray. Dust pan lightly with flour. Mix chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons flour in medium bowl. Sift remaining flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt into another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract and maple extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chip mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on rack 30 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely.

Hint: Mixing the chocolate chips with a little flour before adding them to the batter helps the chips stay evenly suspended in the batter and evenly distributed throughout the baked cake (otherwise, they may sink to the bottom).

GLAZE

Combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons cream in medium bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more cream by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to drizzle. Spoon glaze decoratively over top of cake; let stand at room temperature until glaze is firm, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature. 

Cheesy Potato Frittata

Hands-On: 40 mins

Total: 1 hr 10 mins

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 5 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon plus 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 12 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces Manchego cheese, grated (2 cups), divided

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in upper third. Place potatoes in a large pot and just cover with water; stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

• Step 2

  Heat oil and butter in a large cast-iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium until butter foams. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Cook, undisturbed, until potatoes are golden in spots, about 3 minutes. Gently stir; cook for 3 minutes more.

• Step 3

  Meanwhile, whisk eggs, cream, bell peppers, black pepper, half the cheese, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl until well combined.

• Step 4

  Slowly add egg mixture to potato mixture in skillet and cook, stirring gently and smoothing around edges with a rubber spatula, until eggs are scrambled in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake until center is just set, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and increase temperature to broil. Top frittata with remaining cheese. Return to oven and broil until cheese is bubbling and golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Frittata can be made up to one day ahead and stored once cooled, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and reheat, if desired. 

• From Real Simple

Chef's Notes

Make it a day ahead and refrigerate!

Quinoa Bowl with Chicken and Avocado Cream

Food Network Kitchen

Prep: 15 min     Cook 30 min 

Yield:

4 bowls (about 1 cup quinoa each)

Ingredients:

1 -1/2 cups red quinoa

1 C fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Kosher salt

1 Avocado, halved, pitted and cut into large chunks

1/4 C Sour Cream

3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime, quartered

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 C frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed

2 C shredded rotisserie chicken meat

2 C tortilla chips, crushed

1 C black bean salsa

1/4 C roasted and salted pepitas

Directions:

Make the quinoa: Bring the quinoa and 2-1/2 C water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the quinoa is tender and most of the water is absorbed, 20-25 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Stir in the chopped cilantro, scallions, oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. 

Make the avocado cream: While the quinoa cooks, process or blend the avocado, sour cream, Parmesan, lime juice, 1 Tbsp. water, cayenne and 3/4 tsp. salt in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

If the corn still has a chill, microwave it for about 1 minute.

Build the bowls: Divide the quinoa evenly among 4 bowls. Top each with neat piles and/or rows of chicken, tortilla chips, corn, salsa and pepitas. Top with some sauce, a sprig of cilantro and a lime quarter.

Crock Pot Taco Chili

A Total Health and Fitness Recipe. Very meaty.

Crock Pot Taco Chili    Serves 10

Per 1-1/4 cup Serving

204 Calories, 17 gm Protein, 1 gm fat, 33 gm carbs

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 - 16 oz. can black beans

1 - 16 oz. can kidney beans

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

10 oz. package frozen corn

2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes with chilies

1 packet taco seasoning

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

24 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 c. Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients except chicken and cilantro in a crock pot. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on low for ~ 6-8 hours or ~3 hours on high. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred finely. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro.

Janice's Pasta Chicken Salad

 Another good one from Janice. Can make with or without the chicken.

Dressing

2/3 C Rice Vinegar

1/2 C Honey

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Chopped onion (dried)

2 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika

2 tsp Celery Seed

Dash salt and pepper

1-1/2 C Oil (Olive and Canola)

Mix ingredients together

Salad

16 oz. Bowtie Pasta

1 Pkg Mixed Greens

Red or Green Grapes

1 bunch Green Onions

1 C Toasted Pine Nuts

1 C Grated Parmesan or Feta Cheese

3 Cooked Chicken Breasts

Toss all together. Add dressing right before serving