Spaghetti Squash Enchiladas

When I close my eyes and think about the adventures we had in Zion, I am overwhelmed by memories of hiking through freezing cold water, repelling throughout the canyon, and spaghetti squash enchiladas... yes, enchiladas!

When we were in Zion two years ago, we spent two very full days exploring the canyons.  After hiking to exhaustion and making it safely back at the car, we would drive back to town with one thing on our mind: enchiladas.  At a quaint and quirky old gas station turned restaurant, we discovered the most phenomenal enchiladas made with goat cheese and spaghetti squash.  This is my interpretation on the delicious dish and while it isn't exactly the same, it is still quite tasty.  Enjoy!  And if you ever make it to Zion, Utah, be sure to stop by the Whiptail Grill and try theirs.


 Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• corn tortillas
• green enchilada sauce (I think the brand Las Palmas is the best)
• 1 cup jack cheese

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and bake face-down at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until a fork easily punctures the skin.  Allow to cool before removing the squash.  Once cool, remove the squash from the skin with a fork.

Saute the onion and garlic.  Add the chicken, squash, 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce, goat cheese, cinnamon, cumin, and nutmeg.  Turn the heat to low and mix until the cheese is melted.

I've found that the best way to keep tortillas from ripping when rolling them is by warming them in a dry skillet (ok, I know that it is probably more effective to heat them with a little olive oil, but I like to keep it a little healthier, so I do it without).  Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pyrex baking dish.  Warm the tortillas and fill with enchilada filling; roll and place in the baking dish.  Top with the remaining sauce and the jack cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.

This recipe actually makes a 9x13 inch dish and a 9x9 inch dish.  I usually freeze one to enjoy during a busy work week.

Kale and White Beans with Tortellini

We have been searching and searching for delicious ways to cook with kale.  Kale is very healthy (thus the appeal of cooking with it), yet each time we prepared it I doubted whether the health benefits were worth enduring eating the stuff.  Needless to say, we have found a phenomenal way of preparing kale that will make you crave it.


Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bacon slices
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 can white beans, drained
• 1 package tortellini (we buy the refrigerated packages of tortellini that are found near the parmesan cheese) - we also love this recipe with gnocchi.  
• about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Saute the onion, garlic and bacon until the bacon is rendered (because of the fat from the bacon, we do not use olive oil to saute).  Add the kale and cover until the kale shrinks to about half of its original size.  Then, add the white wine; cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and white beans, and again simmer covered for 5 minutes.  

In the meantime, cook the tortellini to al dente.  

Combine the kale/bean mixture with the tortellini in a pyrex baking dish and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and finish under the broiler until the cheese and breadcrumbs become golden brown.

This recipe fills an entire 9x13 baking dish, which makes it great for leftovers.  I've found that when I eat it for lunch, I am satisfied and full of energy throughout the entire afternoon.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

In honor of Amanda's birthday this week, I tried my hand at making homemade cupcakes.  These turned out quite well and were really fun to make!  I used a recipe from an Oprah magazine from several years ago (February 2009).  Everything in the recipe is the same, except that I am breaking it into steps here because it was quite confusing to follow the written description about which ingredients to mix...

The Cupcakes:

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 30 cupcake tins with paper liners.  And get yourself ready to use lots of bowls...

Step 1: In a bowl, whisk these dry ingredients.

• 3 1/4 cup cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Step 2: In a separate bowl, cream together the following ingredients.

• 1 3/4 cup (7 oz) butter
• 1 3/4 cup sugar

Step 3: In (yet another) bowl, mix the following wet ingredients.

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk (I used 1%)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Step 4: In... yes, you guested it, another bowl, beat 5 egg whites to stiff peaks.  This took about 5 minutes using the whisk attachment on our KitchenAid mixer.

Step 5: Add the dry and wet ingredients to the creamed butter/sugar mixture in three alternating increments.  I did this in the mixer and after each addition it only took about 30-45 seconds for the ingredients to gain an even consistency.

Step 6: Fold the egg into the batter.  Then, fold 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter.

Step 7: Bake for 22 minutes at 350 degrees.  Allow the cupcakes to fully cool before frosting.


Buttercream Frosting:

• 3 sticks butter (softened)
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the butter on medium high for 2 minutes or until it becomes creamy.  Add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat for 5 minutes after each addition.  Once all of the sugar is added, continue to mix the frosting while adding 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

Happy Birthday Amanda!!

Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos

Nothing says breakfast like sweet potatoes, right…wrong. But I bet these simple breakfast burritos will change your mind! These puppies were originally conjured up back in our college days, but continue to remain a weekend staple.  Daniel and I love them so much that if teaching were to fall through that I might just start a breakfast burrito shop in Boulder!

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes or yams 
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 eggs
• salsa
• sour cream
• cheese
• 5 tortillas
• butter
• breakfast meat (usually not included, but optional)

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into1/4-1/2 inch cubes.  Sauté cubes in a large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of butter, or steam with a little water for a healthy alternative. The big debate in our house is whether to sauté the potatoes with butter or not…..I am always arguing for steaming the potatoes and using less butter, but in all honesty, the potatoes really are the tastiest when using butter!  Sauté the potatoes until slightly crunchy, add the onion and garlic, and finish until everything is soft - approximately 20 minutes. We like to crank up the heat in the final minutes to add a little crisp to the potatoes, but that’s totally up to you!

In the meantime, while the potatoes are cooking, scramble the eggs in a separate skillet and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the breakfast burritos in an assembly line fashion (tortilla, potato mixture, eggs, sour cream, and cheese) and place in a Pyrex baking dish.  Top with salsa and bake for 10 minutes to heat the tortillas and allow the flavors to blend.  Enjoy!

Football Cheese Ball

'Tis the season for football parties and cheering for our favorite teams.  Despite a disappointing loss to Kansas City this weekend, we still enjoyed a fun Bronco's football party at our house.  And our sadness over the Bronco's loss was soon overcome with celebration for the Oregon Ducks winning the Rose Bowl!

Here's a fun football party recipe for a mexican-style cheese ball that is delicious with crackers or chips...

Ingredients:

• 1 package cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can spicy Rotel tomatoes (drained)
• 1/2 can black beans (drained)
• 1/4 cup salsa
• Chili Powder
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Mix the ingredients (except for the chili powder and sour cream).  Form into a football shape and allow to cool (and harden) in the refrigerator.  Top the cheese football with chili powder (it creates a nice brown color for the football).  Use sour cream to create the laces on the football.  To do this I place about 1/4 cup sour cream in a plastic sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one corner.  I use the bag to "pipe" the laces on the football.

Have Fun and GO BRONCOS!!!

For the Love of Eggplant

Daniel and I subscribe to an organic vegetable delivery service called Door 2 Door Organics – which basically means every other Monday is like Christmas morning.  I run to the cooler on the front porch in eager anticipation and each time find a bag bursting with a wild assortment of veggies.  Our deliveries typically consist of the usual suspects: lettuce, broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes; the bewildering deviants like those found on professional cooking shows such as “Chopped” (one of our favorites by the way): escarole, purple bell peppers, sunchokes, and parsnips; and those “tweeners” that aren't totally bizarre and yet wouldn't necessarily be sought out at the grocery store…..prime example: Eggplant!

The Eggplant
photo from: www.foodstubs.com

Thanks to this Giant Purple People Eater being dropped on our doorstep several times (and thus being forced to cook it), Daniel and I have finally tamed this often bland and mushy beast.  So Mr. Eggplant, this blog entry is totally and entirely dedicated to you...

Eggplant Parmesan


Ingredients:

• 1 Large Eggplant
• 2 Eggs
• Approximately 1 cup Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
• Marinara Sauce
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Remove the green cap and slice the eggplant longwise, approximately 1/2 inch thick. You can eat the skin but we usually take it off before cutting….

Bake the eggplant on a greased cookie sheet (we highly recommend Silpat mats for your cookie sheets) for 15 minutes or until soft.  While the eggplant is baking, whip the eggs in one bowl and place the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in another bowl.

Once the eggplant is soft (and cool enough to handle), dip each piece in the egg mixture followed by the breadcrumbs and return to the cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Top with marinara sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

We enjoy our Eggplant Parmesan with a side of pasta or gnocchi.

Eggplant Pizzas


Ingredients:

• 1 Large Eggplant
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Pizza sauce
• Veggies or meat for toppings (I like tomatoes, mushrooms, and sausage)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the eggplant longwise approximately 1/2 inch thick and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Spread a thin layer of sauce on each of the eggplant slices and follow by topping each with toppings and cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes and serve.

Biscotti: Our Christmas Treat

Don’t you just love those special Christmas treats people make every year to give to family, friends, and neighbors?  We certainly do! Two of our favorites are my mom's toffee and Daniel's parents' homemade Baileys….YUM!  This year we decided that we needed to put our mark on the holiday tradition.  You just can’t receive these tasty morsels year after year without returning the favor!  So, with our deep love of coffee in mind and the overwhelming amount of sweets overtaking counter space everywhere, we knew that biscotti was in order.

I went searching for just the right blend of deliciousness, and found this phenomenal recipe from The Joy of Baking.  We hope you enjoy it as much as our family and friends did!

Almond Biscotti

• 1 1/4 cup almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all purpose flower
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and toast the almonds for 10 minutes.  After allowing them to cool, chop coarsely.  Reserve approximately 1/4 cup of the almonds to sprinkle on the biscotti once they are dipped in chocolate.


Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.


Beat the eggs and extracts.  In a separate bowl (I use our electric mixer), mix the flower, sugar, baking powder and salt.  While mixing, slowly add the egg/extract mixture.  When you've added about 1/2 of the egg/extract mixture, also begin adding the almonds.  The mixture will appear very dry and may need to be kneaded briefly once removed from the mixer.


Roll the dough into a log that is the length of a cookie sheet and about 5-6 inches wide (about 1 inch tall - it will rise to about 1.5 inches).  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.


Cut the log on a slight diagonal in 1 inch wide pieces.  Return the slices to the cookie sheet and lay them on their side.  Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes.  Allow the biscotti to fully cool before dipping in chocolate.


Melt the chocolate.  We melt the chocolate without burning it by boiling about 1 inch of water in a saucepan and then placing a pyrex bowl with the chocolate on top of the water (we keep the saucepan on low throughout the process).  The heat from the simmering water will keep the chocolate melted without burning it.


Dip the biscotti in chocolate and before the chocolate cools, sprinkle with almonds.  

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  Happy New Year!