the ch!cktionary

    18 Oct 2009

    On Friday night, Jason came over for dinner, so I decided that a particularly elaborate meal was in order. On the menu: Sangria Chips, salsa, and guacamole Carrot-ginger soup Shredded chicken enchiladas with mole sauce The above took me approximately five hours to make, though one should note that much of that time was spent 1) figuring out the food processor since I’ve only ever used it once, 2) sitting on my ass in front of my laptop while waiting for things to cook, and 3) waiting for Patrick to retrieve some chicken breast. Also, I didn’t have any help and was making some of these things for the first time. Repeat attempts are always much quicker. For tips on efficiently preparing meals as an amateur chef, check out the following entry. The results were pretty fantastic, at least as good as meals I’ve paid for and definitely quite good given the sparse Mexican options in Boston. My biggest success: a rich, flavorful mole sauce, which is still worlds away from the one served at Casa Romero. But it’s a work in progress! Here are recipes for each of the dishes: SANGRIA(adapted from this recipe) Ingredients: 1/2 cup brandy 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate 1/3 cup orange juice 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine 1/2 cup triple sec 1 lemon, sliced into rounds 1 orange, sliced into rounds 1 lime, sliced into rounds 1/4 cup white sugar (optional) 8 maraschino cherries 2 cups carbonated water (optional) Directions: In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec, and sugar (though I skipped the brandy because I don’t like alcohol that much). Float slices of lemon, orange and lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture. I also added cubed apple bits, and for those really hate waste, you can add the pulpy remainders from your juicer as long as you can strain out the pieces later. Refrigerate at least three hours or overnight for best flavor. For some carbonation, add club soda (I used sparkling limeade) just before serving. CARROT/APPLE/GINGER SOUP(adapted from this recipe) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 onion, chopped 4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 4 cups chicken broth plain yogurt (optional) Directions: Caramelize the onions in the olive oil. Add chopped carrots and apple pieces. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and chicken broth (originally, the recipe called for vegetable broth but I wanted something more flavorful). Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Pour everything into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Pulse a couple times to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water or broth as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. (Optional: Serve with yogurt for garnish.) Unlike the original recipe, I didn’t use sweet potatoes or lentils and decided to leave out the butter and yogurt to make this as close to fat-free as possible. MOLE SAUCE(adapted from this recipe) Ingredients: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried cilantro 1/8 tablespoon dried minced garlic 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers Directions: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in cocoa powder, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the tomato soup (I substituted Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Tomato Soup instead of the condensed stuff) and green chile peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. I used the finished sauce in the enchiladas (below) but you can also pour directly over food to serve. SHREDDED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS(adapted from this recipe) Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 onion, chopped 1/2 pint sour cream (optional) 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 (15 ounce) can salsa 1/2 cup chicken broth (optional) 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas 12 ounces mole sauce (see above for recipe) 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in chicken broth until no longer pink and juices run clear. (It’s fine if it soaks up the broth until there’s nothing left). Shred the chicken and return it to the skillet. Add the onion, sour cream (I left this out), Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano and ground black pepper. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in salt, salsa, chili powder, green pepper and garlic. (The original recipe calls for an additional half cup of water, but commenters mentioned it made it too soupy.) Roll even amounts of the cooked mixture in the tortillas. Arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with mole sauce and 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Remember that the mole sauce is key! Accept no substitutes. TORTILLA CHIPS, SALSA, & GUACAMOLE Dips are classic food processor foods, since the machine can do all the work for you. Look up a basic salsa or guacamole recipe to figure out proportions and stick in the ingredients one by one if you want different consistencies or all at the same time if you’re okay with an unidentifiable blob of pureed goodness. Tortilla chips are easy. Just cut, fry, and let cool.

    On Friday night, Jason came over for dinner, so I decided that a particularly elaborate meal was in order. On the menu:

    • Sangria
    • Chips, salsa, and guacamole
    • Carrot-ginger soup
    • Shredded chicken enchiladas with mole sauce

    The above took me approximately five hours to make, though one should note that much of that time was spent 1) figuring out the food processor since I’ve only ever used it once, 2) sitting on my ass in front of my laptop while waiting for things to cook, and 3) waiting for Patrick to retrieve some chicken breast. Also, I didn’t have any help and was making some of these things for the first time. Repeat attempts are always much quicker. For tips on efficiently preparing meals as an amateur chef, check out the following entry.

    The results were pretty fantastic, at least as good as meals I’ve paid for and definitely quite good given the sparse Mexican options in Boston. My biggest success: a rich, flavorful mole sauce, which is still worlds away from the one served at Casa Romero. But it’s a work in progress!

    Here are recipes for each of the dishes:

    SANGRIA
    (adapted from this recipe)

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup brandy
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
    • 1/3 cup orange juice
    • 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
    • 1/2 cup triple sec
    • 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
    • 1 orange, sliced into rounds
    • 1 lime, sliced into rounds
    • 1/4 cup white sugar (optional)
    • 8 maraschino cherries
    • 2 cups carbonated water (optional)

    Directions: In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec, and sugar (though I skipped the brandy because I don’t like alcohol that much). Float slices of lemon, orange and lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture. I also added cubed apple bits, and for those really hate waste, you can add the pulpy remainders from your juicer as long as you can strain out the pieces later. Refrigerate at least three hours or overnight for best flavor. For some carbonation, add club soda (I used sparkling limeade) just before serving.

    CARROT/APPLE/GINGER SOUP
    (adapted from this recipe)

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • plain yogurt (optional)

    Directions: Caramelize the onions in the olive oil. Add chopped carrots and apple pieces. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and chicken broth (originally, the recipe called for vegetable broth but I wanted something more flavorful). Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.

    Pour everything into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Pulse a couple times to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water or broth as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. (Optional: Serve with yogurt for garnish.)

    Unlike the original recipe, I didn’t use sweet potatoes or lentils and decided to leave out the butter and yogurt to make this as close to fat-free as possible.

    MOLE SAUCE
    (adapted from this recipe)

    Ingredients:

    • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
    • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
    • 1/8 tablespoon dried minced garlic
    • 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
    • 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers

    Directions: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in cocoa powder, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the tomato soup (I substituted Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Tomato Soup instead of the condensed stuff) and green chile peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. I used the finished sauce in the enchiladas (below) but you can also pour directly over food to serve.

    SHREDDED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
    (adapted from this recipe)

    Ingredients:

    • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 1/2 pint sour cream (optional)
    • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
    • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
    • 1 (15 ounce) can salsa
    • 1/2 cup chicken broth (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
    • 12 ounces mole sauce (see above for recipe)
    • 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

    Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in chicken broth until no longer pink and juices run clear. (It’s fine if it soaks up the broth until there’s nothing left). Shred the chicken and return it to the skillet. Add the onion, sour cream (I left this out), Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano and ground black pepper. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in salt, salsa, chili powder, green pepper and garlic. (The original recipe calls for an additional half cup of water, but commenters mentioned it made it too soupy.)

    Roll even amounts of the cooked mixture in the tortillas. Arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with mole sauce and 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Remember that the mole sauce is key! Accept no substitutes.

    TORTILLA CHIPS, SALSA, & GUACAMOLE

    Dips are classic food processor foods, since the machine can do all the work for you. Look up a basic salsa or guacamole recipe to figure out proportions and stick in the ingredients one by one if you want different consistencies or all at the same time if you’re okay with an unidentifiable blob of pureed goodness. Tortilla chips are easy. Just cut, fry, and let cool.

    Tags: food.
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    1. likepolishingfirewood reblogged this from lenachen and added:
      Lena, you’re boring
    2. meghanunc reblogged this from maryanne and added:
      this whole dinner sounds amazing!
    3. thelittlemermaid reblogged this from lenachen
    4. shani reblogged this from lenachen
    5. maryanne reblogged this from lenachen
    6. lenachen posted this