Category Archives: Poultry

Poultry

Chicken, Shallot and Tarragon Pot Pies

Chicken pot pies are classic comfort food in the wintertime. This version is a nice change from the usual ones made with stock, peas and carrots — what I tend to think of as nursery food — with the crème fraîche and tarragon lending it a more grown-up feel. If you make the slow roast chicken with vermouth and mashed potatoes with crème fraîche, this is a no-brainer to make the next day with the leftover chicken and since you’ll probably still have crème fraîche on hand as well. How’s that for clever meal planning?

Chicken, Shallot and Tarragon Pot Pies
adapted from BBC Good Food

Serves 4

13 oz (375 g) pack of ready-roll puff pastry
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks (or leftover shredded chicken from a roast chicken)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 small shallots (12 peeled and left whole,* 4 peeled and sliced)
5 tablespoons tarragon or sherry vinegar
1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine
1 cup (240 g) crème fraîche
1 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, or a small bunch of fresh, leaves chopped

*Note: To peel shallots easily, drop them into a pot of boiling water for less than 1 minute. Drain, then slip off the skins.

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut circles from the pastry big enough to cover 4 small ovenproof bowls or ramekins with a 1/2‑inch overlap, then chill.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, brown quickly all over, then remove from the pan. (If you’re using leftover roast chicken, you can omit this step.) Add all the shallots and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the vinegar and reduce by half. Add the chicken back in, then stir in the wine, crème fraîche, corn starch mix and tarragon and cook for 5 minutes. Divide between the bowls/ramekins. Dampen the rims of the bowls with water, put a circle of pastry over each one, then press down over the sides. Make a small slash in the top of each pastry circle to let the steam out. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes on a baking sheet, until the tops are golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Potatoes, Poultry

Slow Roast Chicken with Vermouth and Mashed Potatoes with Crème Fraîche

It’s often said that a cookbook is worth its purchase price even if you only make a few recipes out of it. I’ve had the River Café Two Easy book for years but have never really been excited about most of the recipes in it — except this one. This is a roast chicken worth writing home about. You roast it at a very low temperature for three hours, flipping it over once an hour, then jack up the heat for the final 30 minutes to crisp the skin to a picture-perfect golden brown. The chicken is unbelievably moist — roasting it at such a low temperature makes it almost impossible to dry out — and the flavors of the lemon, garlic and rosemary in the cavity really penetrate into the meat. If you know you’ll be home all afternoon, there is no better dinner to make, as you can bask in the amazing aromas that will drift out from your kitchen for hours. Once you make this, I’m willing to bet that, like me, you won’t want to roast a chicken any other way again.

The tang of the crème fraîche in the mashed potatoes is a good match for the lemon and vermouth in the chicken. Depending on what time of year it is, I like to also serve this with simple sauteed carrots or green beans dressed with lemon and olive oil.

Slow Roast Chicken and Vermouth
adapted from River Café Two Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Serves 4

1 x 4.5‑lb (2‑kg) whole chicken
1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
7 fl oz (200 ml) water
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-dry vermouth or a dry white wine*

*Feel free to omit the alcohol altogether. It won’t really affect the flavor of the chicken, just the juices.

Preheat the oven to 175°F (80°C) and wipe the chicken clean.

Cut the lemon in half. Rub one half of the lemon all over the chicken, getting as much juice onto the skin as you can.

Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Peel the garlic, wash the rosemary and stuff it into the chicken, along with both lemon halves.

Place the chicken upside down in a roasting tin just large enough to hold it. Add the water. Cook for 1 hour, then turn right side up (I can usually just do this with my bare hands since the roasting temperature is so low). Return it to the oven and cook for another hour, then turn upside down again and cook for yet another hour.

Remove the chicken from the oven and raise the temperature to 400°F (200°C). Brush the melted butter all over the skin, season very well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and add the vermouth to the pan.

Return the chicken to the oven (make sure it finishes right side up) and cook for 30 minutes, until golden brown and the juices run clear. Strain the fat and serve with the lemony, salty juices from the pan.

***

Mashed Potatoes with Crème Fraîche
adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2002

Serves 6

3 1/2 lb (1. 5 kg) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (or any good mashing/boiling potato variety, such as Yukon Gold, Maris Piper or Kerr Pinks)
2/3 cup (160 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream
4 tablespoons (60 g) butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the crème fraîche and butter and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Potatoes can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over a low heat, stirring frequently.)

Pork, Potatoes, Poultry

Chicken and Chorizo Hash

Regular readers will already know that I’m a huge fan of Ina Garten, a.k.a. the Barefoot Contessa. In fact, after nearly a decade of hardly ever watching TV and happily making do with only four channels, one of which was the Irish language channel, I got cable last month just so I could watch her show. Her recipes are always outstanding, and she works her brand of magic to take something as classic or simple as, say, potato leek soup and turn it into the best version you’ve ever had.

Over the Christmas break I saw an episode where she made a chicken hash, and as I was watching it, I couldn’t help thinking that adding chorizo to the dish would make it better. I got the idea from a recipe I’ve made before, Nigella Lawson’s chicken and chorizo with cannellini beans, so I already knew it was a combination that works. I also substituted baby potatoes so that you don’t have to peel them, and even though I know chicken on the bone has more flavor than boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I adapted that too from her original to shave off a little time and eliminate a couple prep steps to make the recipe that much easier as a weeknight meal. The result was fantastic — the chorizo lent the entire dish a smoky, paprika-infused richness and transformed it from being just another ho-hum chicken dinner into something with a bit more kick.

Dare I say it, but I think I might have done the unthinkable — made a Barefoot Contessa recipe better.

Chicken and Chorizo Hash
adapted from Ina Garten

Serves 6

3 large chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb (225 g) chorizo sausage, sliced or cubed, depending on size
2 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
2 lb (900 g) baby potatoes, quartered or cut into bite-sized dice, depending on size
2 red onions, chopped
2 red peppers, large diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 scallions, white and green parts minced
a large handful of chopped fresh parsley
sour cream and cheddar cheese, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. With your hands, rub each piece on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle very generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan, then add the chorizo. Once the chorizo has started to release its oil and has become a little browned and crispy, remove the pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the same pan, then add the potatoes and onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute over a medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until evenly browned and cooked through.

In a separate saute pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the red peppers, garlic, thyme, paprika, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the edges of the peppers are seared.

Add the chicken and the pepper mixture to the potatoes along with the chorizo and heat through, stirring to combine all the ingredients. Add the scallions and parsley, toss together and place on a serving platter. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese on top.

Grains and pulses, Middle Eastern food, Poultry

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Mint Couscous

I’m forgoing resolutions this year for a motto instead, one my German language teacher used to always say in school — work smarter, not harder. As a freelancer with deadlines always looming, two young children to look after and a house to constantly clean up after them, it’s become something of a necessity these days. One of the ways I’ve been trying to put this into practice is rethinking the kinds of meals I make during the week. I’m not averse to spending time cooking — far from it — but getting dinner on the table with a four-and-a-half-year-old and a 20-month-old who’s becoming more mischievous by the day is getting harder and harder lately. So now I’m looking through my cookbooks with an eye to what can be made quickly, easily and will make enough to have as leftovers the next night, freeing me up to spend more time with the children instead of at the stove. This chicken tagine is one such meal, the kind that’s even better on the second day. Life’s too short for resolutions I won’t keep, but work smarter, not harder are words you can live by.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Mint Couscous
adapted from Rachel’s Favourite Food for Friends by Rachel Allen

Serves 4 to 6

Rachel Allen says that if you want to prepare this in advance (up to 24 hours), you could make the tomato sauce completely, let it cool (this is important) and toss the raw chicken pieces in it, then cover and put it all in the fridge. While it’s waiting for you, it will be marinating and even improving in flavor.

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 or 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of chopped tomatoes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
lime or lemon wedges, to serve
natural or Greek yogurt, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or pot (one that has a lid) over a medium heat. Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan (in two batches if you have to) and brown them for a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the carrots, onions, ground coriander, ground cumin, ginger and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper. Stir, then cook on a low heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, then add the chicken breasts back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce so that they’re covered. Cook on a low heat with the lid on, stirring every so often, for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Alternatively, if you want the chicken to become even more tender, cook for about 1 hour, until the chicken falls apart easily when you prod it with a fork (this is how I always make it).

To serve, add most of the chopped cilantro to the pot and stir. Spoon some couscous (see below) onto a plate and spoon the chicken and sauce on top, with a wedge of lemon or lime on the side and a dollop of Greek yogurt and a final sprinkle of cilantro.

***

Couscous with Lemon and Mint

Serves 4

2 cups (400 g) couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups (500 ml) boiling chicken stock or water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, cilantro or parsley

Place the couscous in a bowl, add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix well to coat the grains. Pour in the boiling stock or water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to sit in a warm place until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff up the couscous with a fork (not a spoon, or it will stay stuck together) and stir in the chopped herbs just before serving.

30-minute meals, Pasta and noodles, Poultry

Bow Ties with Chicken Sausage and Leek Sauce with Roasted Broccoli

Well, I’m still working though the “B” cookbooks at the library. After years of watching Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s show on PBS, I finally picked up one of her cookbooks. I will admit, I skipped the sizeable section on fresh pastas due to my fresh pasta phobia (I know, I know, how hard can it be) but found some interesting recipes for dry pastas. Tonight’s dinner was my attempt to lighten up one of those recipes. Chicken sausage is a great way to lower calories in a dish without sacrificing much flavor and since I normally have a package in my fridge on stand-by, it was an obvious choice. If anyone wants to make this with the pork sausage called for in the original recipe, let me know how it turns out.

Bow Ties with Chicken Sausage and Leek Sauce

from Lidia’s Italian Table

6 servings

6 quarts (about 5 liters) salted water
2 large leeks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 oz (340 g) chicken sausage, cut diagonally into 1/2 in. wide pieces
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup (140 g) defrosted and drained frozen baby peas
1 cup (240 ml) chicken or turkey stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (450 g) bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving

Bring the salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, prepare the leeks: Cut off and discard the top third of the rough green portion and the root ends. Remove any brown or wilted outer layers. Slice the remaining green and white parts into 1/2‑inch thick rounds. Rinse the leek slices in several changes of cold water, swishing them around to remove all soil and grit.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Toss the sausage in the skillet and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the peas, and stock. Heat to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover the skillet, and set aside.

Meanwhile, stir the bow ties into the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, uncover the pot. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente — tender, but firm — about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup (120 ml) of pasta water. Drain the bow ties well and return them to a pot over low heat.

Add the sausage and leek sauce to the pasta and toss well until the pasta is coated. Remove the pot from the heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the grated cheese, and toss well. If the mixture is too dry, add pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately, passing additional grated cheese on the side.

***

Roasted Broccoli

Serves 4

1 large head broccoli, broken into florets
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan
juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the broccoli on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil (a couple tablespoons or so) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly, making sure oil coats each floret. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until browned and just tender. Place the broccoli in a serving bowl, top with grated Parmesan and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.

Desserts, Fruit, Holidays, Italian food, Pasta and noodles, Poultry

Turkey Tetrazzini and Cranberry Buckle

This is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It’s an adaptation of Jamie Oliver’s chicken and mushroom pasta bake recipe (spaghetti tetrazzini), which he says is “really tacky but gorgeous.” It got me thinking about how foods or recipes are as subject to trends as anything else. Chef’s salad, cheese fondue, shrimp cocktail and deviled eggs have all had their day (though I still love shrimp cocktail and deviled eggs). But how could you go wrong with wine and cream? That will never go out of style as far as I’m concerned. What are some of your favorite tacky or untrendy foods?

Turkey Tetrazzini
adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver

Serves 4

1 oz (20 g) dried porcini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
12 oz (340 g) button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
2 to 3 cups cooked shredded or diced turkey
1 lb (450 g) spaghetti
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (200 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them (approx. 1/2 cup /120 ml). Put to one side to soak for a few minutes.

Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to a frying pan big enough to hold all the ingredients (including the pasta) with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine and the strained porcini soaking water and turn the heat down. Add the turkey to the pan. Simmer gently until the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. Add the cream to the pan of turkey, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy turkey sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or nonstick pan, sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp. Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving. (Alternatively, you could serve this right after adding the drained spaghetti and Parmesan to the creamy turkey sauce and skip putting it in the oven.)

***

cranberry buckle

Cranberry Buckle with Vanilla Crumb
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

You can keep the leftover vanilla crumb in the freezer for up to 3 months and either use it to make another cranberry buckle or as a fruit crisp topping (or you could just halve the amounts called for here for the crumb topping).

Serves 8 to 12

for the vanilla crumb (makes 2 cups):
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1/4 cup (40 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (110 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4‑inch cubes
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

for the cranberry buckle:
1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
2 cups (8 oz/225 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9‑inch square baking pan.

To make the vanilla crumb, combine the flour, sugars, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Pulse or blend until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Drizzle the vanilla over the mixture and either pulse or mix briefly to distribute the vanilla. Place the crumb mix in the freezer while you prepare the buckle.

To make the buckle, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest together on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Fold in half of the cranberries.

Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Distribute the remaining cranberries over the cake and sprinkle the crumb topping over the cranberries.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top. Wrapped in cling film, this cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

30-minute meals, Appetizers, Asian food, Miscellaneous, Poultry, Salads

Asian Chicken Salad with Greens and Scallion Pancakes

From Issaquah to Birmingham, towns across the globe are finding that the recession has driven consumers from the ubiquitous Borders or Barnes & Nobles back to public libraries. Libraries are especially useful for people like me who love drooling over glossy cookbook pages but are too cheap to actually buy them. The stash of cookbooks at our East Side library is so overwhelming that I’ve taken to letting Sam pick out the cookbook we bring home with us. This week, I decided to try random picks at the beginning of the alphabet. Tonight we had “B” for Bittman — Mark Bittman, the New York Times’s Minimalist with the most. I’ve made several of his recipes, clipped from the inky pages of the Times, but this was my first time browsing through one of his cookbooks. I couldn’t be happier with my choice (Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times). The book is filled with quick and easy recipes, just as it promises, with lots of notes on how to adapt the recipes depending on what you have on hand.

Though I’m not normally impressed with entree salads (it takes a lot of lettuce to fill me up), this chicken salad is truly satisfying. The scallion pancakes make a nice savory accompaniment, but a good baguette would work as well.

IMG_7747

Asian Chicken Salad with Greens
adapted from Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb (680 g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs (recommended) or breasts
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
3 tablespoons tahini or peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
a few drops of hot sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or other mild vinegar
1 cucumber
6 cups (7 oz/200 g) salad greens
2  scallions, chopped
cilantro and grated carrot, to garnish

Preheat the broiler. Cut the chicken meat into 1/2- to 1‑inch chunks, then place in a 13 x 9‑inch baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce.

In a blender, combine the remaining soy sauce with the tahini, sesame oil, garlic, hot sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Turn the blender on and add 1/3 cup (80 ml) hot water, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Cool the dressing in the refrigerator.

Broil the chicken, turning once or twice. Total cooking time will be 10 to 12 minutes for thighs or 6 to 8 minutes for breasts. Meanwhile, peel the cucumber (if it’s waxed), slice it in half the long way, and scoop out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon. Cut it into 1/2‑inch dice, and combine in a bowl with the dressing. When the chicken is done, let it rest and cool for a few minutes, then toss it and the cucumber with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the chicken and cucumbers on top of greens, garnished with cilantro and shredded carrot. Pass extra dressing so everyone can add dressing to his or her taste.

***

IMG_7745

Scallion Pancakes
from Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times

Serves 4

salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bunches scallions or spring onions, about 1 lb (450 g)
1 egg
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup (60 g) flour
peanut, canola or olive oil as needed

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil while you trim the scallions. Roughly chop three bunches, and mince the fourth.

Add the larger portion of scallions to the water, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked scallions in a blender, adding just enough of the cooking liquid to allow the machine to do its work.

Mix the puree with the egg and soy, then gently stir in the flour until blended. Add pepper to taste, then the reserved minced scallions. Film a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with oil, and turn the heat to medium-high. Drop the batter into the pan by the tablespoon or quarter cup, and cook about 2 minutes to a side, or until lightly browned. If necessary, the pancakes can be kept warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven for about 30 minutes.

Casseroles, Mexican food, Poultry

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas with Baked Acorn Squash

Last month I mentioned that I grew up in Texas, so it probably won’t surprise you that Tex-Mex food is my choice of comfort food. And nothing is more Tex Mex (or more comforting) than a steaming hot plate of cheesy, slightly spicy enchiladas. I’ve made quite a few different enchiladas recipes over the years, some with chicken, some with cheese, some red, some white, some green, but my most recent batch of sour cream chicken enchiladas may be my best rendition yet. It also happens to be one of the easier versions that I’ve made.

IMG_7634

Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from www.foodgeeks.com

Serves 4

3 cups (700 ml) water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup (55 g) butter
1/4 cup (30 g) flour
1 x 4‑oz (110‑g) can diced green chilies
1 cup (225 g) sour cream
1/2 lb (225 g) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
toppings: chopped cilantro, diced avocado, salsa

In a large saucepan, bring the water, chicken, salt, carrot, celery, and half of the onion to a boil. The water should cover the chicken by about a 1/2 inch; add more water if necessary. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through. Pour the chicken and vegetables through a strainer, reserving the broth. Set aside 2 cups (480 ml) of the broth, to be used for the sauce. The remaining broth can be frozen for later use. Discard the cooked vegetables. Cool the chicken, then shred it into pieces.

In a small frying pan, heat the vegetable oil. Fry each tortilla in the hot oil, about 30 seconds per side. Let the tortillas drain on a paper towel-covered paper grocery bag.

In a large saucepan (I use the same pan I cooked the chicken in), melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking frequently. Do not let the roux brown, but it should bubble. Whisk in the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the green chilies and sour cream. Cook the sauce until it’s smooth and creamy.

Lightly grease a 13 x 9‑inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup (240 ml) of sauce over the pan. Fill each tortilla with a couple tablespoons each of chicken, cheese, and the remaining onion. Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in the prepared pan. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly. Serve with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and salsa.

***

Baked Acorn Squash

Serves 2

acorn squash, or other winter squash
olive oil or butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut the squash in half, then scoop out the seeds and membrane. (I like to use a grapefruit spoon for this task.) Place the squash skin side down in a small roasting pan. Drizzle the squash with olive oil or place a pat of butter in the hollow of each, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tightly cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil, then roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender. You may want to add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water to the bottom of the pan to speed the cooking or when the squash is very large.