Sunday Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas Edition

I had a hard time coming up with what to make for dinner last night. With all my traveling, I haven’t had much time in the kitchen lately so I wanted to make something fun. I also wanted to make something I thought Jason would really like since last night’s meal is the only one I will be making until next weekend (and I feel bad that he is stuck eating random things while I am gone).  After pouring through my recipe binder, I decided to try a recipe for chicken enchiladas that I’d been holding onto for the last couple of years.

This particular recipe is for chicken enchiladas with salsa verde. I got the recipe a couple years ago after watching Tyler Florence make them on his Food Network show, Tyler’s Ultimate, but never got around to actually trying it out.

I wish I had made them sooner.

These were the real deal. I knew I was on to something when Jason tried the roasted tomatillo salsa by itself and said “Lindsay! This is awesome.”  I had to stop him from eating it all straight from the bowl. The rest of the enchilada is pretty great too—you make a sauce from onions, garlic, cumin, flour, and chicken broth and then add in some of the salsa and shredded rotisserie chicken. I could have eaten it straight from the pot—it was that good.

My only complaint? Not enough salsa. Next time I will double the salsa recipe so that I can douse the top of the enchiladas a bit more (and so that Jason can have some salsa to eat separately with chips). I will also try to buy a shredded cheese blend that does not contain cheddar, Colby, or other orange cheese—it just did not look right!

All in all I thought it was a tasty way to end my weekend at home and a good use of my limited time in the kitchen.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
Adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4 whole garlic cloves plus 3 garlic chopped garlic cloves
1 jalapeno
3 and a half teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 lime
Olive oil
½ medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 (14 ounce) can of low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup of flour
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed from the bones and shredded
1 package of medium flour tortillas
1 package of shredded cheese (Monterey Jack preferably)
Sour Cream (optional)

1.Make the salsa (you can do this ahead of time if you would like). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, 4 whole garlic cloves, onion, and jalapeno for 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor (or blender). Add 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, salt, cilantro, and juice from 1 lime and pulse until well combined. (Note: this is the amount included in the recipe. As I said above, I would recommend doubling amount of salsa.)
2.To make the enchiladas, start by heating some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft—about 5-7 minutes. Add chopped garlic and remaining cumin and cook for another minute or so.
3.Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir. Gradually add chicken stock. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the sauce thickens (it will eventually reach a gravy-like texture/thickness).
4.Turn off the heat. Add half of the salsa to the sauce. Fold in the shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).
5.Preheat (or change) oven to 350 degrees. Take a large baking dish and smear some of the remaining salsa on the bottom. Warm the flour tortillas slightly either in the microwave or oven (just want to make them a little more pliable).
6.Scoop two or three spoonfuls of filling onto the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with cheese and roll up like a cigar. Place seamside down into the baking dish.
7.Pour remaining salsa over top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with additional cheese.
8.Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Eating Like a Top Chef in Atlanta

While I was in Atlanta last week I had the opportunity to hang out with my cousin Chris for a few hours, which was nice since I really only get to see my extended family members once a year at Christmas. Chris is a college professor now (fancy!) and had to teach the night I was in town but he picked me up from my hotel in downtown Atlanta after his class was done and showed me around his new neighborhood. Chris just bought a new condo in the Westside, a very cool neighborhood full of hip restaurants, design stores, art studios and old brick warehouses that have been transformed into industrial chic homes for all the above.

It is also home to Richard Blaise’s (from Top Chef Chicago) restaurant—Flip Burger. Chris likes Top Chef as much as I do (ps it just started taping the next season in DC!).  Last winter he went to Kevin (from the most recent season)’s restaurant in Atlanta and raved about how amazing the food was. So when he suggested we swing by Flip Burger so he could eat dinner, I was in.

Picture courtesy of the Flip Burger Facebook Page

As you might guess from the name, burgers are the focus and they have everything from the classic style beef burger to a $39 burger made with Kobe beef and topped with foie gras to a vast assortment of non-traditional burgers (turkey, crab, lamb, etc.) Unfortunately, I had eaten dinner several hours earlier so I did not get to sample the main event but I did try some zucchini fries (which were really really good and came with an equally good gremolata mayo for dipping) and had the Nutella-Burnt Marshmallow milkshake which was pretty fantastic. Chris had the po boyger which was described as “shrimp patty, old bay mayo, shaved lettuce, tomato, fried lemon, Tabasco.” It looked awesome and, according to Chris, tasted awesome too.


I was pretty pleased by my first (albeit limited) taste of a Top Chef restaurant. Apparently there is talk about opening another location in the DC area. Here’s hoping to be able to try more of it in the future!

The Power of Positive Thinking

It was bound to happen eventually, I guess. After weeks of almost constant travel, it finally caught up with me this week. It being stress, exhaustion, and a general sense of feeling burnt out.

I had had a long day. I was feeling a little frustrated by some developments at work, including a overall sense of being over-worked and under-appreciated. But the tipping point was when Jason told me he was going to have to work some this weekend. I have come to rely on my weekends so much over the last few weeks and with the specter of my having to leave early Monday morning for yet another (week-long this time) trip, it was quite a blow to think that we wouldn’t have the free and easy weekend together I had been counting on. 

I had a meltdown.  A big one.

It was the perfect storm of work frustrations, personal disappointment, and exhaustion. And it resulted in one of those crying-so-hard-and-talking-so-fast-meltdowns that Jason had no idea what I was saying over the phone and I woke up the next morning with a headache and puffy eyes.

I got home last night still feeling  a little bummed out.  But after a good night’s sleep in my own bed and the prospect of two work-free days ahead, I am feeling a little better this morning.  And I have some things to look forward to: dinner with friends tonight, a free day to explore Seattle later this week, and the knowledge that in 10 days all of this travel craziness will be over and I can get back to my regular routine.  If I focus on that, maybe, just maybe, I will make it through.

I think I can, I think I can…

Since I've Been Gone

While I am doing all this traveling, poor Jason has been left to his own devices.  On the plus side, he has gotten to tinker with his computers in peace and to see Hot Tub Time Machine with willing participants who might actually appreciate its “comedic genius.” On the negative side, he has had to fend for himself food wise. This is what is on the menu for while I am gone this week:

I guess it could be worse. Last week he ate some concoction (that he came up with during his bachelor days) consisting of Pasta Roni and canned tuna.  Yum?

At least I'm in the home stretch now....4 states and 8 days of traveling to go!

What's In Your Wallet?

One of the things I love about Jason is how he shops around for everything. Whether it is a computer component, a camera, or book, he is always researching how he get the most for his (and now our) money. (He is apparently rubbing off on me-- I spent several hours the other night looking for the best garment steamer that I could buy with leftover giftcards from the wedding.)

But what cracks me up about this is his obsession with finding the “best” credit card. You know, the one that offers the most cash back or other perks. While I think cash back is great and that we should get some, that is all I have to say on the subject.  I am pretty sure Jason, on the other hand, thinks about it constantly.  Just today he sent me the following g-chat:

Jason: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/moneymag/0907/gallery.credit_cards.moneymag/6.html
we have two cards in this list
and the only other good card in it is the penfed one

Me: that’s good

What else could I say?! But at least I can sleep well knowing my credit cards...they're working for me!

A Taste of Summer (What Happened to Spring?)

As I write this, the temperature outside is 87 degrees. I had a meeting in DC today and was pretty much covered in sweat by the time I got off the crowded rush hour metro. It’s so hot, I broke down and turned on the AC (which I usually try to avoid doing for as long as possible). Which begs the question….what happened to spring?!  I hope it makes a comeback soon because I am not ready for summer quite yet.

Good thing I was planning to make Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad for dinner tonight. Full of fresh herbs (dill!), veggies (scallions, red onion, and cucumbers…oh my!), shrimp, and topped with a lemon vinaigrette, it is the ideal warm weather meal. It just tastes like summer…seriously!

It’s easy to make too—in the time it takes to cook the orzo you can pretty much have everything else ready to go. The key to the dish, though, is to make it at least an hour or so ahead of time so all the flavors have a chance to mingle and meld. I actually made this during my lunch hour (a definite benefit of working from home) so there was plenty of time for everything to come together. (It also makes for delicious leftovers which is good for Jason since I’m heading off tomorrow for yet another business trip.)

Mmm summer on a plate…even if it is two months too soon!

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad
Adapted slightly from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
½ pound orzo
¼ cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
¼ cup plus 1 TBL olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cucumber, seeded and diced
½ cup red onion, diced
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1.Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions (usually about 9-10 minutes) until done.  While pasta cooks, whisk together lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper.
2.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum foil. Place shrimp on pan, drizzle with 1 TBL olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for about 6 minutes until shrimp are cooked through.
3.When pasta is done, drain and pour into a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over hot pasta and stir well.
4.Add shrimp to the orzo and then add scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, and salt/pepper to taste. Toss well. Add feta and stir carefully.
5.Set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour (more if you can do it!) or you can also refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature before serving.

Planning Our Future, Together

One of the hardest things about being married for me (aside from divvying up the household chores and living in tight quarters) has been getting used to the whole notion of shared decision making.  I don’t know about a lot of you, but prior to getting married I was an independent person who really did not rely on anyone else to make important life decisions. Sure, I would ask my parents or close friends, people who I trust and respect, for advice from time to time, but when push came to shove, I was the one responsible for my fate. And there is a lot of freedom in not having to answer to anyone but yourself. That changes quite a bit once you say “I do.” All of sudden, you are a part of a team. And every decision, big or small, has the ability to impact the other person. So it is important that couples get into the habit of making these decisions together. Otherwise you could find yourself in an unhappy situation down the road (to say the least).

The first time I really came face to face with this idea of having to make any/all decisions TOGETHER was last fall when my phone died. At the time, Jason and I still had separate Verizon accounts and while we had been talking about getting on a family share plan and upgrading our phones, we had not yet taken that step. When my phone died, it seemed like just that push we needed to move ahead.  Well it just so happened my phone died two weeks before the Motorola Droid was about to come out. And being the tech guru that he is, Jason just did not want to make any changes to his account/upgrade his phone until the Droid was out.  Basically he thought I should just go two weeks without a phone. I, on the other hand, thought I deserved to be able to communicate with the outside world and that he should stop being a poop-head (to put it nicely). So for two days we argued about stinking phones. Eventually, we found a compromise that met both our needs (and that allowed us both to get Droids in the process) but it certainly illustrated to me just how complicated this whole marriage/making decisions together thing can be.

Fast forward to the last several months where we have moved past phones and are now talking about much bigger things like how much money to spend/save and where to live. Jason and I have been talking about our future A LOT lately. As I previously mentioned, we are saving up to buy a house.  But before we can take that step we need to figure out where we should be looking. The DC Metro area is pretty big. And where you live here depends on a) how much you can afford (given that the DC metro area is also one of the most expensive areas to live in) and b) where you work/how far you are willing to commute (assuming you aren't millionaires which we are not).

Jason and I are both considering whether we want to change jobs in the not too distant future which means that issue needs to be figured out before we can get too far in the housing search. This is turning out to be easier said than done. Already we are running in to issues of possible job opportunities that are NO WHERE near each other (i.e. potentially in different states, several hours away from each other) which means one of three things could happen:  1) one or both of us could end up with a really bad commute (which neither of us particularly want to do) if we both end up with these disparate jobs and try to live somewhere in the middle; 2) one of us may end up not being able to pursue the job he/she is interested in (also a sucky option); and/or 3) we may end up having to leave the DC Metro area completely.

This is complicated stuff. Really complicated.  To be honest, I am really scared that someone could end up unhappy and maybe even resentful down the road if we aren’t careful. But I am comforted by the fact that we are both open to the possibilities, that we are talking about it a lot, and we are committed to finding a compromise that will make both of us happy in the long-run.  (I am also keeping my fingers crossed that other opportunities will come up that won’t necessitate us having to make some of these difficult choices.)  And if nothing else, I know that we are in it together (which is one of the best things about being married).