chicken enchiladas

The other night I had a hankering for a casserole-like dish, but also for something resembling a burrito (I always want a burrito, you see). Voila! Enchiladas. I remember wanting to try this recipe in Everyday Food. Of course, I had to add beans, because beans=love. I also added some of that pesky ham that I can't seem to use up. This was such a good winter night dish, and a great dish if you want something that will make good leftovers and/or freeze well. Spicy, warming comfort food without a whole lot of guilt. This was my first time making enchiladas and I now realize I need to make enchiladas far more often. The possibilities are endless!!

Chicken, Bean and Ham Enchiladas

-about 1 cup of chicken stock, plus water to make 1 inch in a pan
-2 whole cloves of garlic
-salt
-2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
-1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 jalepeno pepper, minced
-about 1 cup of finely chopped ham
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 shallot, chopped fine
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 to 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo
-about 14 ounces of chicken stock
-1/2 cup water
-10 corn tortillas (6-inch)
-1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

In a pan with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1 inch of chicken stock with 2 whole cloves of garlic to a boil. Add chicken. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let chicken steam, covered, until opaque throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Shred chicken with 2 forks, and place in a bowl with the beans, ham and jalepeno.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic and shallots; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour, cumin, and chipotles in adobo; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl with chicken mixture; toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture; roll up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and top with cheese. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Ham & Walnuts in Sage Butter

Still using up that ham! Also, I had some sweet potatoes that were begging me on their little yammy knees to be made into gnocchi. I could I say no? People, you need to pay attention to this recipe. I don't put up anything on this blog that tastes bad (unless it's hilarious), but this meal is ESPECIALLY delicious. Just sayin'. You might have gleened the tastiness factor from the fact that it contains cheese, butter, ham and nuts, but I just wanted to make sure you understood. Yum.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

-4 small sweet potaoes
-1 15 oz. tub part-skim ricotta, drained in a colander lined with paper towels for a half hour
-1 1/2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese
-1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
-2 Tblsp. brown sugar
-2 tsp. salt
-about 2 cups of AP flour, plus more for dusting

Prick potatoes with a fork and microwave until fully cooked and soft...about 10 minutes (turning once). Cut potatoes in half and let cool. Scoop out the insides and mash them well in a bowl. Add ricotta and blend well. Add the Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar and mix well. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

Separate the dough into 4 pieces, and one at a time on a floured surface, roll each piece into a long rope, about 1 inch thick. Cut the rope into bite-size dumplings and gently roll each dumpling on the back of a fork (dip fork in flour to avoid sticking) to make ridges. Set formed gnocchi onto a sheet pan lined with parchment and repeat with the rest of the dough.

Set aside about 20 of the gnocchi for this recipe, and freeze the rest on the sheet pans for at least 1 hour before transferring them to freezer bags.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. In a couple batches, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Ham and walnuts in sage butter

-1 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
-about 10-12 fresh sage leaves, minced, plus a few whole ones for garnish
-1 cup of diced ham
-a handful of walnut pieces
-cooked sweet potato gnocchi
-salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet with garlic. Cook until the garlic starts to soften. Add butter, sage, ham and walnuts, and cook until the whole sage leaves are crispy and the ham is starting to brown. Add gnocchi and gently toss to coat, then heat through. Season and serve.