Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe- these are sweeter than most enchilada recipes I have tried. I left out the jalapeno pepper.

 

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: Makes 12 enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (fajita-size for flour tortillas)
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you are using. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool. Continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the leftover onion mixture from the strainer to a large bowl and set aside.
4. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture in the large bowl. Also stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
5. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
6. Heat oven to 400 F. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.
7. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe, letting the sauce, onions and chicken come to room temperature before assembling the enchiladas. Finish following the recipe instructions and instead of baking, cover the pan with a layer of tin foil and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Alternately, the assembled enchiladas can be covered with a double layer of tin foil and put inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag (if you don’t have a jumbo-sized bag, make sure the edges of the pan are sealed well with tin foil). Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, baking for 1 1/2 hours covered at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake an additional hour until hot and bubbly.

Heavenly Blueberry and Cream Angel Dessert

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

Blueberry Filling:
• 12 ounces frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 tablespoon) 
•  
Cake and Cream:
• Baked, cooled and cubed angel food cake 
• 16 ounces light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk (can use skim evaporated milk)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
•  
Whipped Cream:
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

1. For the blueberry filling, in a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. For the cake and cream layer, in a blender or with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), whip together the cream cheese, half-and-half or evaporated milk and sugar until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a bowl if you used a blender. Fold in the angel food cake cubes. Keep in mind (from the note above) that you may not use all the cake cubes, especially if using an angel food cake mix. Add cake cubes until they are all thickly coated with a layer of cream. If making this in advance, it can dry out if there is too much angel food cake added.
3. For the whipped cream, beat together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.
4. To assemble, in a trifle dish or in a large glass bowl, spread half of the angel food cake mixture. Top with half of the blueberries, spreading evenly across, and then spread half of the sweetened whipped cream. Repeat the layers.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.

How to soften butter in the microwave

This is so great! It works every time. 

Place the butter on one end and microwave for 4 seconds.  Then turn it on the other end and microwave for another 4 seconds.  Then lay it flat and microwave for 4 seconds.  Then flip it over to the opposite side and microwave for another 4 seconds.

If I'm using margarine I shorten the time to 3 seconds.

Andes Triple Chocolate Mint Pudding Cookies

From momontimeout.com

* I had to add about another 1/2 cup of  flour to the recipe because the dough was too wet to stick to the andes mint. Everything was sticking to my fingers and not the mint.  

Ingredients

Cookies
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• (1) 3.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2 Tbls water
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Andes creme de menthe baking chips
• 24 Andes mints
Drizzles
• 1/2 cup Andes creme de menthe baking chips
• 4 oz white candy coating (I used CandiQuik)
• 1/2 tsp mint extract
• green gel food coloring
• 
  

Instructions

Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, pudding mix,baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream sugars and butter together until light and fluffy.
4. Add in egg, vanilla and water and beat until well blended.
5. Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
6. Fold in chocolate chips and Andes baking chips.
7. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
8. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of cookie dough. Form into a ball and press an Andes mint into the center. Fold dough around mint and slightly flatten. Place on prepared cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 8 minutes or until they are set. Do not over bake.
10. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
Drizzle
11. Melt andes chips in a small bowl in microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Transfer to a plastic bag and cut off a corner of the bag. Just a little bit so you have a nice thin drizzle.
12. Drizzle over the top of cooled cookies.
13. Melt candy coating according to package directions. Stir in extract and food coloring and transfer to a piping bag or plastic bag. Cut off the corner and drizzle over cookies.
14. Let drizzles set up before storing in an airtight container.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
* After making this recipe, it made way more than six wraps.  I would probably cut the amount of rice in half the next time I make it.  I used chicken that I had pressure canned and left out the bell pepper. 

Yield: Makes 6 wraps

Note: This is one of the most adaptable recipes on here (reading through the comments will prove that – your variations sound amazing!). Feel free to up the cilantro, add in a different meat of your choice, eliminate the pepper, add green chilies – seriously, the options are endless.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/2 red or green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
• Sour cream (optional)
• 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions

1. Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Recipe Source: original recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe