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Spice Rubbed Chicken Breast with Green Onion Slaw

May 22, 2013 by foodmuses

May 22nd is the Fourth Anniversary for
Food Musings!

It’s been my pleasure to express myself through this blog as well as a privilege to share over 300 recipes with all of you!  And in celebration of this anniversary, I’m republishing one of the first recipes I posted on this site.  It also reminds me to retry some recipes that have been really successful like this Spice Rubbed Chicken.

This Bobby Flay recipe is high in flavor but low in calories.  The Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce is a must and I’ll use that recipe for other grilled chicken dishes too.

Measuring out 16 spices seemed like a major waste of time for me so I merely shook each spice jar into a small bowl either twice (for one TB), once (for 1 TS), and so on. 
This made more than enough spice mixture for both chicken breasts. 
I also used skinless breasts and they came out fine, especially with the sauce that is drizzled on after grilling.
Our favorite part of the meal was the Green Onion Slaw.  I will definitely use this slaw recipe again as it has very little mayo but still tastes rich because of the blended green onions and chiles.

This recipe was tasty and healthy with no waste so I’d rank it very highly for a two person meal.  Just cut all ingredients  half except for the 16 spices.  And, if you’re single you’ve got a great lunch for tomorrow as the chicken and slaw preserve well until the next day.

Chicken:

  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  • Heaping 1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 (8-ounce) boneless chicken breasts, skinless
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce

Green Onion Slaw:

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped green onions, white and green parts
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 serrano chiles
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small head of purple cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

For Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce – Combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To make the dressing for the Slaw, combine the green onions, vinegar, honey, chiles, mayonnaise, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend until emulsified.

Combine the cabbage, red onion and poppy seeds in a bowl, add the dressing, and stir until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate while you grill the chicken or for up to 1 hour.

For the Chicken….Heat your grill to high.

Stir together the ancho powder, pasilla powder, cumin, coriander, ginger, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, chile de arbol, 2 tablespoons salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl.

Brush both sides of the breasts with the oil and season with salt. Rub the top side of each breast with a few tablespoons of the rub and place on the grill, rub side down. Grill each side for 5 minutes (10 minutes total) on direct heat, then 10 minutes each side (20 min total) on indirect heat.  30 minutes total cooking time.

Remove the chicken from the grill and drizzle with the black pepper vinegar sauce. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve the slaw on the side.

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Posted in Calorie Conscious, Cooking for One or Two, Cooking Tips, Dinner, Entertaining, Food Musings, Grilling, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Sides | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Quick and Easy Stacked Enchiladas

May 13, 2013 by foodmuses

Why roll your enchiladas when they are so much easier to stack?

Enchiladas (2)

I have to admit, I never roll enchiladas anymore.  They always end up being cut into by guests like a casserole anyway and are a hassle to roll.  This easy method of stacking works well and looks amazing for your guests.  I have several recipes I use…sometimes by scratch and sometimes just adding to canned Enchilada sauce.

If you want a really easy recipe, just use a baked chicken from your grocery store and add some sauteed onions (you must sautee the onion) and the Enchilada Sauce and Cheese.  By stacking the enchiladas you’re saving time and have an instant any night meal to make in 30 minutes or less!

But, if you want to spice it up a bit and add tasty seasoned ground beef, then try the recipe below.  I tend to make my sauce very spicy but you can just use the regular enchilada sauce if you’re cooking for kids or those who don’t want heart burn.

Next time I plan to stack my Enchiladas in a tasty Sour Cream sauce and chicken similar to the my popular Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Enjoy!

Stacked Enchiladas

Serves 8, reduce ingredients by half for dinner for two plus leftovers.

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 lbs ground beef (lean)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • Salt, cumin and chili powder to taste (or taco seasoning)
  • 1 can (28 oz.) red chile sauce, (same as Enchilada Sauce) mild

Optional Add:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons  finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (*see note)
  • 2 tablespoons dark chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup water (if needed)
  • 12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
  • 1 lb shredded Mexican style cheese (I like the 4 kinds mixed)

For Garnish

  • Sliced green onion

You will need 4 pie pans

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook onion with olive oil, stirring often until softened.  Add burger meat and cook until done.  I like to add salt, cumin, and chili powder to taste here too.

In a large bowl mix red chile sauce through water (if water is needed – you want a thin sauce).  Ladle some of the blended sauce into the 4 pie pans.  Put most of the rest into a fifth pie pan or deep plate

To make enchilada stacks, dip 1 tortilla in chile sauce in the deep plate to coat on both sides. Place in a pie pan. Repeat with two other tortillas on other pans. Spread each tortilla evenly with a heaping 1/3 cup meat mixture, then with 1/4 cup cheese and a dollop of sauce. Repeat layering with 3 more tortillas, dipping them in sauce, then adding ground beef mixture and cheese to make 3 stacks of 3 layers. (You’ll use most of the meat but not all the cheese or sauce.)  Dip the last 3 tortillas in sauce, place each, on stack, and sprinkle with some sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake enchiladas until hot in the center and cheese bubbles on top, 15-20  minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a salad or slaw.   Offer remaining chile sauce with a ladle.

 

*Note – When opening a new can of chipotle peppers I process all of it in a food processor.  Then divide it into small baggies and keep in your freezer.  This way I don’t waste the leftovers and am able to use it whenever I need!

Posted in Beef, Casseroles, Cooking Tips, Dinner, Entertaining, Food Musings, Mexican, Poultry, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Mexican Chicken with Almond-Chile Cream

May 5, 2013 by foodmuses

A Super Easy and Tasty Meal for Two!

Mexican Chicken with Almond Cream Sauce (5)

I prepared this delicious meal last week and recommend it as an any night meal for two.  Of course you could increase the ingredients for a family meal.  I loved the way this came together in less than 30 minutes but tasted like it took a few hours!

Always use a good quality Chile powder…I usually prefer the type you purchase in the Mexican food section of just about any grocery store.  They hang in plastic bags with lots of other Mexican spices and cost a lot less than spices in jars.  If the package doesn’t say “Ancho” then pick the darkest Chile powder you see.

We served it with a simple salad and 1 avocado diced up.  You could also use tortillas as a side and slice the chicken smaller for a tasty taco.  Bon Appetit!

Mexican Chicken with Almond-Chile Cream

 Inspired by Cooking Light January 2005

  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 2 teaspoons ground Ancho Chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken breast tenderloins
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 Pasilla Pepper, sliced bite sized
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream
  • Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)

Combine almonds, chile powder and cumin in a food processor; process until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Place each chicken tenderloin between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add Pasilla Pepper to pan: cook 3 minutes.  Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add almond mixture, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in Sour Cream. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Posted in Cooking for One or Two, Cooking Tips, Mexican, Poultry, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Mustard

April 30, 2013 by foodmuses

“What makes this entrée so flavorful? Tucking garlic slices into the lamb and covering the meat with a puree made of garlic, Dijon mustard, rosemary, and lemon.”

My husband Greg is not a fan of lamb so I tend to order Lamb Chops or Rack of Lamb in restaurants much more often than I prepare it myself.  I first published this recipe in 2010 and just ran across it again.  Since I plan to prepare it soon, I thought I’d share it again with all of you.

You’ll need to take a trip to your local meat market to insure that you have just the right size and quality Leg of Lamb.   I can offer this HUGE tip…go directly to the Head Butcher when you order this piece.  It really is important that it be a “well-trimmed 6-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied to even 2-inch thickness”.

I have to admit that the piece I brought home was not the same thickness overall.  But, Greg, my solver of all problems grill related (and favorite sous chef) solved this potential grilling issue by simply cutting the piece into 3 pieces.  In this way he could grill the thicker piece differently from the thinner pieces.

Greg’s plan worked and the meal couldn’t have turned out more delicious!  We served the lamb with a delicious Chipotle Corn Pudding and green beans.  I can’t wait to try it again.

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Mustard

Bon Appétit | April 2010

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

1 well-trimmed 6-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied to even 2-inch thickness
8 garlic cloves, peeled, divided
1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh Italian parsley sprigs

Open lamb like book on work surface. Using tip of small knife, make 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb. Thinly slice 4 garlic cloves. Insert garlic slices into slits in lamb. Combine remaining 4 garlic cloves, mustard, olive oil, white wine, rosemary, and lemon juice in processor. Blend until coarse puree forms. Spread underside of lamb with half of puree. Place lamb, seasoned side down, in 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread remaining puree over top of lamb. Cover lamb with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Let lamb stand at room temperature 2 hours. Coat grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle lamb generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill lamb to desired doneness, about 17 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to cutting board; let rest 10 to 20 minutes.

Thinly slice lamb against grain. Overlap slices on platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs.

Posted in Cooking Tips, Entertaining, Food Musings, Grilling, Holiday Cooking, Lamb, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Sauteed Cod

April 13, 2013 by foodmuses

Kick off your Spring cooking with this delicious fish supper.

sauteed cod (6)

This dish is surprisingly light tasting, tasty and healthy!  It’s the perfect way to get going with spring cooking and away from heavy sauces and slow cooking.  You can use any firm white fish, in fact I’m going to try it with halibut cheeks next.

It’s such a quick meal that you can make it any day of the week but also pretty enough to serve for a nice dinner for friends and family.

Sautéed Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

  • 1-1/2 pounds fresh cod fillets (or other firm white fish)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 teaspoons fish seasoning with lemon peel (I used 3 teaspoons tarragon/shallot/citrus seasoning )
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • Sliced citrus for garnish

Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. In 1 gallon baggie, combine flour, fish seasoning, salt and pepper; add fish. Close bag; shake gently to lightly coat cod.

In nonstick skillet, heat oil in over medium heat; add cod and sauté until golden and thickest part of fish flakes easily with fork, turning once (8-10 minutes).

Remove fish to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining fillets.

Deglaze the pan with white wine. Cook, stirring over high heat until reduced by about one-third. Stir in remaining butter and drained capers.

Plate fish and drizzle sauce over each fillet.  Serve with Shallot Green beans and Parsley Potatoes.

Posted in Calorie Conscious, Cooking for One or Two, Dinner, Entertaining, Fish Recipes, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Pho – Vietnamese Style Noodle Soup

April 1, 2013 by foodmuses

Quick and Easy, this any day of the week meal is tasty and healthy too!

Pho

Even though winter is over, this is a soup I’ll prepare throughout the year.  It’s just that good!

There’s a lot of chopping involved for the garnish but it is really worth it.  In fact, to make this an easy dish to prepare anytime, you can chop your veggies the night before.

The recipes I read all called for fish sauce as an ingredient but I don’t always have that on hand and some grocery stores don’t even carry it.  So I used soy sauce instead and it worked out just fine.  I play around with the spices a lot depending on my mood and taste.  Start with the basics for your sautée but feel free to use more later to enhance the flavor.  Feel free to use beef or pork in this soup too.  Next time I’m going to use raw beef slices and actually cook them in the soup.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Pho – Vietnamese Style Noodle Soup

  • 2-3 cups cooked chicken chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 tablespoons peanut oil or 4 tablespoons sesame oil
  • Spices – I add more later to taste
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    1 tablespoon ground cloves
    1 tablespoon anise seed
    1 teaspoon allspice
    1 tablespoon cardamom
    1/2 tablespoon coriander
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce (more or less depending on taste)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 (16 ounce) packages rice noodles

Garnish – any or all

  • 7 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 head cabbage ( thinly sliced or minced)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 2 jalapenos, minced
  • 1 bunch bean sprouts
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 1 bunch mint
  • sriracha sauce
  • hoisin sauce
  • celery leaves

1.    Soak rice noodles in very, hot tap water.
2.    Heat oil in a large, deep skillet on medium hot.
3.    Sautée onions, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and spices (beef or pork if using)
4.    Add broth, soy sauce, and sugar.
5.    Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-30 minutes.  Taste and add more spices if needed halfway.
6.    Add chicken and simmer until chicken is warm.
7.    Rinse rice noodles and chop into 4-5 inch pieces.
8.    Place noodles in bowls, pour broth and meat over noodles.
9.    Add any or all garnish desired.

Posted in Asian Food, Beef, Calorie Conscious, Cooking for One or Two, Dinner, Pork, Poultry, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes, Soup | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Posole Soup

March 28, 2013 by foodmuses

Rich and Spicy…this is a tasty Mexican soup that’s easy to prepare.

Posole (7)

Since I’ve never cooked with Hominy, I decided to try a Posole (or Pozole) Soup.  I was curious as to where this type of soup comes from and apparently, the Aztecs originally prepared it for special occasions with meat you don’t even want to think about!  It has evolved over the years and is served in many Mexican restaurants today, usually with pork.

I found that dried Hominy is very difficult to get soft through soaking or boiling.  The next time I prepare this meal it will be with canned Posole.  As in many dishes, the garnishes are extremely important to texture and flavor.  Fresh or dilled cabbage, cilantro and lime wedges complete the dish by giving it color and crunch.

The Posole holds up until the next day and believe me, leftover soup is always better the next day.  Enjoy this soup before the weather warms up too much!

Posole (Mexican Soup with pork and hominy)

Posole (13)

  • 1 ½ pound pork, cut into bite sized cubes (I used Pork Loin but Pork Shoulder works well too)
  • 4 tablespoons bacon fat
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Black pepper
  • 7 ounce can diced green chili pepper
  • 12 ounces dried posole (whole hominy kernels) (or 1-2 cans drained)
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • Salt
  • Cilantro, shredded dilled cabbage, avocado, cheese, and lime wedges for garnish

Boil dried posole in water until tender, drain (unless you have cans, then just drain)

In a large pan, brown the pork in bacon fat.  Add garlic and spices and cook a few more minutes.

In a pot, add all ingredients except cilantro, cabbage and lime wedges. (If using canned hominy,  add in last two hours).

Cook for one or two hours

Garnish

 

Posted in Calorie Conscious, Dinner, Mexican, Pork, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes, Soup | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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