Recipes – Page 64 – The Pajama Chef

{Green} Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

April 22, 2013April 21, 2013 Sarah

Oops. After sharing that awesome guacamole salsa last week I never came back with these yummy vegetarian enchiladas! I was too busy finishing what I hope to be the FINAL draft of my thesis! Woohoo. But here they are now. GREEN enchiladas! How fun, methinks.

These enchiladas are pretty simple, but full of flavor. Refried beans–a healthy version–plus a dab of cream cheese for creaminess makes up the filling for the soft tortillas. Then these tortillas are basically bathed in that fresh guacamole salsa and topped with more cheese. Yum and yum and yum, right? Ben and I found them to be ridiculously addictive and filling… they were gone in three days, tops.

I know these enchiladas are far from traditional–no real enchilada sauce and flour tortillas instead of corn… but I hope you don’t mind too much, because they just taste so darn good. Plus they are pretty. Can’t beat pretty food! Enjoy! 🙂

{Green} Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
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Ingredients:

1 batch Guacamole Salsa
2 1/2 cups refried beans – I used this awesome healthified version from Rachel Cooks
4 ounces cream cheese – I used Neufchâtel
8 soft tortillas
4 ounces shredded cheese – I used half Extra Sharp Cheddar, half Monterey Jack

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread 1 cup Guacamole Salsa in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together refried beans and cream cheese [microwave the beans first so the cream cheese melts]. Then divide the beans between the tortillas, roll up, and line in pan.

Top with another 1 1/2 cups Guacamole Salsa [or more if desired], then cover with shredded cheese.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Appetizers, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces

Guacamole Salsa

April 15, 2013April 19, 2013 Sarah

I found the recipe for Guacamole Salsa through Pinterest a long time ago. And I don’t know why I waited so long to make it. Maybe it’s because regular guac is so phenomenal? Idk. But what I do know is that this salsa is pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me. Well, maybe that’s a wee bit of an exaggeration–knowing Jesus and meeting/loving/marrying Ben rank a little higher up there… but this is a close third. It’s just. so. good!!!

It’s like guacamole meets salsa [duh] made with tart, bright tomatillos, avocado, and cilantro, as well as a bunch of other fresh veggies. It has the consistency of salsa with the creaminess of guacamole–the best of both worlds… am I right? It’s fresh, garlicky, and a bit spicy… but you can tone it up/down with the jalapeno as desired–so don’t shy away if spice isn’t your thing.

Basically… this salsa is the best thing ever. Once you make a batch, you’ll always keep a jar in the fridge. You’ll be pouring it on absolutely everything, from wraps to burrito bowls to eggs to salads… that is, if you don’t eat it all with a spoon!

And be sure to come back on Wednesday for the enchiladas I made with this salsa. OH my goodness, if those aren’t reason enough to make some of this salsa, I don’t know what is! Enjoy your day! 🙂

Guacamole Salsa [from Frosted Bake Shop]

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Ingredients:

16 ounces tomatillos, husks removed and washed
1 jalapeno pepper, washed and deseeded [if desired]
1 avocado
1 thick slice of onion
2 garlic cloves
1/3 bunch cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt
crushed red pepper

Directions:

Place tomatillos in bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse to puree until smooth. Then add jalapeno, avocado, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse until smooth, then add salt and crushed red pepper to taste.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Time: 5 minutes.

Yield: 4 cups.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Pork, Quinoa, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Pork Chops with Quinoa, Kale, and Blood Orange

April 12, 2013April 12, 2013 Sarah

I’ll be totally honest: before this spring, I had never tasted a blood orange. Of course I’d heard them hyped up online and in food mags, but for some reason had never had them in real life. Crazy, huh? So I picked up some during the same shopping trip where I found some majorly discounted pork chops nearing their expiration date [no problemo, just throw them in the freezer]. I came home and this dinner promptly appeared on our plates. Cool, huh?

Well, it wasn’t QUITE that simple. I had to mix some things up and do a little work, but other than that, this dinner was a cinch to throw together. And quite tasty too. So after we devoured it, I quickly wrote down what I did so I could share it here with you!

I’m not sure what the best part of this dinner was: the sweet, garlicky, vinegary pork chop? The tender sauteed kale? The nutty ‘n citrusy quinoa? I don’t know, but what I do know was that each bite was just so darn good! And it’s pretty fabulous that this dinner comes together in about 30 minutes. You gotta try it! If you don’t get around to til after blood orange season has passed, then try it with regular navel oranges, or grapefruit, or even clementines. The more I think about it, the citrusy freshness was definitely my favorite part. Enjoy! 🙂

Pork Chops with Quinoa, Kale, and Blood Orange [a The Pajama Chef original]
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Ingredients:

2 pork chops
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 blood orange: zest all of it, juice half of it, and slice the other half of it
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 bunch kale, washed, dried, stems removed, and chopped
freshly ground black pepper
salt
garlic powder

Directions:

Place pork chops in a shallow bowl. Whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, red pepper, and half the blood orange zest. Pour over pork chops and marinate for 10 minutes as you start preparations for the quinoa and walnuts.

Prepare quinoa according to package directions–but instead of just using 1 cup water, use juice of 1/2 the orange and make up the difference with water. Also add the remaining half of the blood orange zest.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a small skillet set over medium heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally. When toasted, chop walnuts.

Now, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and marinade to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. [Don’t forget to watch the walnuts!] Remove pork chops from pan to a plate; cover to keep warm.

Add kale to hot skillet, stir to coat with pan juices. Saute until kale is tender, and season with pepper, salt, and garlic powder as desired.

Serve pork chops on top of kale and quinoa, dressing with pan juices, chopped walnuts, and blood orange slices.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Appetizers, Recipes

SRC: Herb, Tomato, and Cheese Crackers

April 8, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

Happy SRC Day! I love being part of the Secret Recipe Club and getting to explore a new blog every month. If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month I was assigned to Sawsan’s blog, Chef in Disguise. Sawsan writes this wonderful blog from Jordan–a country halfway around the world from my home in Indiana. It’s crazy how blogs and technology can make what is so geographically far so close. Chef in Disguise has tons of wonderful sounding recipes–like Peppermint Chocolate Almond Butter, Coconut Cake, and Fattoush (a Middle Eastern bread salad). Now that this recipe is posted and the secret is out, I can pin away yummy recipes without Sawsan’s suspicions aroused. 🙂

This month, I wanted to try to make a completely new type of recipe–something I’ve never made before: homemade crackers. For some reason I always thought they were complicated to make, but that’s ridiculously far from the truth. At least, that’s what Sawsan’s blog taught me. She has several homemade cracker recipes but I wanted to go with a classic cheese cracker. Now, these classic cheese crackers are fancied up with sundried tomatoes, herbs, and spices. Fannncy!

In a way, the flavor of these crackers reminded me of pizza–so if you’re not a cheesy tomato person, you might wanna check out the link and see some of Sawsan’s other cracker recipes. I can totally see dipping these in a creamy ranch dip or a spicy marinara sauce for a lovely appetizer. YUM!

And let me tell you–though these are fancy crackers with great flavor, they are incredibly simple to make. You just mix up the dough, roll it into a log, chill for an hour or so, take it out, and bake. Easy as that! Just like slice ‘n bake cookies. Except, slice ‘n bake crackers. 🙂 New business venture, anyone?!? Next time I make them, I’m going to roll it into a thinner, longer log to have smaller crackers. These crackers were thick and a bit chewy, and I’d like to try them thin and crispy. No matter how you slice them, these Herb, Tomato, and Cheese Crackers are amazing! Thanks for a great recipe, Sawsan!

Herb, Tomato, and Cheese Crackers [from Chef in Disguise]
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Ingredients:

6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes [drained, if oil packed, soaked in water if dry]
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Combine cheese, butter, and tomatoes. Then, add flour, salt, and herbs/spices. Mixture will be somewhat crumbly. Roll the dough into a log and wrap with saran or foil.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. [Can also be frozen for several months.]

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Thinly slice log and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Time: 15 minutes, plus chill time.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Note: can substitute 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence for all the 1/8 teaspoon herbs/spices above.

Be sure to check out the other SRC posts today here:

Have a wonderful Monday!!

Bars, Desserts, Recipes

Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars

April 5, 2013April 5, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

this post is originally from June 14, 2012

I first had the pleasure of enjoying these rich, flavorful, awesome bars at Thanksgiving last year. My sister-in-law made them (I think), and Ben and I just couldn’t stop eating them. I mean, could you??

Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars | The Pajama Chef

After we got home, I was saddened by the thought that all the Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars were gone… but then it was Christmas cookie time and Girl Scout Cookie time and more desserts came and went. Then, one fateful day… I pulled out a bag of dark chocolate chips and saw the recipe right on the side of the bag! I knew it was meant to be, and so I made a batch of Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars. They are salty and sweet… absolutely perfect for chocolate cravings!

These layered bar cookies begin with a basic buttery crust, then are topped with a layer of ooey gooey dark chocolate goodness, and covered with more buttery crumbs and more dark chocolate chips. If you want, you can even add nuts to the topping–I didn’t, because I don’t really like nuts with chocolate, but if you do… go right ahead! This simple dessert looks impressive, but you don’t have to tell anyone that the recipe came from the side of a bag of chocolate chips and they come together in no time at all. I know these are a treat we’ll be making for years to come, and I hope you will give them a try too!

Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars [from Very Best Baking]
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Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt <— I usually leave salt out of recipes, but this is an integral part of this one!
1 2/3 cups (10 ounce package) dark chocolate chips, divided
1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Add butter to a mixer bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually add in flour, sugar, and salt, beat until crumbly. Press 2 cups mixture into bottom of prepared pan to form the crust. Set remaining crumb mixture aside.

Bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine 1 cup dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Stir continually until chocolate is melted, then add vanilla extract. Pour over crust.

Top with remaining dark chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan until completely cool, then cut into bars.

Time: 50 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 30 bars.