Easy Enchiladas with 20 Minute Enchilada Sauce

We returned from Orlando last week and eased back into the work week.   I needed to do some food shopping before heading back to work.  I picked up a few items to get us started, but soon realized that a run to Costco was in order.  I made a short list of Costco worthy items and convinced Paul to do the Costco run.  I don't know why I did that.  I should know that he will come with everything on the list as well as everything else that tickles his fancy and his fancy is easily tickled.   One of the things that Paul can't seem to pass up is the rotisserie chicken.

Now, if you've been reading my blog you know that I think Costco rotisserie chickens are a shortcut made in heaven.  My Green and White Chicken Chili and Polenta Crusted Chicken Pot Pies are two favorite recipes that use rotisserie chicken.  It's just that we've been eating so much Turkey since Thanksgiving.   Lauren and Matt made a fantastic Thanksgiving turkey, but I had to make another turkey breast for Paul when we got home so he could have the turkey sandwiches and leftovers he so loves.  I was a little roast poultried-out ( yes, I know it's not a word).  The last thing I wanted to see was a Costco rotisserie chicken.  I think I snarled when I saw it sitting on the kitchen counter and said something like, "I hope you can eat a whole chicken"  Well, he couldn't.  So for his penance, he stripped it off the bones, cut it all into bite sized pieces, in hopes that I would transform it into something that doesn't scream chicken.

Harvesting Fresh Herbs for Pesto

With every vegetable garden comes responsibility.  I planned for hours, planted the seeds, tended and nurtured the little seedlings, then patiently watched them grow.  The excitement at the appearance of the first flower or fruit, made me feel like a proud mama.  As the days grow hotter,  my garden has begun to look like a jungle.  Now we are into the thick of summer and for the most part my garden has been a success. My herbs did particularly well this year.  I love to use fresh herbs in my cooking.  I feel the addition of fresh herbs to a dish can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.  Some of the more tender herbs will not be around forever.  I feel like I have a responsibility to use my herbs as they reach their peak and before they go to seed.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Dill Sauce, Heaven on a Plank

Have you ever tried cedar planked salmon?  For that matter, have you ever tried cedar planked anything?  Well if you haven't, it's time you did.  You can cook almost anything on a cedar plank, but my favorite is salmon.  The cedar imparts a wonderful flavor to the fish.  I have converted non-salmon loving people into salmon-eating monsters.  As salmon recipes go, I think this one is my favorite.


Until recent years, I didn't have a whole lot of experience with salmon.  Having grown up in New York,  salmon conjured up visions of lox served with cream cheese and bagels.....not the kind of salmon I'm talking about.  I'm talking about fresh wild caught salmon.  I remember when my mother returned from a trip to Ireland, how she raved about the wonderful poached salmon served with dill sauce that she had eaten several times on her journey.  She said the salmon and fresh dill were the perfect combination and worth a trip to Ireland just to experience it!

I've experimented preparing salmon with glazes and breadcrumbs and sauces and different cooking techniques over the years, and then last weekend I came to the realization,  this is the one!  I made this recipe for a small gathering last winter and everyone asked how the salmon stayed so moist.  Sure I could poach the salmon to keep it moist and juicy, but once again I have to remind you that I hate the smell of fish cooking in the house.  If a fish dish can be prepared outdoors, I'm a happy camper.  I think by basting and planking the salmon,  keeping the fish off of the direct flame, the salmon cooks up moist, flakey and delicious.   The dill sauce is the perfect accompaniment.  Serve it with a seasonal green vegetable and some garlic-dill roast potatoes.  Add a nice glass of Pinot Noir, and I am in heaven!

Saucy BBQ Sauce

The July 4th is just a few days away.  In our house, the 4th of July usually means beach, BBQ and fireworks.  We head out to the beach early in the day.  I usually cut up some melon and berries for a fruit salad, throw some yogurt in the cooler, and pick up some bagels on the way down to the beach.  Long Island beaches get rather crowded on the Fourth, so when Paul finishes eating all the food, by the time the crowd gets thick, we head home.  Late in the afternoon,  Paul fires up the Weber and gets into serious BBQ mode.  If anyone is coming to watch the fireworks later that night, they have to arrive to our house by 5:00.   Our neighborhood gets blocked off by the Village to prepare for the invasion of the firework gawkers.  Sometimes dinner can be elaborate and sometimes dinner can be straightforward BBQ fare. Whichever it is, you can always count on something being slathered in a little BBQ sauce.  After dinner everyone grabs a beach chair and walks down the road to watch the fireworks with a cold drink in hand.   We come back to the house for dessert...and that pretty much sums up our Fourth.  Tradition...isn't that what holidays are about?

So if you are a true American, or if you are not an American but would like to prepare an American BBQ, you might consider making your own BBQ sauce this year.  Homemade BBQ sauce beats the heck out any bottled sauce I've ever tried.  I'm not just talking about taste, I'm talking about having control over the viscosity of the sauce (is it OK to use the word viscosity here isn't it?), its texture, sodium and my desire to have a BBQ sauce that does not contain high fructose corn syrup.   I'm sure you can get  a decent "gourmet" BBQ sauce, but why not make your own and control EVERYTHING?  I guess I am a bit of a control freak.  Hey, nobody's perfect.

Homemade BBQ Sauce (with a little heat)
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Makes 1 pint

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/4 cups ketchup -look for brands without high fructose corn syrup like Muir Glen or Whole Foods 365
• 1 tablespoon Srirachi chili sauce
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (you will add to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
• a pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan.  Add diced onion and cook over a medium heat until onion is nicely caramelized.
2. Add the ketchup, Srirachi, molasses, spices and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to the pan containing the  cooked onion.  
3. Combine and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.  Stir sauce often.
4. After 20 minutes, taste and add the additional vinegar if needed.  (If you are using sauce for chicken or ribs I recommend using the additional vinegar)
5. Cook another 5-10 minutes.  Cook longer if you desire a thicker consistency.
6. Remove from heat and transfer sauce to a bowl or jar.  Allow to cool and refrigerate.  
7. Sauce keeps 2 weeks in the fridge.

Spiced Cranberry and Cherry Compote

I intended to post several of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes all month long, but life got in the way,  and as you can see, it never happened.  I'm somewhat disappointed in myself, but I will chalk it up to a learning experience.  Next year, I will get an earlier start.  After all, this is my first year of blogging and I'm just getting the kinks out.

So not to be totally disappointed, I'd like to share a quick post with you, spiced cranberry and cherry compote.   I just whipped up a batch for Thursday's feast.  If you haven't decided on your cranberry sauce yet, you might give this one a try.  It has a fresh taste, a bit tart, with a nice zip of spice.  It's also great on a turkey sandwich and goes nicely with a holiday ham. 

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  I like to cook with produce that is in season.  Having said that, I am sad to say that my tomato plants look as if they are giving up the ghost as I write.  Oh, they are still producing flowers and are adorned with many green tomatoes along with some slowly ripening ones, but this nasty weather we are experiencing combined with the shorter number of daylight hours is surely taking its toll.  My once beautiful behemoth plants are beginning to look, well, decrepit.  These plants were so generous and kind to us, I hate to see them go.  They have given us three solid months of tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes.  You would think I had a huge tomato patch but I only had two, yes I said two tomato plants this year, a Roma tomato and a cherry tomato.  That cherry tomato plant (sweet millions) was my pride and joy in a whiskey barrel.  It has inspired me to plan a vegetable garden over the winter and expand my horizons.  I even named her.

Her name is Audrey 2

These tomatoes were the inspiration for many a summer dish.  My intention was to post the recipes earlier, I just never seem to have enough time to write about all of them.  I'll get as many posts in as I can over the next few days just in case you have an end-of-season bumper crop and are wondering what to do with your tomatoes.  If you are fortunate enough to live in a place with a longer growing season....hooray for you!  You can eat fresh a little longer.

I simply adore roasted vegetables.  Roasting intensifies their flavor.  They caramelize and the flavor becomes deep and sweet. This sauce is not your ordinary sauce.  Try it, you'll like it!

Millions of Peaches...Peaches for Me! Peach Chutney

Peaches, peaches and more peaches!  I thought this year I would make some peach preserves.  I've changed my mind however, since I made plenty of blueberry and strawberry jam earlier this summer, and I'm planning on making a truckload of apple butter this fall. I decided to change things up a bit and make some peach chutney instead.  Peach chutney?  Why peach chutney you ask?  Because I like peach chutney! It can turn a plain piece of chicken or pork chop into something special.  Sometimes I'll grill a spice rubbed pork tenderloin, slice and serve with chutney for a quick mid-week dinner. I LOVE peach chutney on a turkey burger.  As a matter of fact, I substitute my peach chutney for Major Grey's chutney when I make these http://www.oprah.com/food/Mar-a-Lago-Turkey-Burger.  Yes, you can buy chutney in the gourmet section of the grocery store, but you will pay dearly for it.  Trader Joe's has a decent chutney, but for some reason they don't always have it in stock. Homemade is so much better. It's one of those things that you don't think you need, but if you have it on hand, an interesting meal is just minutes away. I made a smallish batch, and it should last me the year. If you haven't done any canning, you can refer to my entry http://kitchencatharsis.blogspot.com/2010/08/jam-session.html.
So let's get down to business and make some chutney.