Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches

I gave you my focaccia bread recipe yesterday.  

Now I'm going to show you one of our favorite ways to use it!

My mom is the one who found this tuscan chicken sandwich recipe and it's still one of my favorite things that she makes.  

It's SUPER easy but comes out tasting (and looking) really special.  Think Panera Bread...only way better. :)

Here's how it goes.

Throw:

One jar of roasted red peppers

Several cloves minced garlic

3-5 chicken breasts 

in your crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

When chicken is cooked through (and your whole house smells like heaven), shred the chicken with two forks and add SALT and PEPPER, to taste.

Mix some pesto with a little mayonnaise for your spread,

slice a fresh tomato...

...and start building your sandwiches.

We definitely recommend using this fresh focaccia, but you can use any bread you choose.

YEAH!

Thanks, Mom! :)

Cheese/Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Mexican food.

This is something I did not have a lot of growing up in New England.  Rhubarb, meat and potatoes, muffins...yes.  Enchiladas, flautas, burritos...no.

I didn't even know there was such a thing as the avocado in the world until I went off to college.  What a pleasant surprise. :)

Texas would never be my first choice in places to live if the seminary wasn't here.  But I have to give this to Dallas: holy guacamole! :)

Yes, it's over 100 degrees in the summer and you don't want to leave your house from the end of May to the end of September.  But every restaurant you go to (almost) brings out tons and tons of chips and fresh salsa.  And it's so amazing.  I'm pretty sure it's the Tex-Mex that makes life worth living even in the summer here in Dallas. :)

Our favorite of favorite Tex-Mex restaurants in Dallas (we have several) has to be Chuy's.  We love that place.  And my favorite thing on their menu is their Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas.  Words cannot describe how yummy they are.

It's been my dream to replicate these enchiladas, because we probably won't live in Dallas forever and whenever we leave I know I am going to miss them.  So that's what I was going for with this recipe...the recipe looked like it might come out tasting similar.

It wasn't super close to the Chicka Chicka Boom Booms, the flavor is pretty different, but these were still REALLY good.  I think they will be close enough to do the trick when Chuy's isn't available.  I'm definitely keeping this recipe.  (Which, by the way, I found on Epicurious.)

It's not exactly what you would call heart healthy, but you don't think about your heart when you eat Tex-Mex.  Only your soul.  ;)

Cheese/Chicken Enchiladas 
with Green Sauce

Sauce

• 1/2 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1/2 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Enchiladas

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 3 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Shredded Chicken (optional)

• 1/2 cup sour cream

Sauce:

Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain well. Set aside. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir mixture 2 minutes; do not brown. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and milk. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, cilantro, green onion, chilies, cumin, coriander and red pepper. Puree in batches in processor until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.) 

Enchiladas:

Heat oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, briefly dip each tortilla in oil and heat to soften, about 15 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Combine cheeses in large bowl; set aside 1 1/2 cups for topping. Combine onion and cilantro in small bowl. Place 1/4 cup cheese mixture in center of 1 tortilla. Spoon 2 teaspoons onion mixture over and some chicken chicken if adding meat. Roll up tortilla. Place seam side down in large glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese and onion, using 1/4 cup cheese for each. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir sour cream into sauce; pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with reserved 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake until cheese melts and enchiladas are heated through, about 25 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes & Paprika

We just had a gorgeous weekend in Dallas.  70 degrees, sunny...  Those ice days we had a couple of weeks ago?  They're just a distant memory. 

We've moved on, people.  It's time to GRILL.

Or rather, it would be time to grill, if our courtyard didn't presently look like this:

Our apartment building has been under some heavy duty construction for almost a year.  

When we brought Knox home from the hospital in August it was to a serene, peaceful apartment where the only sounds outside our windows were those of crickets chirping, drills screeching, bricks and concrete falling, cranes lifting, hammers pounding, and workmen shouting.  This kid ought to be able to sleep through anything.

The workers are almost done now (thankfully!), but not quite.  The courtyard and pool area (where the grills used to be) is still "out of order."

Since we wanted to grill this weekend, and couldn't, I pulled out this flavorful chicken recipe instead.  I discovered it about a year ago at Epicurious.com.  It satisfied our hankering for some good meat and helped us forget (for one night at least) our present no-grill status.  

This chicken recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal but tasty (and pretty!) enough for a dinner party. 

 

  Roasted Chicken Breasts with 

Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes & Paprika

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1 Tbl. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1/3 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt (I have also used sour cream)

4 chicken breast halves 

1 (15-oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1 (12-oz.) container cherry tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Preheat oven to 450.  Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.  Pour 1 tsp. spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce.  Place chicken on large rimmed baking sheet.  Rub 2 Tbl. spiced oil mixture over chicken.  Add beans, tomatoes and 1/2 cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture; toss to coat.  Pour bean mixture around chicken.  Sprinkle everything generously with salt and pepper.

Roast until chicken is cooked through, 20-30 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cilantro.  Transfer chicken to plates.  Spoon bean mixture over top.  Serve with yogurt sauce.