Veggie Chicken Verde Enchiladas
A month or so ago on Elefantitas Alegres, I extolled the virtues of my hard-earned Enchiladas Verdes con Pollo – a recipe that took me many moons to create and perfect. Its not the quickest recipe and can be a bit cumbersome, but the end result is so worth the effort! However, today I found myself seriously craving some spicy, tangy, cheesy, chicken-y goodness… at about 4 p.m. With no time to slow cook chicken for 6.5 hours and lacking the motivation to coax tortillas into neat tubes, I settled on modifying a recipe from my Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: One Pot Meals cookbook…
Original Recipe: “Vegetable Enchiladas,” pg. 52
Hot Dang, Mamacita! This was amazing!
Now, I’m definitely not shoving my prized Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo to the side! They really are the best for an authentic Mexican meal at home. But there is now a special place in my recipe box for this speedy casserole-esque variation as well!
Veggie Chicken Verde Enchiladas*
Ingredients
- 4 c. shredded rotisserie chicken (so easy it should be illegal)
- Corn tortillas (I used 24 of the mini-street-taco size, but the original recipe says 15 eight inchers)
- 2 T. Canola oil
- Salt
- 1 c. Monterrey Jack cheese – shredded
- 1 c. White Cheddar cheese – shredded
- 2 c. corn kernels (I just threw in a whole can)
- 2 zucchini or yellow squash (I used one of each)
- Tomatillo salsa – 2 jars (12.5 oz each)
- 1/2 c. queso fresco or feta (I used feta crumbles)
- 1/2 c. sharp cheddar – shredded
A Fresh Start
You know when you’re not physically ill but, for whatever reason, you’re just not feeling so hot? My mom’s response to complaints of these sorts of general feelings of malaise is always the same: ”Take a shower – you’ll feel better!” I like to think of it as her version of Gus Portokalos‘ “put some Windex on it!”
Anyhoo, I used to roll my eyes at this suggestion, but – as with many things in life – mom’s advice works nearly every time. There’s something about literally washing away all the dirt and grime that figuratively makes me feel renewed. Its amazing what a little hot water can do…
… hot water and my favorite bath goodies, that is!
St. Ives Energizing Citrus Body Wash (around $3.00)
Fruity and invigorating… This body wash by St. Ives not only gets me going in the morning but is mega-easy on the wallet. Its also one of the more moisturizing gel body washes I’ve tried. Added bonus? All natural ingredients and no animal testing!
Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave (about $4.00)
My beef with normal shaving cream is that it’s too “poofy” and slippery – I always feel like I get too much and then it either clogs my razor or ends up as a slip-n-fall hazard on my shower floor. This cream spreads on in a thin, ultra-moisturizing layer and clings to your skin as you shave. No fuss, no mess!
Heirloom Cheesy Pasta Bake
Greetings from 2010, Lovely EADL Readers!
To say its been a while would be somewhat of an understatement, but there’s been some upheaval in our little household that’s kept me a bit preoccupied as of late. Like so many this year, I was let go from my firm right after Thanksgiving. While the day-to-day emotions after such a blow to your professional life can be depressing, I am thankful that the split was an amicable one, that Evs has a secure job which he loves, that we are debt free with savings, and – most of all – that I have the opportunity to find a career I am truly passionate about, instead of one that just pays for fancy shoes the bills.
Obviously, along with my sweet new unemployment status come some tweaks to our everyday life – no more premium cable channels, putting the kibosh on clothes shopping, downgrades on certain grocery items, less eating out and ordering takeout, etc. Complete and total lifestyle changers? Nah. But it is a great experiment in Need vs. Want!
My favorite “tweak” by far is cooking 90% of our meals at home. The past couple of years I’ve really discovered my love for cooking, but when both you and your spouse regularly stay at the office until 8 p.m. or later, whipping up a homemade meal isn’t terribly time effective or enjoyable. Now, with hours upon end to fill on a daily basis, spending an hour or two in the kitchen is fun and relaxing – not to mention a money saver! Additionally, I’ve started cooking larger batches, with the leftovers serving as lunch for Evs throughout the work week. Pre-unemployment, if I cooked, I only made enough for one dinner since I ate for free at work and Evs lunched out most days. Now, leftovers on hand save us the cost of all those lunches out – an average of $35 to $50 a week!
Anyhoo, all this jibber-jabber is my way of introducing my new favorite “make it in bulk” recipe… Heirloom Cheesy Pasta Bake!
Adapted from the Ravioli Bake recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, I’ve added my own recipe for homemade tomato sauce (inducing a full on jones for summer’s heirloom crop), but you could easily substitute your favorite canned pasta sauce if you’re short on time. Also, omitting the ground beef and exchanging the whole wheat bowtie for a stuffed ravioli or tortellini works nicely as well!
Ingredients
- 2 good glugs of olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 3 – 4 lbs of tomatoes (use a variety of whatever is the most in season)
- 1 or 2 T. of red chili flakes (if you like spice)
- 1 good dash of oregano
- 2 good dashes of dried basil (or half a handful of fresh)
- 1 lb. ground beef (I like 93% lean / 7% fat content)
- 2 lbs. whole wheat pasta (I like penne or bowtie for this recipe)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 – 3 c. of shredded cheese (I like Sargento’s 2% Italian blend)
Directions
The In-Laws Wish-List
Nope. I’m not talking about that list of qualities your fairytale in-laws possess in your dreams… You know, the dreams where eating organically isn’t considered “hippie” and you and your mother-in-law share the exact same tastes and shoe-size? No? Just me? Humph.
I’m talking Christmas Wish Lists + The In-Laws… i.e.: Sticky Situation in the Making, right?
Telling Evs’ parental units what I want for Christmas continues to be awkward for me… This is definitely one of those aspects of marriage that I never considered when we got engaged. Last year, I was overwhelmed by the generosity of his mom and dad. However, while I do love a pretty package under the tree with my name on it, if it were 100% up to me, I wouldn’t make any specific requests from my new side of the family for the holidays.
However, my Mother-in-Law insists upon the submission of a Christmas Wish List prior to Halloween. Yep, we have an Early Shopper on our hands. Which, kudos to her – I always find myself, eight days before Christmas, circling the mall parking garage aimlessly, stalking exiting shoppers for their parking stops and beating my head against the steering wheel in time to Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.
Ahem.
Anyhoo, as instructed, I recently submitted my In-Law Wish List. As always (”always” being relative since really this is my first year to have technical “in-laws” but whatever), I followed the Three Cardinal Rules of Gift-Requesting-From-Non-Blood-Relations-You-Don’t-Have-Sex-With:
(1) Lots of options
(2) Lots of price-points but nothing over $50
(3) No clothes (don’t ask me why – just feels weird)
Now, without further adieu… The In-Laws Wish List!
Rain, Rain: Here to Stay
When I packed up for college – headed to North Carolina from Austin, Texas – I was looking forward to lots of things. One of them (lame enough) was seasons! Changing leaves and snowfall were foreign concepts to me, and I was thrilled to sport my meager winter wardrobe for months at a time, as opposed to three days out of the year. Actually, “Boys in Sweaters” ranked pretty high up on the “Pros Column” when selecting Wake Forest University as my undergrad alma matter, if I remember correctly.
But people kept mentioning the rain. ”Oh its rainy up there – pack your umbrella!” ”Do you have a good raincoat? North Carolina sees a lot of wet weather!” Um, okay silly adults, I’m from Texas, remember? I’ve been practicing tornado drills since kindergarten and survived some pretty severe thunderstorms… I’m pretty sure I can handle “the wet season.” Bring it, North Carolina.
Yes, well. By October, my foot was planted firmly in my mouth as rain – from drizzle to downpour – continued for days on end. Some days, I felt like Forest Gump and Bubbah… hard rain, soft rain, sideways rain, upside-down rain – on and on and on! And it was cold! By Christmas-List-Making-Time, I was coveting the Northfaces that seemed standard fare for my South-Eastern classmates, and something nearly identical to this topped my wish-list.
Ever the practical shopper, my mom found a coat she claimed to be “the Northface’s twin!” You won’t even know the difference, she promised. I took the woman at her word… and subsequently walked around campus like this for several months a year for the next four years:
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Gallery Galore!
As I’ve lamented before on EADL, Evs and I have quite the blank space looming large right above one of our living room sofas. Finding a piece that’s affordable, fills the space, and is aesthetically pleasing to the both of us has been quite the challenge.
Then there’s my love of gallery walls. However, The Cottage has neither a staircase nor a deep enough hallway to boast the collection of images I’ve dreamed up in my head.
Enter the “Shelf Gallery!”
Etsy Obsessed: Art & Photography
Week #3 of my series on Etsy favorites was all about accessorizing your wardrobe… Week #4 is all about accessorizing your home!
I’ve sung the praises of Hirijik before but I’ll say it again: the “Live What You Love” letterpress post series is my favorite non-cheesy, gender-neutral art piece I’ve found! We have the red in our living room and my computer background boasts the lime green at work!
After seeing Geninne’s vibrant watercolor prints, I fell instantly in love. An artist living in Mexico City, Geninne’s creations have both a vintage vibe with a bit of funk! I’ve already determined that 4 of these little birdies are coming to roost in Dallas – I think they’ll look lovely framed in a foursome-square somewhere in our little cottage!
Etsy Obsessed: Accessories
Here we are in Week #3 of my series on Etsy Finds for all of life’s spheres! Last week we explored Etsy’s options for our fall closets, and this week its time to accessorize!
While offering all types of jewelry, I pick Galit Barak for her 14k gold crocheted cocktail rings – bold enough to be worn as a statement piece but dainty enough for all occasions!
Etsy Obsessed: Apparel
Welcome back to Week #2 of my series featuring my favorite Etsy finds! If you missed last week’s post on ceramics, you can find it here. This week – as kiddos around the country pack their backpacks and brown-bag lunches – its all about the fashion! Just think of this as a little Adult Back to School Shopping! Now let’s get on with it…
Portland-based designer Liza Rietz creates frocks, jackets and hats that are both softly feminine and architecturally modern at the same time. Plus, can you really ever beat a garment that is custom-tailored to your measurements? The Ruffle Dress, Kimono Jacket, and Ruffle Bib Dress are my picks for versatile investment pieces combining classic lines with up-to-date details.
Etsy Obsessed: Ceramics
For those of you that read E.A., you know I’m mad for Etsy! There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t scour its pages, hunting for unique items to feature in our home, my closet, or a gift bag for a friend. There are so many incredibly talented people out there, and I love knowing that I’m purchasing something made by hand on a small, personal scale. I like to think of it as shopping “global-locally!”
Anyhoo, in honor of my new favorite online pastime, I thought I’d do an EAD Living series featuring my favorite Etsy sellers in different categories, starting with my latest fixation: pottery and ceramics!
I just recently discovered PriceDesign UK when searching far and wide for a little bowl to sit sit on our kitchen window ledge to hold my engagement and wedding rings whilst cooking.
