Any Kitchen Will Do

17 Sep 2013

Low Carb Layered Enchiladas

As I have stated many times before, we are hard pressed to find good Tex-Mex food north of Austin. Actually, north of the south of Austin. Enchiladas are a dish where I find it very important to have perfect bites. If you just get tortilla and sauce, it is just off. A bite full of only filling and there is something lacking. I need filling AND tortilla AND sauce AND cheese in every bite. Otherwise, it is just a pile of stuff on a plate. A good Tex-Mex combination platter has the enchiladas perfectly rolled with just enough sauce, sandwiched between refried beans and rice. A chance of leftovers is not favorable to a combination platter. It is nearly impossible to transfer the enchiladas in a way that allows the perfect bites to be experienced in leftovers. The easy way to ensure many perfect bites when I anticipate leftovers or reheating is to approach them in layers. One of the comfort foods from my childhood was layered enchiladas. Rolled enchiladas are good, but when you want to reheat them after playing in a late high school soccer game, the layered version has been sitting in the fridge after mom made them earlier, or even a day or two earlier. Trust me, they are much better later than the first day. Now, to make my mom’s masterpiece low carb seemed overwhelming. My approach to layered enchiladas came out so very much better than I expected! Not only was it good hot, but the leftovers were good cold, too! The texture of the coconut flatbread gave a similar effect as corn tortillas and soaked up the sauce just right, just like mom’s. I am experimenting with low carb tortillas, most recently with coconut flatbread versions. I used them for this recipe, so serving these layered enchiladas was done right before serving, as opposed to layering a casserole then baking it. I am now convinced a baked version would work, but this recipe is a quicker version without a long baking period. I hope you enjoy it, for it is filling, satisfying and has a bit of a bite that remind me of mom.

Low Carb Layered Enchiladas

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 to 2 4-ounce cans green chiles
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
4 – 6 cups cooked, shredded chicken (pre-cooked in a crock pot or strip a roasted chicken from the grocery store)
1 to 2 batches coconut flatbread or corn tortillas
2 – 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat add oil. When oil is hot add the onion and cook until translucent. Add tomato sauce, green chiles, paprika and cumin. Stir until combined and lower temperature to simmer. Cover and cook for about twenty minutes. Add water or chicken broth to thin out to the consistency of thin gravy. Let simmer for about ten more minutes, then set aside until time to serve. While the sauce simmers make the coconut flatbread, or rely on your personal preference of corn tortillas. When you are ready to serve make sure the flatbread is made and the chicken is hot. Start layering on serving plates with flatbread/tortillas. Next pour some sauce, followed by cheese and chicken. Repeat layers again, topping with more cheese. Serve immediately with sour cream.

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12 Sep 2013

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

Double duty yogurt stuff! This works as an awesome dip for fruit as well as a spoonable non-dip snack for Little B. Talk about protein and protein and some subtle sweetness from the apple sauce. The recipe is quick and dirty (but clean) so I will leave the intro the same. Make it and enjoy, even adding some extra cinnamon to make it spicier, if the apple sauce is not already enough. Yum yum! You can see Little B’s hand dipping a blurry strawberry in her eagerness – could not wait until the pics were taken….

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup apple sauce

In medium bowl combine peanut butter, yogurt and apple sauce. Stir until completely combined. Store in covered dish and chill overnight. Serve with celery, apple slices, mango slices or other fruit. Also works plain as a snack for peanut butter lovers.

Posted in cinnamon, dip, fruit, side dish, Takoma Park Kitchen, wheat free | Leave a Comment

07 Sep 2013

Fickle Coconut Flatbread

The flatbread you see here is what I consider part one of an experiment. The goal is to find a quick, easy recipe to make tortilla-type rounds that are low carb and can hold stuff. I mean substantial stuff. Not a dainty piece of fish and a sprinkle of cheese, but a hefty strip or three of fajita meat along with guacamole, chimichurri, queso and sour cream. It is no small feat for a hearty flour tortilla to be able to contain such a pile, but for coconut flour recipe results that tend to be delicate, it is a bigger challenge. After doing a bit of research I came up with the following results. The recipe is a combination of the recipe found here and some of the input in the trailing comments connected to the recipe, so this is my best attempt at giving credit where due. The flatbread is useful for layering, or representing a polenta-type base, but not the ultimate tortilla I was looking for. I will keep this recipe handy, for it tastes really good and was useful and fit the quick and easy requirements I set out. A little fickle (aka delicate), but what is a good cooking experiment without a little fickle? I look forward to part two…

Fickle Coconut Flatbread

4 whole eggs
1/4 c coconut oil
2 pinches salt
1/2 c coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2/3 to 1/2 c coconut milk or water
1/2 – 3/4 cup butter or coconut oil for cooking

Combine the flour, oil, baking powder, salt and eggs in a food processor. process until a thick batter forms. Let sit until it thickens, about three minutes. Add enough liquid to make a somewhat loose batter. Pour 1/4 c of batter into a well greased, well oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Cook on one side until the sides begin to brown and the middle starts to set, about three minutes. Gently flip the flatbread and cook for about three more minutes, until it is completely set.

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02 Sep 2013

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

These were fun! Not only were they easy to make, mostly by Little B, but no complication, even minor, of adding seasoning or flavors. Yes, I know. That is the magic of bacon! I was tempted to marinate the asparagus first, but decided to try simpler, and it worked wonderfully. We sat on the porch and rolled them while Big D set up the fire in the grill. Is it gas or charcoal, you ask? I won’t tell Big D yo said that. Of course it is charcoal. Although level and length of heat may vary compared to gas, there is no comparison when it comes to the flavors transferred to food from the charcoal fire. For the pictured batch of asparagus we (more precisely he) grilled it. They were a little dark, because of the high fire heat, but it gave the dish a wonderful crispiness and the asparagus was bright green and just tender enough. Although easy to serve as a side dish daintily cut up alongside a steak, we scarfed them down with our fingers, which made them more of an appetizer. In the future I plan on cooking them up in a pan on the stove or in the oven. I will update you on how it goes. For now, we have a quick side dish for an all-grilled meal. The accompanying steaks were to die for, by the way…

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

1 pound asparagus spears, tough ends removed
1 pound sliced bacon, room temperature

Combine asparagus spears in multiple bundles so each one does not exceed 1/2 inch diameter (could be one to three spears). Wrap a strip of bacon around each bundle at a diagonal, so most of the asparagus is covered. Cooking approaches: 1) grill bundles over medium to high heat until bacon is crisp. Remove and let cool until warm enough to eat, or 2) heat the broiler to medium and place on broiling pan. When top side is crisp (three to five minutes) turn over to crisp on underside. Remove from broiler and let cool, or 3) heat large skillet to medium high heat. Place rolls in the pan and cook until bacon is crisp, like you would for breakfast. Remove from pan and let cool before serving.

Posted in seasonal, side dish, Takoma Park Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

25 Aug 2013

Spicy Pork over Cabbage Saute

I’ve been having some of THOSE days recently. You know, days when I look at my work and personal schedules and cannot seem to imagine getting everything done. Or, a day when the schedule seems pretty light, but then a crisis or four surface and I long for an overly scheduled day. I cannot always see such days coming, but after I have had seven or eight in a row, like recently, I have to make sure I take a breaks. Every day. My breaks often involve cooking or exercise. I need a break for a few reasons: 1) to remind myself that a crisis is only a crisis because I chose to make it so, 2) I get tired and exercise helps get rid of it, 3) clearing my mind helps reduce said crises, and 4) I get hungry, as does my family. Sometimes THOSE days are few and far between. This time of year, pretty much every year, there is a concentration of THOSE days. Here is a dish that can be made in pieces when you have spurts of time to prep, and then thrown together quickly at meal time, regardless of what type of day I have.

Spicy Pork over Cabbage Saute

2 – 3 pounds pork roast
1 14 ounce can tomatoes and chiles
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced with meat
1 cup water
Cabbage Saute for serving

First thing in the morning (or the night before if planning to eat it for lunch) toss into a crock pot the roast cut up into three or four chunks, after seasoning it with salt and pepper. Pour over the top the tomatoes and chiles, lime juice, water and onion. Move stuff around so all the meat and veggies are mixed up. Set the crock to low and leave it for eight hours or so. Serve over cabbage saute. The cabbage can be made right before serving or make in advance and reheat – it may depend on whether the day is planned to be busy or not planned.

Posted in cabbage, lime, onion, pork, Takoma Park Kitchen, tomato, wheat free | Leave a Comment

20 Aug 2013

1 Comment

Cabbage Saute

I noticed that my entries are absent of side dishes. Lately I have been cooking some staples for meals, because it is a hectic time of year for us. Stuff that I posted already, likebaked spaghetti squash, taco meat or a fritatta. I have cooking and baking ideas, but a lack of time to implement. I am sure I am not the only one out there that has more project ideas than time to do them. You should see my Pinterest boards! So many things to do, so little time. This is a simple side dish that is easy, high in fiber, filling and my family loves it. Great as a base for many a dish as a substitute for rice, pasta or other grains. Don’t forget the nutmeg – it sounds odd, but works so very well with the cabbage.

Cabbage Saute

3 Tbsp olive oil, butter or bacon grease
1 small head green cabbage
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper

In large saute pan heat olive oil over medium high heat. Chop cabbage in 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Toss cabbage in pan and stir to coat in oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Continue cooking and stirring until about half of the cabbage begins to brown. Turn down heat by half and cover. Cook for another ten minutes or so, until all the larger chunks are softened. Keep covered until ready to serve, then do so immediately while it is hot. If preparing it in advance and chilled, it is easy to toss it in a hot saute pan and serve hot.

Posted in cabbage, side dish, Takoma Park Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free

12 Aug 2013

Cheese Crisps

I like chips. I like crackers. Don’t eat much of either anymore, but still crave them. I have tried to make cheesy low carb versions in the past but to no avail and pork rinds just don’t always do it for me. Some experimenting on my own resulted in gooey, stretchy cheese pucks. Delicious, but not crispy. I did some research and found this approach. Perfect! Each pan I cooked for a different amount of time to see how the results varied. As you can see from the picture, I came up with three different types of crackers, in a good way. They were all stiff enough to dip or hold stuff piled on them, but the flavor was very different. I used sharp cheddar, and the sharpness really stood out in the browner, crispier crisps. The ones with the browned edges and lighter middle had a nice crispy and chewy balance, but mostly crispy. The lighter ones were not crispy, but were stiff enough to bend without breaking and make mini tacos. They inspired me to try bigger rounds and cool them in a curved, crispy taco shape. I did the basic sandwich thickness slices of cheese, but plan on trying the shredded, herby versions in the near future. I will update you when I do. When I made these the other night it was just me and Little B we ate every single one, experimenting with dipping and loading the different donenesses to test their capabilities. It was fun, we were very full, and Big D will get his own batch very soon.

Cheese Crisps

1 pound block sharp cheddar cheese
Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice cheese into reasonably thin (like sandwich cheese thick) slices 1 – 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place slices at least one inch apart on parchment paper on top of shallow baking sheets. Bake for five to seven minutes until the edges just start to brown, or they are brown all over, depending on preference. Remove from the oven immediately. Slide parchment paper off the sheet onto the kitchen counter or other heat resistant flat surface. Let cool. When cool remove crisps to paper towels to soak up lingering grease. Repeat slicing and baking until cheese is gone, because you will eat all of them. If you do have leftovers they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

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04 Aug 2013

Portabello Pizza

The first time I ever cooked with portabello mushrooms was about 15 years ago. At the time I was making a lot of pizzas closely following my discovery of pizza stones. They make the crust crispy all around and are great for even cooking. I got into the habit of topping each pizza with two to three veggies and a meat. On some occasions my dinner guests were vegetarians, so minus the meat, but what to add to make the pizza hearty? I explored the produce section of the grocery store and came upon the portabellos – huge caps sitting over a sign that described them as meaty. Well, why not? If they don’t eat meat, why not serve them meaty mushrooms? The pizza with portabellos turned out great, and marinating the mushrooms added an extra layer of flavor. Since my last pizza stone broke and I started leaning toward low carb, I never replaced it. One recent tendency has been to make pizzas with low carb crust, and another is to reach back into my pizza past and snatch up the portabellos. This time I used them as the crust. They are quick and of course Little B can help with every step. Using tomato paste adds a spike of tomato flavor without adding much liquid. The one flaw, but not really, in this recipe is the wetness of the mushrooms. I will continue to explore how to dry out the mushrooms, because they soaked up a bit of liquid and the result is not what I would call hand pizza, but it tasted great. Grab a fork and knife for this flavorful rounds and dig in!

Portabello Pizza

4 large Portabello mushrooms, stems removed
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 small can Italian herb tomato paste (or plain past mixed with 1 Tbsp Italian herbs)
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp dried parsley leaves
2 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tsp garlic powder
8 ounces pepperoni, sliced thick
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Place caps stem side up on baking sheet, then sprinkle with lime juice, salt and pepper. Spread tomato paste on mushrooms, followed by a layer of basil, oregano, parsley and basil leaves, along with garlic powder. Place a layer of pepperoni slices and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and cheese is melted and browning.

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30 Jul 2013

Non Vodka Chicken

I have been absent for a bit, and so has chicken from my blog. I am always trying to find variety, because chicken is always chicken, and absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Busy work and busy weekends made for a quiet kitchen lately, and the repeating of old, reliable recipes. Also, Big D has been on a culinary swing while I go about other things. Work is busy, and spending a bunch of time outside in the heat makes me groggy, so hanging out reading books to Little B is much more appealing than a hot oven or stove. This recipe I almost called pizza chicken, because when Big D first took a bite he said it reminded him of pizza. Did the same for me! I was inspired by my hankering to inhale a bowl full of pasta with vodka sauce. The thing about vodka sauce is not necessarily the vodka, but what it does to the flavor of the tomatoes. The vodka, when used, actually soaks into the tomatoes and enhances their flavor with a tart tanginess. The alcohol itself evaporates. If you have had the sauce before you know what I mean. If not, then imagine a mild bloody mary – a skidge of pepper and hot sauce – not to ferocious, but an extra bite beyond plain tomato. I decided to try to find the same flavor as the vodka sauce, but without the vodka. What else could I do with a hankering for vodka sauce while experiencing an absence of vodka? It was my own fault. I used the last of it from our stash to make a Greyhound (vodka and grapefruit juice with a twist). A little bit of this, a little bit of that resulted in the sauce taste I was looking for to go on top of chicken, and then I made it chunky, a la pizza. Yum!

Non Vodka Chicken

1 Tbsp butter
8 ounces mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 onion, finely diced
4 ounces chopped black olives
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 – 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp dried parsley leaves
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
6 – 8 chicken thighs, skin trimmed, but some left on meat
4 ounces cream cheese
2 – 3 tsp Crystal hot sauce

In medium sauce pan over medium high heat melt butter. Add mushrooms, salt, olives and garlic. Saute for about five minutes until mushrooms and garlic soften and butter browns a bit. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, parsley and oregano. Stir and lower heat. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. While sauce simmers place chicken thighs in frying pan over medium high heat, skin side down. When skin is crispy flip thighs, turn down heat to medium and cover. While chicken cooks finish the sauce. Add cream cheese to the sauce and stir occasionally until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth (except for vegetable chunks, of course). Sprinkle one to two teaspoons hot sauce and stir. Taste to confirm there is a tang in the sauce, but not necessarily a bite. If no tang, then add more hot sauce. Simmer for about 15 more minutes. When chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, remove from heat and let rest. Remove chicken from pan and place on serving dish. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Posted in cheese, chicken, garlic, onion, parsley, sauces, Takoma Park Kitchen, tomato, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

19 Jul 2013

Chef Salad

I am avoiding a serious subject. A hot oven. I try to avoid it as much as possible in the Takoma Kitchen. For one, it is an electric oven, which heats up very differently than gas, and regardless of electric or gas, it also makes our little place pretty warm. Here is one of the concoctions I do that does not take much stove or oven heat. The original chef salad is very American, originating in Pennsylvania or New York, depending on which claims you believe, first created in the 1930s or ’40s. Throw a few types of meat and cheese on a plate with a boiled egg and dressing and there you have it, a salad with a bunch of stuff on it so you don’t have to make a bunch of choices. I like the approach on a hot summer evening, and the reduced exposure to even more heat is a plus. Technically, the bacon and eggs require heat to prepare, but they are often left over and already in the fridge. That, or I send a heads up message to Big D and he takes a break from work and cooks up a pan of rashers while boiling some eggs ‘the way grandma did them’, with the shells practically falling off in the pan. Dinner can be custom made on each plate and put together pretty quickly – Little B gets eggs, bacon, cucumber and tomato, while Big D gets an extra pile of meat with ranch dressing, and I get a little bit of everything, especially the pepper jack cheese.

Chef Salad

6 ounces thin cut roast beef
6 ounces thin cut roast turkey
6 ounces thin cut virginia baked ham
4 ounces sliced swiss cheese
4 ounces sliced medium cheddar cheese
4 ounces sliced pepper jack cheese
8 ounces grape tomatoes
2 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
2 mini cucumbers, sliced into coins
2 – 4 medium boiled eggs, sliced in half
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
8 ounces raw baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
4 – 6 ounces salad dressing (traditionally French or Thousand Islands)

On two large dinner plates divide the spinach and spread evenly. Slice cheese into ¼ inch wide strips. Roll each slice of meat individually. Alternate cheese strips and meat rolls in a circle on top of the spinach bed. Arrange the mushrooms, tomatoes and cucumber coins between the cheese and meat. In the center of the salad place the egg halves. Sprinkle bacon over top of salad. Serve immediately after drizzling with preferred dressing.

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