Tacos, Burritos and Enchiladas: Easy Mashed Potato and Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Nov 05, 2008 This was very good! It should be called a Mexican knish. I used 2 leeks, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and 3 large cloves of garlic, because my kids don't like the ones named in the recipe. You could use any veggies that you like. I'm glad I read the reviews, because blandness would of been a problem if I didn't add cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin, along with the salt and pepper stated in the recipe. I sprinkled these seasonings on the veggies before roasting them. I used homemade mashed potatoes. Also, this recipe calls for 8 oz. shredded cheddar, but that is only enough cheese for 8 enchiladas. I would use 12 to 16 oz. of shredded cheddar. There is a lot of prep and mess when making this recipe but it is surely worth it!

—Lillian 

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Roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing and an Artichoke Recipe Round-Up

I look forward to this time of year, all year long. That may not make sense when you read it but try saying it out loud. Loud and proud. There you go. See, it works.

With the neighbors firing up their lawn mowers for the first spring shave (as we currently sit in the midst of a snow storm) and the grasses green and the  trees bloom (where’s my hay fever meds?) I find myself craving the same foods I do every spring: Fresh, clean and flavorful. Gotcha! You thought I was going to say chocolate and cheese. No, that’s every day, not just a particular season.

Flavor. That’s what makes these roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing leap straight to the top of the want list.

I have a lot of artichoke recipes in my go-to recipe drawer, er, filed in my head: pasta, pizzas, with eggs and chicken. So far only Chicken Tzatziki Pizza with Artichokes, Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese (come back tomorrow for another grilled cheese recipe to celebrate Grilled Cheese Month) and my second post ever, Spring Artichokes have made it to the blog.

Which leaves plenty of room to develop and share a lot more with you lucky devils.

Some of my favorite recipes are from canned artichokes—my faves are from Trader Joe’s—packed in water. Which is awesome because then I can cure the crave any time of year. But when fresh artichokes are in season? Forget about it. I’m going fresh.

While I usually hold out for the Ocean Mist brand at Costco because they are big, have tightly bunched leaves and I’ve found have the most meat on the leaf, my local store isn’t carrying them yet. So I went mini. I found these baby artichokes at Whole Foods, and bingo, they’re from Ocean Mist, so the first time I bought them I knew they’d be good. I was right.

This recipe is one I’ve kept in my piles, and I mean piles (just ask my husband who I believe is currently devising a strategic plan to rid the house of all “reference material”) of recipes pulled from magazines over the past 10 years. And even more when it comes to Thanksgiving, but that’s another season entirely so it’ll have to wait.

It’s based on a recipe from Napa Valley’s Michael Chiarello aka Cooking Channel fame in a 2010 issue of Food and Wine. The idea of roasting artichokes is a favorite of mine because it makes the hearts so incredibly tender and deeelicious.

A few things about the recipe:

1. Don’t skip the lemon step. Repeat, do not skip the lemon step. What is the lemon step? It’s when you cut the artichoke, pretty much anywhere, and rub the cut portion with a slather of lemon juice. This helps keep the cut area from discoloring. Now it works most of the time, but you have to be Johnny Be Good quick, these things brown in a heartbeat once they get a whiff of fresh O2.

2. Be a good stripper. The other step to be very keen about is stripping the little buggers of all of the tough outer leaves because these nuggets are perfect for popping directly into the mouth. You’ll feel like you don’t have any leaves left on the chokes by the time you’re done, but it will be well worth the effort. When boiling artichokes, the outer leaves soften and you can still strip the meat without cutting the inside of your mouth like a Ginsu warrior. With roasting, any semi-tough outer leaves will just get tougher and roastier. Think artichoke jerky. Check out this how to clean baby artichokes video if you’re feeling trepidatious.

3. Winging it is for the birds. The first time I made this recipe I made the mistake of thinking, “Hey! If 3 tablespoons of lemon in the roasting liquid is good, then doubling that is sure to be better.” Whoa, not. Adding more lemon turns the artichokes into bitter balls of green, and after all the work you’ve done slathering and stripping and anticipating the savoriness, you’re going to cry. I did. After I threw them in the garbage. I learned this is one part of the recipe where it’s better to be a follower than an adapter.

Roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing

Ingredients

Roasted Artichoke with Chorizo Dressing 1 lemon, halved plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 6 cloves garlic, half quartered and half minced 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped 1 cup fresh sourdough bread crumbs 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze juice from one half of a lemon in the bowl and cut the other half into slices. Working one at a time on each artichoke, pull off all of the touch dark green outer leaves of the artichokes down to the tender leaves. With a sharp knife, trim the bottom of the artichoke stem and all of the sharp tips of the leaves and cut the artichokes in half. Scoop out the inner leaves and any semblance of a furry choke, although with smaller artichokes they probably haven’t yet developed. Quickly rub each cut with a slice of lemon so the cut edges don’t turn brown and add to the lemon flavored water. Repeat with all of the artichokes. Combine the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 cloves quartered garlic, thyme, bay leaf and 2/3 cup olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet. Add the drained artichokes and bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Move skillet to the oven and roast for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots and fork tender. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add bread crumbs and stir to combine then let the bread crumbs cook without stirring for 1-2 minutes or until they begin to brown. Allow to cook for another minute or two stirring more frequently as the bread crumbs toast and transfer to a small bowl. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and add the chorizo sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking into small pieces until cooked through. Remove from heat and add the bread crumb mixture, chopped parsley and lemon zest and stir. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once artichokes are done cooking, remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish and add chorizo bread crumbs and drizzle with extra olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature. http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/04/roasted-artichokes-with-chorizo-dressing-and-an-artichoke-recipe-round-up/

Since I can’t seem to get enough of my spring fling with the thorny little buggers, check out these food blogger’s great recipes for the holy artichoke.

Spinach Artichoke Mac n Cheese from Megan of Country Cleaver

No Cook Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Dip by Rebecca of Foodie With Family

Artichoke Lemon Pesto by Priscilla of Red Shallot Kitchen

Roasted Stuffed Artichokes from Heather of Heather Likes Food

Spinach Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Cheesy Squares from Averie of Averie Cooks

Pan Fried Baby Artichokes with Mint and Lemon by Kasey of Turntable Kitchen

Artichoke Biscuit Bread with Asiago Cheese and Olives from Patrice of Circle B Cooking

Lemon Chicken with Artichokes by Kate of Framed Cooks

Artichoke, Leek and Potato Casserole by Katie of Good Life Eats

Oven Braised Artichokes with Garlic and Thyme from Sylvie of Gourmande in the Kitchen

Mediterranean Chicken and Artichoke Stir Fry by Rachel and Bill of Simply Fresh Cooking

Gluten Free Tempura Artichoke Hearts with Vegan Goody-Goody Sauce from Carol of Simply Gluten-Free

Roasted Butternut Squash, Artichoke and Goats Cheese Salad by Jennifer of Le Delicieux

Chicken and Artichoke Pesto Quesadillas by Snixy Kitchen

Roasted Artichokes with Lemon Tarragon Butter by Mellissa of I breathe I’m Hungry

Hot Asiago Crab and Artichoke Dip from Confections of a FoodieBride

Buffalo Mozarella, Artichoke and Lemon Pizza from Patricia of Technicolor Kitchen

Garlic Chicken Panini by Kathy of Panini Happy

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This site includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: appetizer, artichokes, chorizo, recipe, small bites

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Burrata and Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Salad

I like pretty things. Guilty as charged.

I’d have to guess that most of us in the world do. Am I right or am I right? Who wouldn’t rather gaze at a burgeoning, flowering garden of spring tulips than a pile of sheet metal covered in dust? Well, unless the light is just right and we’re being all ultra edgy and hip and arty. Then the sheet metal would probably win.

Being a fan of ‘the pretty’ more often than not inspires me to take the longer route, whether it be by car or on foot. I avoid the drab and make time for the fab. And why shouldn’t I?

I realized this the other night when I was driving home from teaching my university kids. It was 10:45 p.m., it was dark, and true to every Tuesday night for the past few years, I jumped off of the freeway one stop before my exit and took the old highway road that winds along the base of the mountains and headed toward home.

The funny thing is the freeway sits right next to the old highway road, divided only by a steep hill. Ah, but that hill affords the most beautiful, 4 mile unobstructed view of the valley below and the mountains beyond plus a gander at the downtown skyline. It doesn’t matter which time of year it is, or even when it’s pitch dark, I still take that extra 10 minutes to get home because its just that much more…inspiringly pretty.

It’s so easy to forget to take time out to look around and find pleasure in the little things, the sights you see every day but don’t. really. see. I’m challenging you to take the long way around, the harder route, the longer path and see what you can see. And then be inspired by it.

Yesterday I spent most of the day photographing gorgeous hunks of the most savory cheeses paired with some cold and very drinkable summer beverages for a client of mine. While there was quite an assortment of cheeses, from crumbly and stinky (in all the right ways) to mellow and melty, the star of the day in my book is also the star of this salad.

This salad is pretty. And it’s look is no match for it’s taste. At the center of it’s loveliness is the creamy, deliciously unctuous burrata, a fine example of someone taking their passion for cheese and choosing the laborious approach, the longer route, to create something pretty awesome. And lovely too.

If you haven’t had the chance to try burrata, you HAVE to put it on this year’s bucket list. Burrata is a fresh cheese with an outer shell of soft mozzarella that encases a center of  mozzarella plus cream to produce an incredibly soft texture that nearly melts on the tongue. It’s like the Cadbury egg of cheeses.

There was no way the burrata wasn’t going to be emjoyed for dinner, so with a quick scope of the crisper and a few slices of the knife, veggies were roasted, the salad was pulled together and photos were taken. It may have been the fastest shoot I’ve ever done because I couldn’t wait to eat it, and keeping my husband’s paws off the goods was a feat upon itself what with him walking back and forth and picking at what was left of the ball of cheese on the counter.

The ingredients are beyond easily adaptable and the only priority is a really great extra virgin olive oil to top the high grade burrata.

Another great recipe option is to move the dish from the bowl to the appetizer plate. Just make mini toasts and top with the ingredients used in the salad in smaller portions, and wa-la, crave-worthy appies for guests. Or hungry husbands who can’t wait for dinner.

Burrata and Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

This recipe doesn’t require exact measurements, just make it to fit your appetite. Good quality extra virgin olive oil Freshly ground pepper and kosher saltInstructions

Remove burrata from container and let rest to drain. Place tomato slices and asparagus spears on a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt and roast in oven set to broil for 5 minutes or until asparagus becomes soft and tomatoes begin to brown. Thicker stalks of asparagus will take longer to roast. Remove from oven and let cool. Top french bread slices with a drizzle of olive oil and toast in oven or toaster oven. Tear pieces of french bread slices and burrata into chunks or sections. Layer in a bowl with tomato, proscuitto, arugula and fresh basil leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with pepper and salt. http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/03/burrata-and-roasted-asparagus-and-tomato-salad/

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This site includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: arugula, asparagus, basil, burrata, cheese, fresh, healthy, meatless, recipe, salad, tomato

View the original article here

Burrata and Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Salad

I like pretty things. Guilty as charged.

I’d have to guess that most of us in the world do. Am I right or am I right? Who wouldn’t rather gaze at a burgeoning, flowering garden of spring tulips than a pile of sheet metal covered in dust? Well, unless the light is just right and we’re being all ultra edgy and hip and arty. Then the sheet metal would probably win.

Being a fan of ‘the pretty’ more often than not inspires me to take the longer route, whether it be by car or on foot. I avoid the drab and make time for the fab. And why shouldn’t I?

I realized this the other night when I was driving home from teaching my university kids. It was 10:45 p.m., it was dark, and true to every Tuesday night for the past few years, I jumped off of the freeway one stop before my exit and took the old highway road that winds along the base of the mountains and headed toward home.

The funny thing is the freeway sits right next to the old highway road, divided only by a steep hill. Ah, but that hill affords the most beautiful, 4 mile unobstructed view of the valley below and the mountains beyond plus a gander at the downtown skyline. It doesn’t matter which time of year it is, or even when it’s pitch dark, I still take that extra 10 minutes to get home because its just that much more…inspiringly pretty.

It’s so easy to forget to take time out to look around and find pleasure in the little things, the sights you see every day but don’t. really. see. I’m challenging you to take the long way around, the harder route, the longer path and see what you can see. And then be inspired by it.

Yesterday I spent most of the day photographing gorgeous hunks of the most savory cheeses paired with some cold and very drinkable summer beverages for a client of mine. While there was quite an assortment of cheeses, from crumbly and stinky (in all the right ways) to mellow and melty, the star of the day in my book is also the star of this salad.

This salad is pretty. And it’s look is no match for it’s taste. At the center of it’s loveliness is the creamy, deliciously unctuous burrata, a fine example of someone taking their passion for cheese and choosing the laborious approach, the longer route, to create something pretty awesome. And lovely too.

If you haven’t had the chance to try burrata, you HAVE to put it on this year’s bucket list. Burrata is a fresh cheese with an outer shell of soft mozzarella that encases a center of  mozzarella plus cream to produce an incredibly soft texture that nearly melts on the tongue. It’s like the Cadbury egg of cheeses.

There was no way the burrata wasn’t going to be emjoyed for dinner, so with a quick scope of the crisper and a few slices of the knife, veggies were roasted, the salad was pulled together and photos were taken. It may have been the fastest shoot I’ve ever done because I couldn’t wait to eat it, and keeping my husband’s paws off the goods was a feat upon itself what with him walking back and forth and picking at what was left of the ball of cheese on the counter.

The ingredients are beyond easily adaptable and the only priority is a really great extra virgin olive oil to top the high grade burrata.

Another great recipe option is to move the dish from the bowl to the appetizer plate. Just make mini toasts and top with the ingredients used in the salad in smaller portions, and wa-la, crave-worthy appies for guests. Or hungry husbands who can’t wait for dinner.

Burrata and Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

This recipe doesn’t require exact measurements, just make it to fit your appetite. Good quality extra virgin olive oil Freshly ground pepper and kosher saltInstructions

Remove burrata from container and let rest to drain. Place tomato slices and asparagus spears on a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt and roast in oven set to broil for 5 minutes or until asparagus becomes soft and tomatoes begin to brown. Thicker stalks of asparagus will take longer to roast. Remove from oven and let cool. Top french bread slices with a drizzle of olive oil and toast in oven or toaster oven. Tear pieces of french bread slices and burrata into chunks or sections. Layer in a bowl with tomato, proscuitto, arugula and fresh basil leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with pepper and salt. http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/03/burrata-and-roasted-asparagus-and-tomato-salad/

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This site includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: arugula, asparagus, basil, burrata, cheese, fresh, healthy, meatless, recipe, salad, tomato

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Meatless Main Dishes: Herb Roasted Vegetables

Mar 31, 2009 I admit: I hardly follow a recipe once I've mastered it, often adding a little bit of this and that to make it better. I often make roasted veges, using this as my base recipe. I omit the lemon juice and use a lot of dried herbs instead (oregano, basil and sometimes, paprika to add some spice). I also like to mix the veges in the herb oil mixture before spreading them on the roasting pan, just to make sure that the veges are evenly coated. Yummy roasted veges!!

—daphne 

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20 Kale Recipes and Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing

I succombed to peer pressure. I jumped on the bandwagon. I’m intoxicated with the sweet promise of a new fangled and healthy twist on one of my favorite meals.

My lunch crunch salad.

I have a version of a salad nearly every day for lunch and it’s often a dish I’m requested to bring to pot luck dinners. It usually includes some sort of protein (rotisserie chicken, tuna, leftover salmon or chickpeas), fresh veggies (roasted tomatoes or beets, avocados, maybe peas) and just a sprinkling of firm cheese (feta or blue are my faves.)

But it wasn’t until recently that I veered from my trusty spring mix or crunchy hearts of romaine to jump into the land of kale as my main salad base. I’ve added it to several of my favorite dishes like my Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw and White Bean and Pumpkin Pork Chili but for some reason it didn’t make it into my usual lunch crunch rotation.

Until I roasted the kale leaves for the salad.

I love crispy roasted kale chips. Toss a little salt on shredded leaves and put into a hot oven for a few minutes and you have a great alternative to potato chips. So why not soften the flavor and bitterness of kale by giving it a quick roast and make a salad out of it? Okay, let’s do this thang.

There’s so many other options for kale on the web, it’s truly one of the darlings of many a food blogger. And while I highly doubt it will make an exit off of anyone’s favorites list anytime soon, there are plenty of other natural foods making their entré into our daily eating routines.

I have a few kale faves, but I want to know, what are yours?

A few recipe notes:

1. Originally I tried this recipe without stemming the kale leaves, thinking the roasting might soften them enough to make them tender to the bite. While some of the smaller, thinner stalks did soften up and had a nice chew, the larger leaves turned into a tug of war between my fork and my teeth. My mouth did not win. Removing the stalks from the leaves, but keeping them whole leaf, gives the salad a whole new presentation than the small, chopped leaves I usually make the salad with.

2. While I made this salad as a first option for a strictly veggie meal, I did happen to have a bit of leftover baked chicken breasts so tossed a few pieces on for good measure. The licorice taste of the fennel adds a nice sweetness to the leafy kale and a few bites of smokey, toasted almonds add my craveable crunch. Yes, there’s a smattering of feta too.

3. Because the kale leaves are so sturdy, it’s a natural recipe to add a heavier dressing to. This caesar dressing was inspired by Pam’s recipe she shared (hash brown croutons, YES!) with the addition of avocado for even more creaminess and a little anchovy for salty flavor. If you’re afeared of anchovies, you can always leave them out and substitute with kosher salt.

Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb, leafy greens reserved Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup rotisserie chicken breast (optional) For the Avocado Caesar Dressing 2 anchovies packed in olive oil Instructions

Stem washed and dried kale leaves and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Place in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F and cook for 3-5 minutes or until leaves become crispy on the edges then remove from oven and set aside. Slice white part of fennel bulb into very thin layers and remove some of the leafy sprigs from the stems and set aside for garnish. Thinly slice the cucumber. Layer the kale leaves on a plate or serving dish and layer the fennel bulb slices and cucumber, sprinkle with roasted almonds and crumbled feta cheese. Garnish with lemon zest and freshly ground black peper and kosher salt. Serve with Avocado Caesar Dressing. For the Avocado Caesar Dressing Place all ingredients in a food processor or [blenderhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RA58CA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008RA58CA&linkCode=as2&tag=foodiecrush-20] and blend on high for one one half minutes.http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/03/20-kale-recipes-and-roasted-kale-and-fennel-salad-with-avocado-caesar-dressing/These food bloggers are certainly fans of the K-wow too, which one are you adding to your menu? And please, visit their blogs to see more deliciousness.

Kale and Black Bean Burrito from Kathryn at Cookie + Kate

Green Superfood Smoothie by Julia from The Roasted Root

Waldorf Kale Salad from Hannah of  Blue Kale Road

 Chicken Kale and Chickpea Skillet from Jessica at How Sweet It Is

Creamy Spaghetti with Kale and Sundried Tomatoes from Lisa at With Style and Grace

Sweet Potato, Goat Cheese, and Kale Pizza by Amy Jo of Pure and Simple

 Kale Artichoke Dip with Greek Yogurt from Becky of The Vintage Mixer

Spaghetti with Greens and Cherry Tomatoes by Mike and Margherita from The Iron You

Creamy Kale Pesto Pasta by Jackie of Domestic Fits

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Kale Quesadillas by Ashley from Cookie Monster Cooking

Kale and White Bean Crostini from Jeanine at Love and Lemons

Gluten Free Kale Pesto Spaghetti with Goat Cheese by Whitney of Little Leopard Book

Sweet and Nutty Kale Salad by Sofia from Betacyanin

Curry Marinated Summer Squash Salad from Erin at Naturally Ella 

Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale by Bev from Bev Cooks

 Kale and Feta Crustless Quiche by Brittany of Eating Birdfood

Cauliflower Kale Pasta by Bryan of The Bite House

Kale Ricotta Dip from Ashley of Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

Kale Caesar Salad with Pickled Onions and Homemade Breadcrumbs from Jodi of What’s Cooking Good Looking

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This post includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: almonds, avocados, caesar dressing, cucumbers, fennel, feta cheese, kale, lunch, meatless, recipe, salad dressing, vegetarian

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