Mexican Street Corn and Verde Chicken Enchiladas- A Favorite This Summer

About this time 7 years ago I was facing the end of summer, the time that I feel as a teacher and mom is the most probable time to do a hobby if any time, and yet, alas, I hadn't found the time to make it happen! With kids ages 1, 4 & 6 the odds were against me for launching into new creative projects. And I felt discouraged and frustrated.  But I didn't want to just give up this hope! So, the idea came to me of doing a food blog- to give me a creative outlet that I could do as part of my everyday life.

I can't believe this is my 200th post! The first couple of years I was able to crank out a post a week and then my pace slowed down as the new recipes became less frequent and life's demands only increased! It has been such a treat to have a creative outlet that is doable. However, there have been times I have felt discouraged, thinking "there are a million food blogs out there, why am I doing this?!" But then I'll write a post and it feels fun to write and photograph and share and I remember that this is my quilting, or water coloring that I don't have the time to do right now.  Or I hear from a friend that something on my blog was a hit in their home or was a help to them when hosting friends, and I feel encouraged to press on!  Or I evaluate my life and think, "this is an OPTIONAL thing in my life, as opposed to most of the other commitments that are required of me.  And then I have to tell myself, "that's exactly why you should  do this. It's a hobby...it's a creative outlet...it's not an assignment or job."  So thank you for being a part of this journey! I am grateful.

For this 200th post, I wanted to share with you 2 yummy new recipes.  I have been making these for a couple of months, taking photos and working out the kinks! So, here they are:

Elote (Mexican Street Corn) and Chicken Verde Enchiladas!

Elote was just introduced to me a couple of years ago and now whenever I see it on a menu I can't resist ordering it! I first had it at Butchertown Hall, and then at Green Hills Grille and then at the Little Donkey. Yum, yum and yum.  I found a recipe that looked like what I enjoyed at these restaurants and made it at home.  It's grilled corn on the cob rolled in a cheesy, creamy sauce, sprinkled with chili powder, garlic and cilantro and served with a lime squeezed on top. Often times it is served on a stick or with the husks pulled down to create a handle.  This makes it much less messy, to make and to eat, though I made these in the photograph without a handle. (Lesson learned the messy way)

Mexican Street Corn

4 cobs of corn

1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely crumbled cotija or feta cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 tsp. chili powder (plus more for dusting on top)
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder (plus more for dusting on top)
1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 tsp.)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 lime- cut into wedges                

Shuck 4 cobs of corn and wash thoroughly, removing the silks as much as you can.

Grill the Corn: Rub them with olive oil and place them on a hot grill. Cook until kernels are soft and there is a little but not too much char - turning and rotating for about 8 minutes  Meanwhile make the sauce.

Sauce: Mix together mayonaise through cilantro. stir well.

Use a spoon to scoop and smooth corn with sauce on all sides. Sprinkle with a little extra cheese and chili powder and serve immediately with lime wedges.

The Verde Chicken Enchiladas were inspired by The Raines boys (young friends from church). I was bringing a meal for their family when they welcomed home a new brother this summer and they requested enchiladas. I thought I would fill them with chicken and wanted a cream sauce that wasn't complicated but was fresh and tangy, made with verde salsa.  I poked around and came upon this recipe from one of my notebooks (my Pinterest before there was Pinterest notebooks that I wrote about HERE).  I believe it's from Southern Living many years ago (based on what I remember about the font of the torn out magazine page). They were so simple and yummy.  We made a trial run first and I used a Hatch Green Salsa from Trader Joes because, well, the packing was cool.  I'm a sucker for great packaging.  But we decided it was too spicy for kids.  So next time I went for a basic Salsa Verde. 

Verde Chicken Enchiladas 

Makes 8 small enchiladas

Filling:

3 cups chopped cooked chicken (roasted, rotisserie, baked, however you like it)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or Mexican Mix cheese (1/4 cup reserved for sprinkling on top)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 taco size corn tortillas

Sauce for top:

1 8oz. container of sour cream

1 8 oz. jar of tomatillo (verde) salsa

Stir together first 5 ingredients.  Warm tortillas in the microwave with a damp paper towel around them for a minute to soften them so as to not break. Spoon chicken mixture evenly down center of each tortilla, and roll up.  Arrange seam side down in a lightly greased 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Coat tortillas with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top.

Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Stir together 8 oz. sour cream and salsa.  Spoon over hot enchiladas; sprinkle with desired toppings.

I served this with black beans- made from canned black beans drained, rinsed, with water added.  I sautée onions & garlic, add the beans, some cumin and kosher salt.
and
a little simple green salad dressed with a swirl of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

I think the salad is a nice accompaniment to the rich, creamy corn and enchiladas!


Some of us pursue creativity more than others, but I believe that we all need creative outlets in our lives.  As Brené Brown's research has proved, cultivating creativity is one of the guideposts of Whole-Hearted Living! She says,

• "I'm not creative" doesn't work. There is no such thing as creative people and non-creative people.  There are only people who use their creativity and people who don't.  Unused creativity doesn't just disappear.  It lives within us until it's expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.

 also...

• As long as we are creating, we are cultivating meaning.  -from The Gifts of Imperfection   

Let's use our creativity!!

Quinoa Bowls...Pass it On

When I find something great, I can't wait to pass it on!
We have a new favorite meal at our house that I have been wanting to share with you for several weeks.  These early dark dinner hours have made it really hard to capture the meal in photos in order to post it.  So, this weekend I made it for Saturday lunch so that I could get photos with natural light.

This meal, Quinoa Bowls, was generously made for our family by my friend Maureen, while Dave was out of the country several weeks ago. It was so delicious, we all devoured it.  She had gotten the idea from Lane, when they and their husbands had eaten together a while back.  So, thank you Lane and thank you Maureen for passing it along!

after meal Jenga

after meal fire in a real fire place

I wondered  if it just tasted so good because I didn't make it and it was so special to have someone cook for me and my kids, or if it was the loving company.  My mom has always said, "It's the company that seasons the meal." I believe this is true.

That being said, I have since made it for my family several times and they love it.  So I think it's a great meal regardless of whether it's with special company or just everyday family members.

It's really more of a "concept" than a recipe, as you can adapt it anyway you like to make it as simple or elaborate as you want! 

There are some WARM ELEMENTS and some COLD ELEMENTS.
The point is that you make the warm ingredients and prepare/chop the cold toppings and then set it out to pile in bowls and devour.  It's build your own bowl.

For the Warm- 
Quinoa- start with this.  If you have a rice cooker, you can use it to make your quinoa, if not, just make it on a pot on the stovetop.  Just make it according to the package.  Portion-wise: I would suggest 1 cup dry for every 4 portions.  For my family of 5, who usually returns for seconds, I usually make 2 cups dry.

Black Beans- I usually open cans of black beans, rinse and drain beans.  Add a little water and season with kosher salt, cumin, garlic powder, and Cholula (or Tabasco) to taste.  Place on medium heat and stir until warm, turn heat down to low and stir occasionally. 

Kale- This is the last step of the process.  Sauté a couple of cloves of fresh garlic in a Tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet.  After a couple of minutes add roughly chopped/torn raw kale.  Stir around occasionally until kale is wilted, and soft but not mushy.  It shrinks drastically.

before

after

If you have carnivores that can't handle a meatless meal, or if you just want to add another element- We have warmed chicken sausage (sliced and browned on the skillet) to add to our bowls.  If you want to go meatless, you can forgo this! 

For the Cold-
Green Onion- thinly slice

Cilantro- wash and pluck leaves off

Feta-crumble

Limes- dice (to squeeze on top of the bowls)

Avocado-dice

Tomatoes- dice

Then just line it all up, put out a stack of deep bowls and spoons and let people pile their own creation.

The other night when we had this for dinner, we were discussing what ingredient was the "most essential" and we really couldn't decide (or agree).  We'll let you be the judge- but something about the flavor combination is just right.

(Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top- and Hot Sauce if that's your style.)

I love meals where you can make a bar and people can fix it like they wish, and I really love a meal that is comforting and nourishing and beautiful!  

Here is the line up at my house:

The Asher

The Julie

The Lainey

The Dave

The Lucy

Speaking of passing it on, and speaking of comforting, nourishing and beautiful...

Several weeks ago, I saw via Instagram that our very talented artist and designer friends, Jay and Kristi Smith, had designed and produced a spiritual/therapeutic coloring book!  I was so excited to hear about it and wanted to get a few for Christmas gifts.  I emailed Kristi to ask her the best way to purchase a few and she ended up coming by the house to bring some for me to buy.  She said she had heard about the CD, Amazing Love,  that Dave had produced for our church's 5th Anniversary and wanted to buy one.  So, they came and we made the transaction. It's beautiful and I can't wait to get my pens and pencils in it!   It is beautiful, spiritually encouraging and therapeutic!

(If you need any last minute Christmas gifts- both this album and this coloring book are lovely!)

Click here to view their blog and read about the story behind the Coloring Book.

Wishing you health, beauty and comfort this season.  

Salad for Dinner...a Summertime Winner

Salad for dinner. It just feels right on a hot summer evening.  I like to make a salad bar, where people can put what they want, and how much they want of each item.  We started making this “Cobb Salad” a few years ago with our small group from church.  We were looking for a semi-healthy meal, but one that was simple, hearty, and kid-friendly all at the same time.  This was our solution.  We like that if we serve rolls or some kind of good bread with it, then even people who don’t want to have a salad for dinner, can enjoy it (grilled chicken, some boiled eggs, tomato and cucumber slices and a hunk of bread).  And for those of us who love a great big dinner salad, we can pile it all on and feast on the beautiful bounty!

I have to say that there is something about this salad.  It is so good.  When our friend Blair had her “last supper” with our group before moving to Knoxville, she requested the Cobb Salad menu as her favorite small group meal.  

Our friend Ashley (who I mentioned a couple of posts ago) when she was visiting from South Africa sent this Instagram the night after having Cobb Salad at our house for dinner.

Lay it all out as a buffet and let people build their own salad.

like this...

and this.

Here is what we usually include:

Lettuce (typically Romaine and Spinach mixed together)

Grilled Chicken Tenderloins- one of our favorite marinades is a twist on Ina Garten’s Lemon Marinade, but we lessen the oil and substitute orange juice for the lemon juice to make it less tart.

Marinade:

3/4 cup good orange juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (I omit sometimes
              for kids)

3 pounds boneless chicken tenderloins 

Whisk together the juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.  Pour over chicken in a nonreactive bowl.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, (or overnight).  Heat grill and cook over medium heat until cooked through.

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

          And/or Feta (as an optional cheese)

Hard Boiled Eggs – this is a key ingredient! (I follow Martha Stewart’s instructions on boiling eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a pan of cold water (water covering the eggs).  Set on the stove top.  Turn on high heat.  Let it come to a boil.  Close lid and REMOVE from burner.  Set your timer for 12 minutes.  Let stand.  Then rinse under cold water and crack eggs with cold water running over.

Bacon crumbles – a little goes a long way

Croutons- I make mine oftentimes out of stale crusty bread…super easy and yummy! Tear or cut bread into pieces. Toss bread in olive oil – I drizzle a little over the bread or use olive oil cooking spray, as it coats more evenly.
Place in a 400˚ oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt (and garlic salt, etc. if you prefer)

Avocado Slices

Diced tomatoes

Sliced Cucumbers

Dressing of your choice- one night at group, one of the guys said, “I think I went wrong with my dressing choice last time.  What do you all recommend for Cobb Salad?” (He had used an Asian Sesame dressing last time). The dressing choice is crucial.  You want something that brings the flavors of the ingredients together.  I love poppy seed dressing on it.  Some people prefer honey mustard, or even a buttermilk ranch, but Italian is often our standard.  As far as bought varieties, Dave and I love the Olive Garden Italian you can get at Sam's.  Or we like THIS homemade vinaigrette. And you can’t go wrong with THIS Greek dressing!

This is a great dinner menu if:

*you are hot and want a “cold” but filling dinner, OR

*you need a prep-ahead meal (because most of it can be made ahead of time), OR

*you are having a gathering and people are bringing items (as it’s an easy-to-delegate yet quick-to- throw-together meal), OR
*you have a grilling partner and then one of you can grill while the other preps the other ingredients, OR

*you have people with varying food needs  (healthy, or low carb, or dairy free or vegetarian) since everyone stacks their own salad, they can make it as they want/need.

Sick Days: Soup, Vicks, Emergen-C and TLC

We have had a week of sickness around the Hunt house. Strangely, it has spanned the gamut from a migraine headache mom; to a stomach-nastiness-turned dry-coughing-at-night and runny-nose-in-the day girl; to a coughing-hacking-sniffling boy... and in my mind is swirling, "the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever..." NyQuil's classic ad.

So, the comfort measures in our home have been:
drinking lots of liquids – water, water, water (the healing flush)
and hot tea with honey,
and icy orange juice.

Eating popsicles, and taking Emergen-C (I swear by it, to help preempt the sickness when you first start to detect it, and to lessen the symptoms and quicken the course for after the sickness has already set in). It's like Airborne.  It's a packet of tangerine fizzy yumminess that is packed with vitamins and protective factors.

And Soup. I made Tortellini soup, which I had made just the other day for Valentine's dinner when Lane came to hang out.  Though that day, it was actually Tortellini Ravioli Soup.  Dave had done the grocery shopping and there was a slight mix up in that he got cheese ravioli from the freezer section instead of cheese tortellini.  Thankfully it was mini ravioli and so it could legitimately be eaten as soup because it fit in the spoon.  So, we had ravioli in our "tortellini" soup.  I told Dave it was apropos for our Valentine meal, as "love bears all things" came to mind from I Corinthians 13.

Tortellini Ravioli Soup

I made it this week again, and this time with the tortellini and it was super yummy and I would have to say, less awkward to eat.

You really can't go wrong with this recipe.  You can add to and take away from and make it the way you like it.  You can use meat-filled tortellini, you can add beans to the soup, or use cheese-filled and then add hunks of Italian sausage or turkey/chicken sausage if you'd like.  You can add other veggies chopped and sauteed; or add more diced tomatoes or less spinach.  Tweak it and make it your own.

Asher described it as tasting like "pasta soup".
He's right.

Tortellini Soup and Salad

Tortellini Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup onion, chopped (depending on your preference)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 bag of tortellini, any variety (fresh or frozen)
3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed and cut into slices
Salt and Pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper flakes (optional)
Grated parmesan, for serving

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions to the pan and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Mix in the oregano, basil and diced tomatoes.  Add the broth to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the tortellini to the pot and cook according to the package directions.  One minute before the tortellini is fully cooked, stir in the spinach.  Remove from the heat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste (and a few crushed red pepper flakes if you want a kick).  Serve warm with grated parmesan as desired.

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I also made a new twist on Snickerdoodles, as per this BLOG that I love, In Praise of Leftovers.  They are Brown Butter Snickerdoodles and are rich and lovely.  Dave, my resident Snickerdoodle-freak, however, still stands by my recipe as his favorite.

And then my mom, knowing that I had children coughing up lungs around here, texted me the amazing trick she just heard of.  You put a liberal coat of Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottoms of the child's feet and cover with socks, before bedtime and it keeps their coughing at bay during the night.  She emailed me this LINK to the article.  Fascinating, huh? Therefore, we have been slathering Mentholatum and/or Vicks on my kids feet this week and it has been really effective.  And, of course,  the humidifier is being rotated room to room each night depending on who's in the greatest need.

So, that's what's happening in our house.

I hope you and your household are doing well.  We are hanging in there, making the most of the time for snuggles, and comfort food, and lots of Tender Loving Care. 

Parmesan Rosemary Muffins - A Game Changer

Seven years ago, I saw this magazine in the newstand called Weekend.

The cover drew me in. A beautiful photo, great design, intriguing headlines.  I bought the magazine and quickly became a fan.  I bought a few more when they came out.  

I struggled with reading a magazine called "Weekend" since my life, with young children felt like it never included a weekend.  Of course, there were Saturdays and Sundays, but not what I would consider a weekend. Groundhog Day, you know?  Every day is much the same, and when the weekend comes,  while there is a shift in schedule, the days are still filled with bottom wiping, meal preparing, disciplining, noisiness, exhaustion and duties.  It is hard to relate to a magazine called Weekend that features articles about day trips, house projects and book reviews.  And includes photos of people lying on rafts in floppy hats, and napping and reading novels, and hosting candlelight dinner parties with adult friends.

Chicken Bryan A.K.A. a party in your mouth

At the beginning of my blogging adventure, two years ago, I wrote about a tradition of ours called "The Celebration of Daves". It's a celebration meal honoring Dave Hunt and David Thomas – two incredible, food-loving men, prepared by their food-loving, food-preparing wives.  This tradition has stood the test of time.  (We think it's been about 14 years). The four of us (David, Connie, Dave and I) are all highly motivated to continue this sweet annual ritual. We love this tradition because it is food and friends, period. We don't get to spend much time together, especially as couples.  And we all love good food, so this dinner is one we cherish and anticipate all year long.

connie and me a decade ago
aproned and cooking for the
Celebration of Daves

(In addition, Connie and I love to work together in the kitchen and it's such a rare treat).  We most often hold this celebration in late July or early August.  However, this year, with schedules and an early start to school, we just finally had our dinner last week!


When Connie and I were on the phone discussing menu options, we were tired and stumped about what to make.  We decided to ask our honorees if they had any requests.  When I asked Dave, he said, "Oh, it doesn't matter!" and then, "What about Chicken Bryan?"  I said, "Oh that would be delicious and special, however, it requires grilling, which I fear will be tricky for us to pull off with all of the rest of the cooking inside without someone to monitor the grill."  (I wanted to protect him from managing the grill on his birthday celebration meal.)

Party Chicken and Rice – Easter Main Dish

Is "dinner" the evening meal or is it the mid-day meal?  Or is the BIG meal, regardless of what time the meal is served?  At our house, dinner is the evening meal, and although it is not formal, it is the larger, hot meal of the day.  I guess you can call that supper.  Though we never do.  Some people talk about “coming over for Sunday Dinner” and they mean the mid-day meal.  When we have a holiday meal, we tend to call it dinner regardless of the time at which it is served.  At Christmas and Thanksgiving, that is oftentimes 12, or 1, or 2 in the afternoon.  I prefer to have Easter dinner at lunchtime so that friends can linger into the afternoon, we can hunt eggs in the yard and the work of the meal and dishes are done by afternoon.  It is tricky, though, when you are trying to race from an Easter Sunday church service, to get home, and get things cranking for the meal.   And if you are the guest at someone else's home where you are bringing a dish, you have to swing by your house to pick up your items, or have them in the car, in a cooler, or a keeper to have them ready for the meal.  This is all complicated.

For many, many years, Dave has had responsibilities at church on Easter morning, helping with the music for the services.  Which means we don’t travel on this holiday to visit family.  Instead, we stay in town and it has become a friend holiday.  We started a tradition years ago to ask around to see if there are people without a table to join for the holiday, and invite them to ours.  It has been interesting to see who comes and what the mix of people is.  It is sometimes full of college students, sometimes not.  Some years, people know each other, other years it is a mish-mash of our worlds colliding.  But the food is always yummy and it feels like a special celebration.

We usually provide the main dish and cold coconut cake (our favorite Easter dessert) and then people bring the rest (depending on how many people come – sometimes we do more of the providing, if there are less guests.)  One of our favorite main dishes for this meal is Party Chicken.  This was the “special occasion main dish” at my house growing up.  After all, the name is party chicken!  Mom said she got this recipe 40 years ago.  It was printed on the Georgia Power and Light (utility company) bill, of all places.  They had a recipe printed each month on the bill and she remembers keeping it and trying it, because the list of ingredients looked so tasty to her.  Never underestimate the source of a good recipe!

Water chestnut rice

It is a great dish, and you can alter it as you like.  I remember her often serving it with Water Chestnut Rice – which could be called Party Rice, in my opinion.  The Rice is actually my very favorite part of the dish! It’s a savory, moist, highly flavorful rice pilaf with a crunch of water chestnuts.  My mom got the rice recipe from a friend during the same era in which she got the Party Chicken recipe.  She said she had it at a friend’s house for dinner one night.  The host gave a disclaimer that the first time her husband had it, he said, “he liked it, but the potatoes in it weren’t cooked!” There are no potatoes in this dish.... it was the water chestnuts.  Mom wrote down the recipe and has been making it ever since. She even made large quantities of it for groups when she was doing food service for her church, altering it a little to simplify it.

The Rice dish would also be good on a non-holiday with a piece of grilled meat.

So now that Easter is 2 weeks away, we are starting to think about what to eat and who needs a table to join.  I tend to revert to the same menu repeatedly.   

My favorite Easter menu is:

An appetizer (so people can lightly munch while the meal is being put together – maybe nice cheese and crackers)

A green salad with strawberries, nuts, feta, etc.

Party Chicken

Water Chestnut Rice

Fresh Green Beans (or Asparagus)

Rolls or Sweet Potato Biscuits

Fruit Tea

Dessert: Cold Coconut Cake and any other goodies people want to bring!

My friend Melissa and her family usually share this meal with us.  She and I split what's left on the menu after our other guests have signed up.  She also oftentimes brings a dessert: sugar cookies, M & M cookies or tea cakes for the kids to enjoy…and she sometimes brings beautiful flowers for the tables!  It is a beloved tradition in our home!

Party Chicken


6 chicken breasts (pounded until uniform thickness)
12 slices dried beef (canned)
3 slices of bacon (to be cut in half)
1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

the can of dried beef and the cool jar
you get to keep- see above as a vase
for a daisy!

A handful of slivered almonds


Place individual slices of dried beef side by side in baking pan.  


Flatten chicken breast, place a slice of dried beef in "rough" side of chicken and roll up.  


Place 1/2 slice bacon around outside of roll and place seam side down in pan.  


Place a rolled breast on each piece 
of dried beef. (All of this can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen). When ready to bake, add combined soup and sour cream and pour over each breast.  


This will seem thick, but the juices from the chicken will dilute it.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour OR 250 for 3 hours (if you want to slow-cook it). Add almonds on top and bake an additional 10 minutes or until toasted.  

done!

Water Chestnut Rice


5 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup canned mushrooms, drained and sliced
8 oz. can water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
Melt butter in casserole.  Add all other ingredients.  Gently stir together. Cover and cook 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until rice is completely cooked.  (I have made this with brown rice and it works, it just takes much more time!
Also, it easily doubles or triples!)

Dinner time!