Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Monte Cristo Sandwiches


So, I'm a little embarrassed by our winter-time eating. Local food is a little thin here this time of year. We are eating local eggs, winter greens, potatoes, carrots and onions at very the least. But, since it's not been the vision of organic, local really really good for you food around here, I've been slacking on posting recipes. I finally figured that we all need to get through the winter, so I might as well plunge on in with the greasy food too!
I'm adding another winter comfort food because, really, we can't live on kale alone (well, maybe, but I like a little fat now and then too!). I'll put the recipe in the way I found it, but here's what I did differently: I couldn't bear the idea of deep frying these things, so I left the sandwiches whole and fried them like a grilled cheese in some olive oil. We used whole grain bread, turkey and mozzarella cheese (it's what we had around) and added avocado. Tom had fake mozz as he's trying to cut out dairy. Yum. I served it with low-sugar raspberry jam for dipping. Oh, and my little brainstorm for sprinkling powdered sugar on top was to fill up a little loose tea infuser like this and use that! Smart huh?

Sinfully delicious. Now, if I'd added a side of kale? Would that unclog my arteries a bit?
Monte Cristo Sandwich
1 quart of oil for frying, or as needed
2/3 cup water
1 egg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 slices white bread
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices turkey
4 slices ham
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 T confectioners' sugar for dusting
Heat 5 inches of oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). While oil is heating, make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Assemble sandwiches by placing one slice of turkey on one slice of bread, a slice of ham on another, then sandwich them with the Swiss cheese in the middle. Cut sandwiches into quarters, and secure with toothpicks.

Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Ready In: 15 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

So, if you're feeling cheesy. .. . here's some solid comfort food.

Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole (Vegetarian) Recipe

This was in the "Inspired Vegetarian" section of Cooking Light Magazine. Satisfies both the vegetarian and meat-eater. For non-veggie households, could very easily substitute chicken breast for the meatless chicken.

8 servings
Time to Make: 50 min; 15 min. prep

1 t vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can green chilies, undrained
2 (6 ounce) packages vegetarian chicken strips, chopped (or 2 real chicken breasts, cooked, then chopped)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 (10 ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
cooking spray
8 (4 inch) corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups preshredded low-fat mexican cheese
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
  3. Add Chilies, cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from heat, stir in chopped chicken strips.
  5. Combine cumin, chili powder and enchilada sauce. Pour 1/3 of sauce mixture into an 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
  6. Arrange 1/2 of tortilla quarters over sauce mixture, top with onion mixture.
  7. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup Mexican blend cheese, top with 1/3 of sauce mixture.
  8. Top with remaining tortillas and sauce mixture.
  9. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
  10. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese, bake an additional 10 minutes.
  11. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.