Somethin's Cookin' So Let's Eat

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Enchilada Chicken

This dish is another pantry dish! I find that it is always good to keep the pantry stocked with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese in the fridge! And of course, the secret ingredient for just about anything is brown sugar! I've tried this out on a few guests and family members and have gotten a thumbs up every time!

4 chicken breasts

Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

2-3 Tbls Olive oil

¼ onion, sliced
1 (15 oz.) can red enchilada sauce

2 Tbls brown sugar

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and set aside.

Shred cheese and set aside.......

Heat oil in medium skillet,

Add chicken breasts and brown on one side.

add onions, turn chicken over and brown on other side.

Mix brown sugar with the Enchilada sauce and pour over chicken.

Sprinkle with half the shredded cheese, place a lid on, turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or till chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining cheese before serving.

This chicken is great served with side salad, South of the Border rice, (which will be the next post) and sliced avocado! Happiness all around the Rappleye table tonight as we ate and talked about things that matter!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Plantain Casserole

This dish is one of my favorite Dominican "comfort foods"......it looks like a shepherd pie but it has you fooled!! It has a wonderful surprise of sweet and savory! The sweet buttery plantains cradle the savory flavor of the ground beef filling with cheddar cheese sprinkled in between the layers.
Plantains look like bananas on steroids.......here is a great link to learn more about the history and nutritional value of plantains...http://grabemsnacks.com/what-is-a-plantain.html.......

6 very ripe plantains

water to cover

1 tsp. salt

1/4 C. butter

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided into thirds

1 lb. ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 small or half a medium red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. water

1 heaping T. tomato paste

Salt and Pepper to taste

The darker the plantains are, the sweeter they are. These are the ones I used and they were just right!

Peel plantains and place in a pan with water to cover. Add 1 tsp. salt...bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until soft and a deeper yellow.

While plantains are cooking, shred cheese, divide into thirds and set aside.

Chop bell pepper and onion and mince the garlic. Place them in a skillet with ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add water and tomato paste and stir to mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for abut 10 minutes. Remove from heat, (drain fat if needed) and set aside.

Now back to the plantains!...drain the water off and place them in a bowl. Mash with a fork and add butter. Stir vigorously until smooth and butter is incorporated.

Now to put it all together!.....Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Start layering by placing half the plantain mixture in the bottom. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top......add all of the meat mixture.....sprinkle another 1/3 of the cheese on top of meat......Then the rest of the plantains and top with the rest of the cheese.