Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

I came across this recipe while paging through a magazine that Lissa subscribes to - Real Simple. It was an article that featured dinners you could make for a meal exchange and gave you recipes to make 4 meals at a time (16 servings!). I glanced at the necessary ingredients and realized we actually had them ALL in our fridge sans the Monterey Jack cheese. I divided the portions by 4, added a box of mexican rice we had sitting in the pantry and created the picture above.

Three big reasons this goes on the blog:

1. It has simple ingredients!
2. The meal is easily extrapolated if you have company coming over or want to freeze some for later in the week.
3. It's tasty!

Shrimp & Grits

We finally tried the southern classic...Shrimp and Grits! We aren't experts on this dish, but it turned out pretty dang tasty if we do say so ourselves! We got the recipe from Jeff's assistant principal and the grits from Anson Mills. This is definitely a recipe we will try again soon (and we'll remember that grits take a looooong time to cook!)!

Here's the long-awaited recipe courtesy of Melissa Royalty...
Ingredients
● 2 servings cooked grits
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 1/2 cup diced prosciutto – you can use ham if you need to
● 2 tablespoons diced leeks or scallions
● 2 tablespoons diced onion
● 2 tablespoons diced green peppers
● 20 medium to large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, with tails on
● 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine
● 1 cup heavy cream
● Salt and pepper
● Green onion tops, chopped
Directions
Cook grits according to package directions – use ½ the water called for in the directions and replace the other ½ with heavy cream – this makes your grits really creamy; set aside and keep warm.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and saute until crisp. Add diced vegetables and saute until onions are translucent. Add shrimp and saute for 30 to 45 seconds, or until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little white wine. Slowly add the cream and let reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Divide grits among 2 serving plates. Line plate edges with shrimp (10 shrimp per serving). Pour sauce over grits. Garnish with green onion tops.

Guest Blogger!

We've never done a guest blogger before, but we figured it might be a cool way to spice things up a bit (pun DEFINITELY intended). We had our friend Susie over for homemade spaghetti and here's what she had to say:

I lived with Jeff and Lissa for a month when I first moved to SC. In that month I had the benefit of great home cooked food. This meal was no different. The homemade spaghetti sauce was fantastic, not to mention the yummy homemade garlic cheese bread that came along with it. If you haven't caught on from their blog, Lissa and Jeff are avid chef's. Even over a week after the spaghetti sauce was made, I reheated it on the stove for my dinner tonight and it tasted just as good as the first time it was originally made. The sauce was rich and very flavorful and contained a great amount of meat (not too much and not too little). I do think the next runner up for the evening was the bread, probably because I've never made my own garlic bread. Even though I have a nutrition major and took (required) cooking classes, my skills of cooking are quite minimal. I do my best when cooking for myself but whenever Jeff and Lissa invite me for dinner, I never say no. Their cooking is very homestyle and in my opinion healthy/ natural. If you ever get the chance to have food made by Jeff and Lissa (both of them, they are quite the team) don't pass up the offer.

Recipe...this is my (lissa) mom's recipe. There aren't any measurements, just add things to taste! Add burger, onion, garlic (plenty), mushrooms, green pepper (a little) and zucchini (and sometimes a chopped up carrot) to a skillet and cook until browned. Also add salt, oregano, basil and thyme at the same time unless using fresh herbs. Drain and add tomatoes (crushed tomatoes and some petite diced). If you want it thicker and slightly richer flavor add a little paste. Add some red wine. After it warms up taste and adjust spices (and wine) accordingly.

Euro-Food

Lissa lived in France for quite some time and I am proud to say she picked up most of their delicious food taste and has since passed it on to me.

As she was strolling down the isle of our grocery store last week, she happened across REAL Mozzarella and inspiration struck. The result? This:


For a wonderfully fresh, healthy, delicious salad simply get 1 heirloom tomato, 1 small ball of REAL mozzarella, some fresh basil and some balsamic vinaigrette. Slice, layer and enjoy!

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken with Poblano Spinach Vinaigrette and Spicy Roasted Eggplant

Undoubtedly the question on your mind right now: Is this recipe worth that lengthy title?

The answer? Yes. The marinade alone is delicious.

You can find the recipe here. We found it on an advertisement in a magazine, oddly enough, and decided to give it a try.

Our veggie in this meal, eggplant, came from a recipe book called "Simply in Season." It's a very basic, very simple cookbook designed with seasonal ingredients in mind. See below for a copy of the recipe.

1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of ground cinnamon
stir together

1 large eggplant
Brush cilantro mixture on both sides of eggplant slices and transfer to greased baking pan. Broil eggplant 5-6 inches from heat until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.


Overall, this meal was pretty good. I wasn't as big of a fan of the vinaigrette as I was the marinade, so I used it sparingly (although Lissa thoroughly enjoyed it). The eggplant is wonderfully seasoned, but not very spicy, though its name suggests otherwise.

Suggested Changes and Additions:

* Half the vinaigrette recipe. We had way too much leftover.

* Carefully watch your eggplants. We are quickly learning that they are difficult to cook, and the line between crisp and burnt is fine.