
Posts for October 21st 2010
Chicken Three Ways: Tomatillo Enchiladas
So you've made roast chicken and now have a bunch of leftovers. Instead of simply putting together chicken salad, why not use the extra meat to create an entirely new dinner? Follow this scrumptious enchilada recipe. It's from Tyler Florence, and over 422 people have enjoyed it (myself included!). It tosses shredded cooked chicken with a quick and flavorful roasted tomatillo chile salsa. Unlike some enchiladas which are super heavy, the chunky green sauce is light and slightly spicy. The resulting dish is satisfying, but not overly so. Learn the technique now.
Check Out the New Fashionologie!
Come Party With Me: Vegetarian Fall Feast — Drinks
When hosting a dinner party, it's fun to introduce guests to interesting ingredients and exotic flavors. Keep the majority of the menu familiar, then throw in one unexpected element in the form of a specialty cocktail that highlights kumquats. My friends and family have little experience with the miniature citrus fruit, but they'll love to sample it in a vodka pomegranate punch. Part of the punch can be made the day before, then at the dinner, all you have to do is stir in the juice. Don't skip the pomegranate seed garnish; they provide a festive jewel-like quality to the drink.
To get the cocktail recipe, read on.
Chicken Enchiladas With Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
From Tyler Florence
Chicken Enchiladas With Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
Ingredients
Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapeños
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced
Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, store-bought
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 cups sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
- For the salsa: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeños for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.
- Enchiladas: Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin, then cook for a further minute.
- Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn, then gradually add the chicken stock to make a velouté. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens.
- Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas.
- Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.
Serves 6-8.
Slow Food's Wine Guide Highlights Sustainable Vintners
Sustainable winemaking is catching on, and the proof is in the presses. At a food show yesterday in Turin, Italy, Slow Food International launched Slow Wine 2011, its first-ever wine guide.
In contrast to wine bibles like The World Atlas of Wine, this tome evaluates wineries based on ethical practices in vineyard cultivation and vinification styles. And unlike ratings books such as Parker's Wine Buying Guide, Slow Wine 2011 eschews points-based ratings for a more qualitative appraisal.
The 2011 edition covers only Italian wines, but I think it has the potential to broaden its reach to include so many other wines, too. Would you be inclined to turn to a sustainable wine guide for advice?
Kumquat-Pomegranate Punch
From Every Day With Rachael Ray
Kumquat-Pomegranate Punch

Ingredients
5 cups kumquats, sliced
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
3 1/2 cups orange-flavored vodka
5 cups store-bought pomegranate juice
Seeds of 2 pomegranates
Ice, for serving
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine the kumquats and sugar; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the vodka and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate up to overnight.
- In a large pitcher, stir together the vodka mixture, pomegranate juice and pomegranate seeds. Serve over ice.
Serves 10.
Bobby Flay Is Expanding His Burger Empire
With a Burger Bash win finally under his belt, chef and Food Network star Bobby Flay is focusing on burger expansion. He's announced plans to launch 12 to 14 new locations of his fast-casual restaurant concept, Bobby's Burger Palace.
Currently there are five burger palaces, and now that Flay knows what works (and what doesn't: he's still adjusting the burger patty recipe), he's thinking big. The new eateries will open over the next 12 months in cities like Baltimore, Princeton, Washington DC, and New York City.
Flay's restaurant group also took the time to trademark a few of his signature phrases. "Crunchburger" and "crunchify" — specifically, the act of topping a burger patty with chips — are now an option only found at Bobby's Burger Palace. "We didn't invent it, but we did trademark it," he said.
Although I've never been to Bobby's Burger Palace, I'd be curious to check one out. Have you?
What Do You Know About the Next Iron Chef Contestants?
The third season of the Food Network's Next Iron Chef competition is in full swing. While the show lets viewers get to know the personalities of the participating chefs, it doesn't provide much insight into their backgrounds. That's why I put together this fun quiz. I'll ask you a question about one of the chefs and you have to name which contestant it is. Ready? Allez cuisine!
