Fresh Pico de Gallo w/Homemade Tortilla Chips

***Brad and I took our honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera. It was the most incredible place I've ever been to...from our beautiful resort, to the fabulous food. One thing that stands out was the yummy chips and pico de gallo. I swear, we could have eaten nothing but that and we would have been happy....LOL. This recipe for pico de gallo is as close to the real thing as I could probably ever get (short of taking a trip back to Mexico!). So, here it is!***

Pico de Gallo:

***I never measure things when making this recipe, so these amounts are just guesstimates....please feel free to adjust these amounts to your liking!***

Ingredients:

1 large tomato, diced into small pieces

1 small onion, diced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh lime juice, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients. Stir well and chill in the fridge. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Homemade Tortilla Chips:

***I know, I know....buying a bag of store-bought tortilla chips is much easier. However, if you have the time, you've got to try this recipe at least once. You won't go back...I promise!***

Ingredients:

1 pkg corn tortillas

Canola Oil

Salt

Directions:

To make the tortilla chips, heat a saucepan of canola oil over medium-high heat. Cut each corn tortilla into 4 chip-sized wedges. Place wedges in hot oil and cook until desired crispness. Using tongs, carefully remove chips from oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt. Pretty simple, huh?

Authentic Beef Enchiladas

***Hola! Okay, this has officially made Brad's Top 5 list of favorites. It was one of those times when no left-overs were thrown away. To accompany this dish, I made fresh pico de gallo and homemade tortilla chips....in other words, we had a Mexican Fiesta!!! It was muy bien! I did substitute ground beef for the blade steaks. That cut the cook time down drastically, because the meat didn't have to simmer for the full 1.5 hours.***

Authentic Beef Enchiladas

Cooks Country magazine

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tsp sugar

Salt

1 to 1.25 lbs blade or chuck steaks, trimmed to small pieces

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

½ cup water

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or mild cheddar

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup canned japapenos, chopped fine

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, white or yellow

***If you have any of the meat mixture left over, it is great to use as a dip with the tortilla chips!***

Directions:

1. Combine garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl. Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a dutch oven (or I used just a deep saucepan) over med high heat. Cook meat until browned on both sides. Transfer the meat to a plate. Add chopped onions to the pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic mixture and cook till fragrent, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and water, bring to a boil. Return meat and juices to the pot, cover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer till meat is tender and can br broken apart with a wooden spoon or fork, about 1 ½ hours.

2. Adjust oven rack t the middle position and heat oven to 350. Strain the beef mixture over a medium bowl, breaking meat into small pieces, reserve the sauce. Transfer meat to a bowl and mix with the cilantro, jalapenos, and 1 cup of cheese.

3. Spread ¾ cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Microwave tortillas 6 at a time until soft, 1 minute. Spread 1/3 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll the tortillas tightly, and set in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef, you may have to fit a few down the sides of the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas and spread to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining cheese over, wrap with foil, and baked until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking till cheese browns slightly, 5 minutes. Serve with yellow rice, refried beans, and sour cream!

Source: Cooks Country magazine - http://www.cookscountry.com/

Tuscan-Style Chicken

***This was truly a beautiful dish when it was plated...so, if you're looking to impress someone with colors and presentation, this might be the one. It's also REALLY delish! The tomatoes and baby spinach added a fresh flavor, and the mozarella cheese made it savory. The tomatoes soaked in the flavor from the white wine, and were so good....we cleaned our plates! I served this chicken with the Italian Sauteed Beans below. These two things together were great - they both had a wonderful Italian flavor, without being a pasta dish.

I did prepare this dish a little differently from the recipe. Instead of cooking the chicken in the pan, I baked it in the oven. I simply drizzled the chicken with EVOO, seasoned it with Italian Seasoning, and baked it until it was cooked through. I prepared the tomato - spinach mixture in a pan, just as the recipe calls for. I then added the chicken back to the pan at the end and placed the mozarella on top to let it melt. I just felt that this way was a little healthier.***

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken cutlets

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

1 bag fresh baby spinach leaves (5–6 oz)

1 cup fresh pre-sliced mushrooms (rinsed)...I left the mushrooms out

1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes (undrained)

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Steps:

Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper (wash hands).

Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Arrange chicken in pan (wash hands); cook 3–4 minutes on one side or until lightly browned.

Turn chicken and add remaining ingredients to pan (except cheese). Cover and cook 4–5 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. Meanwhile, slice mozzarella thinly.

Remove pan from heat. Top chicken with cheese slices; cover and let stand 2–3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve.

Source: Publix Apron's Simple Meals - http://www.publix.com/

Italian Sauteed Beans

Ingredients:

1/2 cup roasted red peppers
5 fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 fresh basil leaves (rinsed)

Steps

Cut peppers into 1/4-inch slices. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Chop garlic coarsely.

Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic, peppers, and remaining ingredients (except basil); cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are thoroughly heated. While beans cook, stack basil leaves and roll tightly; slice thinly into fine ribbons.

Stir in basil; cook 1–2 more minutes or until fragrant. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)

Source: Publix Apron's Simple Meals - http://www.publix.com/

Chicken Saltimbocca Done Right

Cooks Illustrated: "Chicken Saltimbocca Done Right"

From the mag:

"Buy cutlets that are approximately 5 to 6 inches long. If the tip is too thin, trim back 1 to 2 inches to make the cutlet of uniform thickness. If cutlets are unavailable, you can make your own with four (8-ounce) boneless, skinless breasts. Although whole sage leaves make a beautiful presentation, they are optional and can be left out of step 3. Make sure to buy prosciutto that is thinly sliced, not shaved; also avoid slices that are too thick, as they won’t stick to the chicken."

Ingredients:

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Ground black pepper

8 thin boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (about 2 pounds), trimmed of ragged edges as necessary

1 TBSP minced fresh sage leaves

8 large whole leaves (optional)

8 thin slices of prosciutto, cut into 5- to 6-inch-long pieces to match cutlets (about 3 ounces)

4 TBSP olive oil

1 ¾ cups dry vermouth or white wine

2 tsp lemon juice

4 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled

1 TBSP minced fresh parsley leaves

Table salt

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place flour in shallow dish.

Pat cutlets dry with paper towels. Pepper the chicken breasts, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Lay cutlets flat and sprinkle evenly with minced sage. Place 1 prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet, pressing lightly to adhere; set aside.

Heat 2 TBSP oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to shimmer. Add sage leaves (if using) and cook until leaves begin to change color and are fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds. Using slotted spoon, remove sage to paper towel-lined plate; reserve. Add half of cutlets to pan, prosciutto side down, and cook until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until light golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack set on rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining 2 TBSP oil and cutlets, then transfer to oven to keep warm while preparing sauce.

Pour off excess fat from skillet. Stir in vermouth, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced to about ⅓ cup, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Turn heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 TBSP at a time. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from oven and place on platter. Spoon sauce over cutlets before serving.

Source: Cooks Illustrated magazine - April 2008 issue - http://www.cooksillustrated.com/