tamale all about it!

I love me some tamales! But the only thing is that I don't have the time (or rather kind of lazy) to make tamales on my own. Even though it's not authentic, I find that pot pies that mimic tamales are something that I can definitely do.

Since I like the ease of making casseroles, this tamale pie was something they've been wanting to make. I've been experimenting with different ingredients inside the pie and so far this is the most of that been happy with. It's got a lot of feeling and as much vegetables I can fit in. Add some extra toppings and this makes a great meal!

---- o o o o ----

Chicken Tamale Pie

(makes one large pot)

Filling:

4lbs skinless boneless chicken, cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp bottled minced black garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Jen's everything seasoning

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ancho chile powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, diced

1 large poblano chile, diced

1 can black beans, drained & washed

1 can sweet corn, drained

1 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, divided

1 large can Las Palmas mild/medium enchilada sauce

1 tsp better than bouillon, chicken bouillon​

2 tbsp masa flour

Cornbread Topping:

Dry Ingredients

    2 cups  cornmeal

    1 cup all-purpose flour

    2 tsp baking powder

    1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Wet Ingredients

    2 cups milk (room temperature)

    2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar

    5 tbsp salted butter (melted/liquid)

    1 small can chopped jalapenos, drained 

    1/4 cup canned corn

1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend

sour cream for serving

finely chopped red onion for serving

hot sauce for serving

Heat 6 quart dutch oven. Mix chicken, black garlic, and spices then add to hot pan to brown. Add onions and poblano and cook until onions are translucent. Add black, beans, corn, zucchini, and half of cilantro. Cook for 10 minutes then add enchilada sauce, bouillon, and masa flour. Cook mixture until thickened and reduced by 1/4. Remove from heat set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine together wet ingredients for cornbread in a small bowl until frothy.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.  Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Top filling with cornbread mixture then with Mexican cheese blend. Bake in oven until cornbread is cooked through and filling is bubbly, about 30-35 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, finely chopped onions, olives, and hot sauce.

con-cider-ing options...

So in order to get the Hubby off my back regarding random bottles of hard cider in the fridge, I decided to use it for cooking in addition to drinking it. I'm not much of a drinker. It takes me forever to finish just a bottle of beer... like to the point of it getting warms. Hard ciders, on the other hand, are much easier for me to glugg down. My favorite would either be Woodchuck's 802 or their seasonal Spring Cider. Another brand I really like is Crispin (formerly Fox Barrel) Pacific Pear Cider.

With that being said, sometimes I'll go on a buying spree of ciders and always end up with waaaay too many. Sometimes the Hubby has to help me drink them (by them, I mean most of it). I figure this time around I'll put them to good use, lol. The hard cider chicken turned out okay. My cider has ginger in it so it made the flavors all wonky. The veggie dish, on the other hand, was a little underwhelming. So, all in all, an okay dinner. *sigh*

---- o o o o ---- 

Hard Cider Chicken
(from Native Sun)

6 chicken thighs (no drumsticks, bone in)
6 oz hard cider (brand of your choice)
adobo seasoning (enough to dust both sides of the chicken)
1/2 tsp coconut crystals (or honey or raw sugar)

Heat the grill to high heat or preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan, combine hard cider and coconut crystals on medium-high heat until the coconut crystals are dissolved. Coat the chicken with a light dusting of the adobo seasoning on all sides and then pour the beer over the chicken. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Grilling:
Place the chicken on the grill (leave it open). This should take about 20 minutes total, and you should flip every 5 minutes (roughly, you will need to watch it).

Oven Baked:
Put a little oil down in the pan (or use an oiled grill pan, our favorite because it doesn’t allow the chicken to get soggy) and place the chicken on the pan.

Cook for about 30 minutes at 400, then turn the heat down to 350 and cook for about 15-20 minutes (again, it depends on how big the chicken is, you want the juices to run clear, not pink).

If your chicken is not browning enough, turn the heat up to 500 degrees (broil it) for 5 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

---- o o o o ---- 

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower and Zucchini.
(from Popular Paleo)

1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 zucchini, large dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
pinch of red chili flakes
1/4 cup coconut oil
optional Italian flat-leaf parsley garnish

In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the coconut oil at medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower in first, moving often, and sauté for a few minutes or until the cauli has a little color to it. Cauliflower takes longer than zucchini, so we need to give it a head start.

Next add the zucchini, garlic and spices. Toss to bring everything together and continue to sauté for another 7 minutes or so until the zucchini has softened and taken on some color, taking care not to burn the garlic. Transfer to a serving dish and top with some fresh chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, if you feel like it

it's all greek to me.

Today was a hectic grocery day. I don't know why I didn't do it on Sunday, but I found myself wandering the island and getting things for next week's lunches and dinners. So not only did I get the groceries, I did a ton of prep today as well. Man... Am I pooped.

With that being said, I still wanted to make something that took *some* effort (even though I was starting to run on fumes) despite the busy day I've had. So I went on my pinterest board and looked for inspiration. I don't know what made me look for "Greek", but when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. And being an over-achiever that I am, I decided to make some mash and veggies to go with it.

The first problem that I ran into was not having any Greek seasoning. Another quick looksie through pinterest and I found this spice mix which looked interesting (with the added bonus that I had everything listed in my pantry). After tasting a bit of it, I was really blown away! Herby a little salty, I knew this was a killer spice mix! I made sure to save the recipe in my files so I can make it again when I run out in the future.

With the main problem out of the way, everything went surprisingly smooth and with very little effort than I anticipated. Of course, it definitely helped that I went grocery shopping earlier today...I just so happened to get all the ingredients that I needed for the recipes I chose. Yay for happy happenstance!

With regard to the actual meal, I thought that it all went well together. Loved the mash and also the veggies. The chicken was so-and-so... I'm thinking that I went overboard on the yogurt (I halved the recipe) and it didn't cook that way it was intended because I used skinless boneless thighs. I may do this recipe again, but with no lemon juice (just zest) and just enough yogurt to coat the chicken...

---- o o o o ---- 

Greek Seasoning Blend
(from AllRecipes.com)

2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried rosemary, minced
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper, parsley, rosemary, dill, marjoram, cornstarch, thyme, and nutmeg in a bowl. Store in an airtight container. Alternately, blend spices in a spice grinder for a finer texture.

---- o o o o ---- 

Greek Marinated Chicken
(from Budget Bytes)

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tbsp dried oregano
1 medium lemon
½ tsp salt
freshly cracked pepper
¼ bunch fresh parsley
3½ to 4 lbs chicken pieces

To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl. Use a fine holed cheese grater or a zester to scrape the thin layer of yellow zest from the lemon skin into the bowl. Also add the juice from half of the lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp). Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Roughly chop a big handful, or about ¼ bunch, of parsley and stir it into the marinade.

Add the chicken pieces and marinade to a gallon sized zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible, close the bag tightly, and massage the bag to mix the contents and make sure the chicken is well coated. Refrigerate the bag for 30 minutes. After marinating for 30 minutes, either cook the chicken on a grill OR preheat the oven to 375 degrees in preparation to bake the chicken.

To bake the chicken, place the chicken pieces in a large casserole dish (9x13). Bake the chicken in the preheated 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

---- o o o o ---- 

Feta and Herb Mashed Potatoes
(from Katie's Cucina)

6 medium white potatoes, peeled
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup each fresh parsley, dill, and sliced green onions
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
*3 tbsp milk if needed

Peel, chop, and rinse potatoes. Fill water to just above the potatoes and add 1 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to fall apart when a knife is inserted in them.

Drain potatoes, and add 1/4 cup butter to the pot the potatoes were boiling in. Add the potatoes back to the pot then add fresh parsley, dill, and green onions followed by feta cheese. Place a lid on top of the potatoes and let them sit for 5 minutes.

Add black pepper to the potatoes and mash using a hand-mixer. Add milk if needed (one tablespoon at a time or until moist). Top with more fresh herbs and butter and serve immediately.

---- o o o o ---- 

 

Easy Mediterranean Vegetables
(from She Wears Many Hats)

2 tbsp + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium zucchini, cut in eighths lengthwise, then halved crosswise (about 3 inches long)
1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch wide strips
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch wide strips
2 tsp greek seasonings
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp sugar

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large grill-safe skillet and place on hot grill (or stove-top over medium-high heat) until hot. Add zucchini, onion and bell pepper; cook and stir 6 minutes or until browned on edges.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil plus remaining ingredients.

Remove skillet from heat. Add seasoning mixture to cooked vegetables; toss gently to coat.