Well summer is back in full swing this weekend after some lovely cold weather thunderstorms last week. Therefore, rather than heat up the house, I thought it'd be a good evening for the grill. I'm rather proud of the spread this evening, so I'm going to post the whole menu.

Salmon a la Haley

1. 1 lb of salmon (serves two)
2. 1/4 cup brown sugar
3. 3/4 tsp garlic salt
4. 1 tsp lemon pepper
5. 1/2 tsp dried thyme
6. 1/4 tsp paprika
7. dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Mix 2-7 in a small bowl. Rub onto salmon and let sit at least 30 min. I am VERY generous with the rub . . . really cake it on. The rub will become more of a glaze as the brown sugar "melts." Grill skin side down until almost ready, and then flip for a couple minutes to get grill marks on top. If your salmon doesn't have skin, be sure to put rub on both sides!

Grilled Asparagus

1. Asparagus, cleaned with tough ends removed
2. Sea salt
3. Freshly ground black pepper
4. Olive oil

Spread the asparagus out on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Grill for about 10 min over indirect heat.

Grilled Corn

1. Corn

Throw corn on the grill husks and all for about 20-30 minutes.

Grilled Apple Slices

1. 1 large apple, cored and sliced to 1/2 inch
2. brown sugar
3. cinnamon
   

Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on both sides of apple slices and allow to sit for 30 min. Grill for several minutes over indirect heat until soft.

I also served this with Uncle Ben's long grain/wild rice mix, which I always enjoy.

Green Chile Tortilla Roll-ups

In honor of Hatch green chile season, I thought I'd post a great party recipe. I have to be completely honest . . . I can't stand cream cheese, so I don't actually eat this one. I am fully aware, however, that most people love cream cheese, and I assure you that this one is a winner.

1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 4-oz can Hatch green chiles, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon white onion, minced
dash of garlic salt, to taste
approx. 20 6-in flour tortillas, warmed (fresh is best!)

1. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until well-blended and creamy. I used my beaters for this task.
2. Spread mixture in a thin layer (think peanut butter on a PB&J sandwich).
3. Roll the tortilla's and slice into 1.5" pieces.
4. Chill for approx. 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Bread

Every once in a while I get a strong urge to eat out at Macaroni Grill. Although I do love their mushroom ravioli, I must admit that my cravings are most sufficiently satiated by their rosemary bread. Oh man do I love that stuff . . . Last night I experienced said craving and convinced Isai that we should splurge for the evening. This decision was followed shortly by the realization that we probably didn't need to spend $40 on my craving for a loaf of bread. This is especially true after our trip to Germany, upon which I took my parent's advice of "don't be cheap" to heart. At any rate, I recalled a rosemary bread recipe from www.allrecipes.com whose reviews claimed it to be identical to the Macaroni Grill bread that I love so much. Since I had all the ingredients on hand and a couple hours before dinner time, I decided to give it a try. Now I've never been great at making bread. More often than not, it comes out too dense since I am always trying to rush the rising process. This loaf was wonderful, however, and I will definitely be making it on a regular basis. Although perhaps not identical to the bread from Macaroni Grill, it exceeded expectations. Enjoy!

• 1 cup warm water (should feel like a warm bath)
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1-2 tablespoon rosemary
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in water. Let it sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
2. Combine flour and salt.
3. Make a well in the flour mixture, and add the olive oil and yeast mixture.
4. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. ~10 min
5. Add rosemary and Italian seasonings.
6. Knead until the seasonings are distributed throughout the dough. ~5 min
7. Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for 2 hours.
8. Punch the dough and shape into a loaf.*
9. Let rise in a loaf pan that has been generously brushed with olive oil for 45 min.
10. Bake in preheated oven (375 F) for 30 min.
11. Brush the top generously with olive oil and sprinkle with course salt.

Serve with olive oil and cracked pepper for dipping.

*To form a loaf: flatten the dough into a rectangle and fold in thirds (like a letter) to make a rectangle loaf. Place in the pan seam side down.

Cheesy Potatoes

I initially got this recipe from my grandmother who dubbed it "Potatoes O' Gerry" -- her name is Geraldine. I'm pretty sure she got the recipe from the bag of O'Brian frozen potatoes and just changed the name. Regardless of its origination, this is probably my favorite side dish, and it is super easy to make . . . A real crowd-pleaser albeit relatively high in calories. You can substitute many of the ingredients for their low-fat counterparts, but I tend to use the 'good' ingredients and opt for smaller portions.

1 28 oz. bag of frozen, diced potatoes (I prefer the kind with peppers, but that is a matter of taste)
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + more for sprinkling on top
A few handfuls of rice crispies (or some unsweetened corn/rice cereal)

In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, sour cream and soup. Add cheese and mix until well-distributed. Spread into 9x13 dish and sprinkle cheese and crushed cereal on top. To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for approx 1.5 hours or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Chicken Salad

Sunday night is generally bbq night at our house. In addition to the dinner, I often bbq a few boneless/skinless chicken breasts that are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. I then have cooked chicken to use throughout the week in various recipes. Every once in a while, I like to toss together a quick chicken salad for sandwiches during the work week. Below is my favorite chicken salad recipe. I learned it while working at a chocolate shop/cafe during high school. Please do not hesitate to alter the ingredient amounts as they may vary largely by personal preference. For example, I'm not a huge fan of mayo, so I tend to make my chicken salad on the dry side.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup walnut pieces
start with 2-3 tablespoons mayo
dried tarragon, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Combine shredded chicken, chopped celery, walnuts and halved grapes. Add mayo-- start with less and add until you have reached the desired consistency. Season to taste with tarragon, salt and pepper. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge until chilled. Serve on your favorite sandwich bread (mine is oatnut). I really enjoy these sandwiches with a couple thick slices of homegrown tomatoes. Enjoy!

Walnut Feta Dip

I shouldn't even be sharing this recipe as it has become one of my favorite "wow them" party recipes. However, I like it so much that I simply couldn't resist ;). This dip is sophisticated, delicious and stupidly simple to make.

1 cup walnuts
1 medium handful fresh parsley (very easy to grow)
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup water

In a food processor (I have a mini), combine walnuts and parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add feta and water and blend until smooth. Serve with high quality pita chips or another classy dipper. This would also make a delightful sandwich spread.

Enjoy!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I feel that I should preface this post with the fact that I've lived in the Southwestern United States for the majority of my life. More specifically, my childhood (through high school) was spent in Albuquerque, NM. Anyone from New Mexico considers themselves to be a "Mexican food connoisseur" of sorts, and anyone who's never been there thinks that New Mexicans are simply pretentious and perhaps a bit loony about their food. I went to college in Arizona, and I can't tell you how shocked I was when I ordered "green" on my enchiladas and received a tomatillo-based travesty! That being said, currently living in Austin, I have slowly learned to appreciate TexMex for what it is rather than expecting my beloved New Mexican cuisine at local restaurants. I have had to expand my Mexican food horizons and refrain from ordering my favorite New Mexican fare. Consequently, I never EVER order green chile chicken enchiladas. Recently, I found cans of Hatch green chiles in my local grocery store (Yes, there is a difference), and I was stoked. I tried a few different enchilada sauce recipes, and I have finally settled on one from my newly acquired cookbook, Red or Green: New Mexico Cuisine by Clyde Casey. It is actually a recipe for green chile stew, so you can just stop with the sauce if you'd like. I suggest making the sauce/stew the day before assembly for a couple of reasons.
1. Cold sauce is easier to work with.
2. It thickens a bit.
3. The flavors have been given a chance to meld.
Now that I have ranted on and on about expecting traditional New Mexican food, I'm going a bit nontraditional here with my use of a stew as an enchilada sauce. Sorry, but I promise it's good. The stew itself is quite healthy, although that is somewhat negated in the enchilada assembly portion. At any rate, enjoy!

Green Chile Stew/Sauce:

2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (I use kitchen scissors for this)
3 tbls all purpose flour
2 tbls butter
1 cup white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups tomato, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
water, as needed
4 4-oz cans of Hatch green chiles, chopped

1. Toss chicken with flour to cat. In a Dutch oven, or similarly sized pot, heat butter and add chicken. Stir until slightly cooked through. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft (stirring frequently).
   
2. Add tomatoes, salt, oregano and cumin. Cover and simmer for ca. 1 hour. Add water as needed to achieve desired thickness (I add about one cup of water at the beginning).
   
3. Add chiles and simmer for 30 more minutes.

Enchilada Assembly:

12+ corn tortillas
Canola oil
Lots of cheese (I use a "Mexican blend," but there are a lot of options . . . cheddar, colby-jack, etc.)
Green chile enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a small skillet and gently fry tortillas for a couple of seconds on each side. Remember, you want them to remain pliable. Drain well.
   
3. Add a spoonful or two of sauce and a sprinkling of cheese to each tortilla and roll it up. Transfer to a 9x13" pan as you go. Sorry about the lack of measurement specifics, but you want enough filling so that it is full without being impossible to roll-up. Don't worry about spillage.
4. When the pan is full of tightly packed enchiladas, poor the remaining sauce on top and cover with as much cheese as you like.
5. Bake until the cheese on top is melted and everything looks bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans. If you want to be truly authentic, follow the meal with warm sopapillas served with honey. Perhaps I will attempt those in the future. Please feel free to post comments and suggestions about this or any recipe posting.