Throwback Thursday: Perfect Summer Meals

How has your summer been so far?  Has it been treating you well?  Ours has not been as warm as I would like, but it's still been pleasant.  I always love being able to leave the doors and windows open at night, listen to the crickets and go barefoot.

Along with summer comes a preference for lighter, cooler and less intensive meals.  We tend to eat a lot more salads, sandwiches and simple dinners of fruits, cheeses and charcuterie - like this simple meal I posted recently. Ice cream becomes the King of desserts and we really enjoy small, home-assembled Ice Cream Sandwiches.

I wish I could say that we spend our time outdoors, swimming (which we do love), gardening, hiking and camping, but to be perfectly honest, I spend most of my spare time working indoors on recipes, blog posts and videos or gaming with my friends.  Aside from the occasional trip (by occasional, I mean yearly or maybe every other year) to the ocean to hang out on the beach flying kites, we tend to be real homebodies.



With summer already starting to wind down here (it's only 9:00 pm right now, and it's already been dark for about an hour!), I thought this would be a good time to share with you some of our favorite meals for hot weather - some might even say perfect summer meals.
 
Nacho salads are a quick, refreshing meal for warmer temperatures.  Simply layer your favorite filling onto a bed of tortilla chips...



...and pile on a bunch of crunchy, iceberg lettuce, olives, green onions, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream.



Sandwiches are a great choice for hot weather and if you are among the many who rely on their grills in summer, you can grill up a variety of great sandwich fixins from steak, to chicken, to seafood or veggies - the choices are truly endless.  This one is a Bolillo roll filled with steak, sauteed mushrooms, onions and bell peppers and sprinkled with Feta:



...and this sandwich built on a Pretzel Bun with lemon-garlic mayo, turkey, provolone and spinach - YUM!

This Asian Noodle Salad is perfect for a potluck or pool party - or add some grilled chicken to it and enjoy it as a refreshing meal.



I've made this Orzo Salad with either chicken or shrimp, it's always a winner for BBQ's...



...and you certainly can't go wrong with a simple, green salad topped with grilled shrimp or Spaghetti with Lemon-Garlic Shrimp which cooks up in minutes.



What are your strategies for beating the heat?  We're off to the ocean next week, so no posts for a bit, but I'll be sure to return rested, relaxed and ready to bring you more recipes and cooking tips.  Until next time - stay cool!

Chicken Enchilada Cobbler

I first had this Spicy Taco Cobbler when I facilitated a workshop this past March with my friends Janet and Amelia for a group of Adult Girl Scouts.  Janet had made the recipe before, shared it on her blog – Chuck Wagoneer – and knew it to be reliable and popular.  I was a bit skeptical, to say the least, I had a snobbish attitude about the recipe since it called for Bisquick and Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, but it did sound delicious and kind of perfect for a camping trip in March.  Ya know, a hearty, stick to your ribs and warm you to your toes casserole.  March in the Pacific Northwest can be a real crap shoot, to say the least, in the weather department.  We had facilitated workshops at this yearly event several times in the past and had experienced everything from the nasty rainy weather you would expect from a Pacific Northwest early Spring to sunny and clear with below freezing temperatures to cloudy and mild.  Yikes!  Not to mention the fact that standing on cold cement all day, teaching a workshop OUTSIDE, can just chill you to your unmentionables.  Yep, definitely perfect casserole weather.

This recipe actually has a lot going for it – it’s pretty high-carb since it has both rice and a bicuity-cobbler topping, but it’s also pretty packed with protein since it has both meat and cheese, plus it has just a hint of a spicy kick (which you can definitely kick up a notch or three, if you prefer) that just warms you through and through and stays with you for hours.

The original recipe calls for ground beef as well as the aforementioned Bisquick and Spanish Ready Rice.  But I knew this recipe was ripe for variations.  I have made it a couple of ways already first by kicking up the spice a tad by using Chorizo and making both the baking mix  Spanish Rice from scratch.  But my favorite variation of this recipe is Chicken Enchilada Cobbler.  It tastes like chicken enchiladas with a savory cobbler topping and the simplicity of a casserole. I was super happy with the results right out of the gate and my husband gave the recipe his seal of approval too. 

Best of all, if you already have the rice made up this recipe can be made in one-pot AND it’s outdoor cooking friendly!  Visit my friend (insert link) Janet’s blog for dutch oven cooking instructions. 

Start by placing the rice in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish (I'm using Cilantro Lime Rice here), dutch oven or cast iron skillet.

Mix some pre-cooked chicken with shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, a can of dice green chiles, a little bit of green enchilada sauce and chopped fresh cilantro...

 

...top the rice with the chicken enchilada filling mixture...

...spread it evenly over the rice.

Now pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the whole thing...

...top with cheese - I used both Monterey Jack and Cheddar.  

Now mix up your cobbler topping: Start by adding cheese to the baking mix...

...and mixing the cheese in....

Now add your milk and eggs...

...and melted butter...

Pour the cobbler topping over the whole shebang...

...and bake until it looks like this:

This recipe is sure to be a family favorite and it’s a great candidate for making and freezing for meals-in-a-hurry.  Muy Delicioso!

Chicken Enchilada Cobbler

2 Cups (insert link) Cilantro Lime Rice (or any rice you have on hand)
2 Cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces
1 – 10 oz can Green Enchilada Sauce

1 - 3.3 oz can dice Green Chiles

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs

1 TBLS Melted Butter, unsalted
1 Cup (insert link) Baking Mix
2 Cups Shredded Cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter casserole, dutch oven or cast iron skillet.  Place rice in bottom of buttered casserole.  

Mix chicken, 1/4 cup of the cheese, 2 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce, the green chiles, oregano, garlic powder and cilantro together.  Layer on top of rice in casserole dish.

Pour Green Enchilada Sauce over rice and chicken mixture.  Top with 1 1/4 cup of the Shredded Cheese.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together baking mix, and final 1/2 cup of cheese.  Mix well.  Add milk, eggs, and melted butter.  Pour or spoon over cheese in casserole. 

Bake 30 minutes or until top is golden brown (this took 25 minutes using the convection setting on my oven).  Serve with sour cream, chopped green onions and sliced olives if desired.

Serves 6

Summer Favorites 2: Chicken Orzo Salad

Wow, can you believe this summer so far?  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we've been experiencing temperatures that we typically only get in late July or early to mid August.  Weather like this makes Steven & I crave cool, refreshing foods and this is one that keeps well and is also perfect for packing in lunches or taking to summer potlucks.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I shared a post about some of my favorite marinades.  This Chicken Orzo Salad recipe uses the Lemon Pepper Marinade I shared in two ways:  First as the marinade for the chicken and second as the dressing for the finished salad.  I adapted this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa - I've made it with shrimp, like hers, but instead of cucumbers, I like to include grilled or seared zucchini.  I don't remember how she dressed hers, but I like this lemon & olive oil dressing and it's a summer staple for us so it's always on hand.  

To get started, you'll want to put some salted water on to boil for cooking your orzo pasta.  While that's going, I started sauteing the marinaded chicken...

Once the chicken is nicely browned, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool...

While the chicken is working, I put a bit of the dressing in the bottom of a bowl, then started chopping up about half of a large, sweet onion...

...and I threw that right into the bowl with the dressing (you could add garlic if you wanted to as well, I've done that from time to time)...

Prep the zucchini by cutting it in half, lengthwise...

...and drizzle it with olive oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper...

...and either grill it (which we do if we're grilling anything else at the time or throw it in your cast iron skillet, like I did...

Either way, just cook it until it gets nice grill or sear marks on it, and turn it (you want it to stay firm and crisp but have that lovely, grilled char - like this:

Set it aside to cool, then slice it up...

Now grab a nice handful of fresh parsley and chop it...

You can chop it fairly coarse, like I did, or chop it more finely - whatever your personal preference.

Once the orzo pasta is done (you want it al dente) drain it and rinse it to stop the cooking process and also to cool it down.  

Add it to the bowl right on top of the onions and dressing.

Once the chicken and zucchini are cool, add them to the bowl as well along with the chopped parsley - stir to combine (be sure to really get to the bottom of the bowl so everything becomes coated in the dressing.  Add some crumbled feta cheese...

Stir the feta in gently.  Give it a taste, if you need to you can add more dressing.  Chill it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it.  YUM!

Chicken Orzo Salad 

1/2 box Orzo Pasta 

2 large chicken breasts, cut into cubes and marinaded 15-20 minutes in Lemon Pepper Marinade

2 zucchini (or to taste) 

1/2 large sweet onion 

8oz Feta cheese, crumbled

1 handful parsley, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 - 1/3 cup Lemon Pepper Marinade to taste (reserve some extra for dressing)

Cook Orzo pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente.  Rinse, drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, saute marinaded chicken in a skillet (I used my cast iron) until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate to cool.  Slice zucchini lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Sear in cast iron skillet, or grill until caramelized but still firm and crisp.  Remove from pan and set aside to cool.  Dice 1/2 of a sweet onion.  Pour approximately 1/4 cup Lemon Pepper Marinade into a medium sized bowl.  Add the diced onion and garlic (if using).  Add the cooled pasta and chicken and the chopped parsley.  Stir well to combine, being sure to coat everything with the marinade.  Top with crumbled feta and stir again gently to mix the cheese in.  Season with salt and pepper or additional marinade/dressing to taste.  This Chicken Orzo Salad is best if chilled about 15 more minutes prior to serving but is also good at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken Enchiladas - AKA: What to Feed Hungry Teens

I know, I know, it's been too long! Life has been busy here with our oldest in the school production of Les Miserable (which finally ended this past weekend), weekly snowstorms, homework, baking cookies and to top it all off, I've been battling a cold for over a week now!

So this week we finally had to cross a bridge with our very soon to be 16 year old. She was asked to "hang out" by a young man who she met while working on the musical. New territory can often be hard to navigate and our cautious, somewhat conservative young lady wasn't sure how comfortable she was going to a boy's house (frankly, I KNEW I wasn't comfortable with it) so she invited him here along with a couple of her girl friends so she'd have a nice, comfortable group to keep it all on the DL.

So, at this very moment, I have a group of 6 young people aging from 12-17 in my family room loudly playing video games while I share with you.

Of course, I need to feed them. I did the June Cleaver thing and had a fresh batch of twisted chocolate chip cookies (there is only one cookie left on the plate) , still warm and melty, for them when they came in, but dinner was the big question. Or at least it was up until about 3pm as I was driving home from work and came up with what I believe to be the perfect solution. Of course I could have gone with hot dogs, burgers, spaghetti or something along those lines, but my kids are always bragging about my cooking "skills" and I thought I should make something that would please them but still be easy to make and serve so I could monitor what's going on in the family room from the relative safety of my kitchen. I kept circling around tacos, but it just wasn't workin for me. Finally, I started thinking about enchiladas and after contemplating making them with pork filling I decided to make chicken enchiladas instead since I already had chicken thighs in the freezer that I thought would work perfectly.

They're in the oven now, and they are just starting to fill the room with a lovley aroma!

Chicken Enchiladas

2.5 lbs chicken, poached and shredded
1/4 large onion, chopped
1 small can (2oz?) cohopped, green chilis
1 tbls ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried cilantro (more if you use fresh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup queso quesadilla cheese
1 cup manchego cheese

1 large can (15oz) green chili enchilada sauce
tortillas, warmed

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour about 1/4 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together chicken, onion, green chilis and spices. Add enough enchilada sauce to help it hold together and to keep mixture moist. Add 3/4 cup of each of the cheeses and mix well (Monterey Jack would be fine too). If it's a bit dry, add a bit more enchilada sauce.

Put about 2 forkfuls of filling on each tortilla, roll up tight and place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until all filling has been used. Pour enchilada sauce over the center of the enchiladas, and pour any remaining sauce around the edges of the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream or any other "taco" topping you like.

Makes 8-10 enchiladas depending on size of tortillas and how much filling you put in them.