Christmas Brunch Recipes

Tradition calls for pork tenderloin. Check.
I called for a relaxed morning. Check.
And here's the menu:
1. Sour cream coffee cake from my MIL's recipe (I'll post later). Alas, I forgot to spray the pan so it came out in chunks and looked rather regretful on the cake stand, but it mattered not, for the taste is divine.
2. Blueberry and lemon scones adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Love her. Here's her recipe
3. Something savory...Mini Mushroom and Sausage Quiche (pssssst...these were so easy. I used the pre-cooked and crumbled turkey sausage and skipped the whole cook the sausage step. tossed the sausage, scallions, & mushrooms into the bottom of the muffin tins, poured the egg mixture on top...into the oven)
4. Something fruity (this was by far my FAVORITE!) Cranberry & Ruby Grapefuit compote (maybe it's because I'm a sucker for grapefruit)
5. Top it off with some biscuits (I cheated and went with frozen ones), a few fancy butters (blackeberry jam mashed up in butter; some lemon and chives cream cheese mixed into butter...you get the idea; roasted walnuts chopped and some honey smushed up in butter), bacon and voila! You have yourself a delicious brunch!

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake

So yeah it's been a while. I've been cooking. Sometimes exciting things, sometimes boring things. Sometimes I think "I should blog about this"...then, I don't.
Anyways, Senor wanted something new last week. I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry and was feeling the need to use it. I suggested pumpkin cranberry bread. He agreed. I then remembered the last 2 times I've made it I didn't like it. So I went on a hunt for a new pumpkin recipe and came across this...

Followed the recipe as directed and voila! It was yummy, simple and light. Senor wanted it again this week but I veto-ed. We need to branch out again. I'll keep you posted.

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

A good, comfy food Senor favorite. They're not too complex and well worth the effort. Make up several batches at once and freeze some for later. If you cook the chicken ahead of time
(or use a Rotisserie chicken from the deli) and use the frozen chopped onion and green peppers, you'll have these on the table in no time!

--3 chicken breasts cooked and chopped up (I prefer breasts with skin and bone boiled then skinned, de-boned and chopped; it just has a better flavor and doesn't dry out); you could also use ground beef if you prefer
--1-2 yellow onions, sliced
-1 green pepper, chopped
--oregano (approx 1 Tbsp)
--cumin (approx 1-2 Tbsp)
--black pepper (approx 1/2-1 tsp)
--chili powder (approx 1 Tbsp)
--garlic powder (approx 1/4 tsp)

For the sauce:
--2 Tbsp butter
--1.5 Tbsp flour
--2 c chicken broth
--1 can cream of mushroom (I prefer the "healthy choice" kind with less fat and salt)
--1 4-oz can diced green chiles, drained
--8 oz low fat sour cream

--Corn or flour tortillas; if you choose to use the corn tortillas you will need to pan fry them ahead of time in a skillet.
--Mexican queso cheese, pepper jack cheese & sharp cheddar shredded (or your choice of cheese)

Garnishes: (optional)-fresh chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole

1. Preheat oven 350F.
2. Sautee onions and green peppers in EVOO til they're soft and begin to brown. Add chicken. Con't cooking (add chicken broth as needed to keep it from sticking). Add seasonings to desired taste. Cook til heated through. Set aside to cool.
3. In a med sauce pan melt butter. Whisk in flour til smooth. Add chicken broth til smooth.
4. Bring to boil and add cream of mushroom and return to simmer; con't stirring continually for approx 10 min (or until sauce is reduced by approximately half and is thickened and coats a spoon).
5. Add in chiles. Con't simmering until desired thickness. I recommend when it's like pudding (before you refigerate it) then turn off the heat. Stir in sour cream and con't stirring until it's cooled off a good bit.
6. In a 9x13 pan (or 9x9 is what I use for us, it's the perfect size for 2 people) spray the pan.
7. Line up your chicken, cheese, pan; sauce. Take each tortilla and fill it with chicken mixture, cheese and then roll up; place in pan side by side til its full with a single layer. Pour sauce over.
8. Bake for 30-45 min (add cheese if you want for the last 5-10 min) until golden brown and bubbly.

If you want to freeze some for later assemble them, pour sauce then wrap them up well with plastic wrap, then foil and freeze.

Carrot Cake

It's kind of Easter season and one day last week I got to thinking about rabbits and that lead to carrots which lead to me think about this which propelled me into the kitchen and whipped my hands into a frenzy making an oh-so-yummy (but it's good for you with all the carrots, right?!) double-layer carrot cake. It's a smoosh of 2 of recipes.

2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice (don't sweat it if you don't have it)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

3/4 c sugar
3/4 c loosely packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
Mix together with blender til smooth.

Add in:
8 Tbsp butter, softened
3/4 c plain yogurt (or applesauce)

Mix well.

Stir in dry ingredients.
Now mix in :
2-3 c finely grated carrots
8.5 oz can crushed pineapple (well drained, I mean well)
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c raisins

Preheat oven 350F. Flour and grease 2--8" round cake pans. Divide batter evenly between them; bake for approximately 35-40 min (til toothpick comes out clean). Remove from oven , cool for 5-10 min then remove from pans and cool on rack til cooled completely.

Frosting:
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla
powdered sugar

Whip cream cheese and butter til smooth. Add vanilla. Mix well. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time til desired flavor and consistency. Use milk if you need to thin it. Keep chilled until ready to use.

Place 1 round cake on cake plate, use 1/3 of frosting to ice the top. Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to cover the entire cake...admire your work, grab a glass of milk and have a slice! Keep cake refrigerated for freshness.

Salty Chicken Salad

This is one of my baby brother's favorites. He asked for it ALL the time. It's technically called Chinese Chicken Salad but he has renamed it Salty Chicken Salad. It's quick, easy and has a nice flavor. Feel free to beef it up or par it down to your liking; it's perfect for the warmer weather.

4 whole chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c water
1-3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 head of green cabbage, finely chopped (I just buy a bag of coleslaw cabbage mix)
3 green onions, chopped
2/3 c almonds, sliced and toasted
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 pkg ramen noodles (not cooked), crushed
**I'd recommend the beef or chicken flavors
2 tsp sugar
1/2 c oil
1 Tbsp vinegar (or more)
seasoning packet from Ramen noodles
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained

1. Stir fry the chicken in the soy sauce and water. Remove from pan and cool.
2. In large bowl combine cabbage, almonds, seasame seeds and noodles.
3. In small bowl whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar and seasoning packet. Add chicken to the cabbage mix.
4. Serve with oranges on each individual serving; add dressing as desired.

I do not ever mix everything together (it doesn't keep well) so if you're hoping to get 2 meals from this; keep everything separate and just make individual servings.

Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

This one came from Heidi at 101 cookbooks. I was in a "need more veggies but not in a boring, usual steamed way" mood and this sounded interesting. Senor requested that it have some meat in it so I obliged by adding a small amount of cooked ground Italian sausage. Overall, not difficult to make. Not overly amazing either. I think the dill was a bit much...maybe next time I'll try more cheese (parmesan or sharp cheddar) and change the dill for tarragon or Herbs de Provence. I think with those substitutions it would make a lovely meal. Also, perhaps adding more egg, less ricotta. AND finally changing out the zucchini for other vegetables...SOOOOO yeah, pretty much we decided we'd clean the slate and start with a whole new recipe. It did not photograph either. Although, I also waited until 0' dark 30 to take a picture too.

Lemon Souffle!

This recipe came from a recent Martha Stewart magazine my mom was perusing and I saw this at the end...it was a must try given how much I love lemon desserts and the chocolate souffle we make. I was curious to say the least.

In true Martha fashion it was good but also time-consuming and dirty-dish prolific. I am sort of a one-bowl wonder these days; so this put a serious crimp in my style. I can't say I'll make them again...they weren't that amazing, I may try tinkering with a version of my own in the future. If I succeed I'll let you know. In the meantime, try this one if you're up for a moderate cooking challenge and have some time and dishes to spare!