Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

From: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/creamy-chicken-enchiladas.html

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Olive Oil
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained

1 large onion, chopped (or more than 1, maybe 2 medium size?)

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut up and softened
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast (or ground chicken or turkey)
8 (8″) flour tortillas (whole wheat ok too)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 pint whipping cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. 

Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam. 

Saute onions in a bit of olive oil.

Add rotel and saute 1 min. 

Stir in cream cheese, spinach, chicken and cook, stirring constantly until cream cheese melts. 

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. 

Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.

Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese, and drizzle with all of the whipping cream.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Take off foil and cook for another 15 mins, or until top is golden brown.

(Perhaps also good just as casserole, without tortillas, for a more low-carb option?)

Deep Dish Pizza Cookie / Pizzookie

From 6bittersweets: http://www.6bittersweets.com/2010/08/browned-butter-pizzzzookie-need-i-say.html

Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pizzookie

From 6 Bittersweets Adapted from The Little Red House Makes 6 to 8 pizzookies or about 24 regular cookies 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup brown sugar [or white sugar plus 1 tsp molasses] 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices 1 large egg, room temperature 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup chocolate chips or 4.5 ounce bar, chopped 1/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted and roughly chopped Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add butter slices and melt in pan. Stir continuously. Butter will foam up. After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan. Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma. Remove from heat at this point. Don't heat it any more or it may burn. Add browned butter and sugar to your stand mixer bowl. Mix well. Add in egg and vanilla, and mix them in thoroughly. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Finally, add and evenly distribute the chocolate chips by mixing. Scoop dough into individual ramekins. Sprinkle some pecans on top (they get toasty in the oven!). Bake for 8-10 minutes. Your pizzookies are ready when the edges are cooked, but the center is still gooey. Top with vanilla ice cream and gobble it up! If you want to make these as normal cookies, just roll them into 1" balls and bake about 10-13 minutes until the edges are just set.

Butternut Squash Orzo

From the little red house: http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2010/10/butternut-squash-orzo.html

Butternut Squash Orzo

Serves 4

1 roasted chicken (I put a (hormone/antibiotic free of course) chicken* in the crock pot in the morning with a lemon, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and some s&p and let it cook until it falls apart.) 

1/2 butternut squash

1/2 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper and thyme

1/2c-3/4c chicken broth

1 cup orzo, fully cooked according to package directions

3 strips of bacon (I am not a bacon lover so this was just the right amount for me....if you love bacon, add a few more:)

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

-Halve and clean squash

-Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme and s&p

place squash (cut side up), onion, and garlic cloves on a lined baking sheet and roast at 425 until veggies are fork tender, about 30 minutes (onion and garlic will need to be removed before squash) Squash will easily scoop right out of peel when it is done roasting.

-Add all veggies to a food processor, along with 1/2c chicken broth and puree.

-Add a bit more broth if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.

-Combine cooked orzo, chicken, crumbled bacon, and butternut sauce.

Top with parmesan.

Serve with crusty bread and a simple salad.

Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms

From The Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/soup/cold-weather-comfort-beef-and-barley-stew-with-mushrooms-107027

Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms
Makes 6-8 servings

2-3 pound chuck or round beef roast, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
8-10 ounces mushrooms (1 package)
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup barley
salt and pepper

Film the bottom of a large dutch oven with canola oil and set over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Working in batches, add a single layer of meat to the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the cubes loosen and are seared golden-brown. Flip the cubes and sear the other sides. When all sides are seared, remove the meat to a clean bowl or plate. Sear the remaining meat in batches. If there is any liquid in the pot after the last batch is finished, pour it over the meat.

Heat one teaspoon of canola oil in the pan and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until they are translucent and brown around the edges. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt, and cook until they have released all the moisture and have turned golden-brown. Add the celery and cook until just softened.

Clear a space in the middle of the vegetables and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the thyme and bay leaf, and stir all the seasonings into the veggies.

Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles. Let the wine reduce down until most of it has evaporated or been absorbed by the veggies.

Add the meat and any drippings back to the pot. Pour in the stocks and top with enough water to cover the meat and veggies about about a half an inch. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley and cook for another 45 minutes or so until the barley is cooked and the meat is almost falling apart (check bypiercing it with a fork or knife. There should be no resistance and the meat should flake apart with pressure). Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired.

Serve in individual bowls with a crust piece of bread to mop up the broth. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for one week.