Saturday, April 28, 2012

Baking Pies, Time for Grilling & Ships Coming In!



 With the return of warmer weather I decided to cook on the grill this week. We made cheeseburgers and a large cheese pizza. I bought my grill at the end of last summer and got a great deal on it. It has a place for a pizza stone and it comes out surprisingly good. I started with a basic cheese then grilled some vegetables and added sprinkles of feta before serving.
I baked an apple, three berry and a cherry pie earlier in the week. And, I took the photo of the ship from my parking spot at work. It's fun to watch the large ships pass through the canal. I'm anxious for the summer to arrive so we can pack a picnic lunch and head to the beach for the day.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Chicken & Sour Cream Enchilada's with Tomatillo Sauce, Sangria & Students!

I went to a Spain Reunion Party for the kids and the parents of those who went on the trip over break to Madrid and Barcelona. It was fun to hear all the stories and see all the photographs. What great memories those kids will have!
I decided to bake and bring a batch of chicken and sour cream Enchilada's with a tomatillo sauce to share.
It's super easy to make the sauce. You dice fresh tomatillo's, chop garlic, cumin, coriander, fresh lime juice, chop fresh cilantro, green chile's and salt and pepper- place into a food processor and blend. Then saute on medium heat in a sauce pan and add water to a simmer. Use sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place flour tortilla's filled with fresh cooked diced chicken, cheddar cheese and sour cream rolled on bottom of baking dish. Fill the baking dish with the rolled tortilla's and top with the rest of your tomatillo sauce, sprinkle additional cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
They were a huge hit. And work well for a dinner party or other pot luck.
A writer friend of mine is hosting a fun party this Sunday to celebrate her husband's birthday. I offered to bring a pitcher of my Cranberry Sangria- the version I published in Cape Cod Magazine and if you do a blog search I'm sure I've posted the recipe here before. I thought it was a great way to not only celebrate the gorgeous weather we've been having but also his birthday.
As for my students, I can tell they are starting to get spring fever. The sun and warmth easily distract them off the topics at hand. We are studying Robert Frost. Frost knew well the lure and complexities nature offers and what a pretty day can do for the well being of one's soul.