Reviews!!!!

I know! I know! About darn time!!!! I am loving these recipes this round but have been lazy at posting my reviews!!! So here we go.....

Chicken and Green Olive Enchiladas
Although this isn't my favorite enchilada recipe I will probably make it again. I love the depth of flavor the cinnamon, choc, and olives added. I was a bit hesitant when I read the recipe but ended up enjoying it. I am a bit traditional and seem to prefer a simplier version of enchiladas though. I will say that the family I work for also had this for dinner one night (I do the cooking) and they LOVED it!!!!

Pork and cabbage Yakisoba
YUMMY!!! I did cheat on this a bit by using a "coleslaw" mix of pre chopped cabbage and carrots so the proportions may not have been exact but, I liked it. I love the sauce that this made! It had really yummy flavor and wasnt just the saltiness of soy! I think next time I will add a few more veggies and probably some water chestnuts or nuts on top to give a bit of crunch!

Stovetop Chili Mac
This is another recipe that made me stop and reread wondering if it would go over well in my family. IT DID!!! My daughter loved it!I love how easy it was! Definitely a make again meal!

Enchilada Review - Tisha

I made the Chicken & Green Olive Enchilada's for a small dinner party last night, and they were a hit! I loved the mole sauce, particularly because canned enchilada sauce has just not been appealing to me lately. I was really skeptical about the pimiento-stuffed green olives, but they added nice flavor. I used rotisserie chicken, which definitely cut down on the prep time. I think these would be good served with a tomatillo salsa. I will definitely be using this recipe again in the future - thank you Eva!
PS - I made this for dessert, and it was easy, tasty and pretty! Subbed granny smith apples for half of pears: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/10/pear-cranberry-and-gingersnap-crumble/

Stovetop Chili Mac

This recipe is from Everyday Food Mag.  Our family LOVES this and it's so easy because I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  It says it serves 4 however I am able to feed the 5 of us with this recipe.  I have made is several time as it reads but the last time I added a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all, for just a bit more of the chili influence and we really liked it that way too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound rigatoni or other tube-shaped pasta
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 1 pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
• 1 small zucchini, diced medium
• 2 ounces cheddar, grated (3/4 cup)

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent, 3 minutes.
   
2. Increase heat to medium-high, add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add corn and zucchini and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, bring to a simmer, and cook until mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among four bowls, top with meat sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.
   

Yakisoba with Pork & Cabbage

I'm so sorry I missed my posting date, but I'm going to embrace the "better late than never" philosophy and post it now! I discovered this recipe online from the New York Times about a year ago, and I've been making it regularly since. It is simple, flexible (I've substituted bell peppers, kale, and red onion), and it's got a salty tangy-ness that I love! I prefer to use the fresh yakisoba noodles in the produce department of the grocery store (which eliminates step #1), but I'm sure others would work well too.
Enjoy and Happy Halloween from me and my pumpkin friends!

Yakisoba With Pork and Cabbage

6 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles, or 10 to 12 ounces fresh

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 pork chops, thinly sliced

1 small head Napa or savoy cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)

2 carrots, shredded

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons mirin, or a bit of sugar

Few drops Tabasco sauce, or to taste

1 bunch scallions, chopped, white parts only.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it and add noodles. Cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water. Toss noodles with sesame oil to keep them from sticking together, and set aside.

2. Put peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add ginger and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork and cook for about 5 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink and is starting to brown around the edges.

3. Add cabbage and carrots to skillet and stir; sprinkle with salt. Continue to cook until vegetables soften, adding a bit of water as needed to keep them from sticking.

4. Meanwhile, stir together in a small bowl ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mirin and Tabasco. When vegetables are soft and any liquid has evaporated, add noodles and sauce to skillet. Toss to coat everything well and cook until noodles are warmed through. Serve, topped with chopped scallions.

Yield: 4 servings.