Garlic

INGREDIENTS:
2 whole chickens, washed, patted dry

5 carrots, peeled, cut into 4ths

5 celery ribs, cut into 4ths

3 yellow onions, peeled, quartered

2 Tbsp Kosher Salt

2 tsp cracked white pepper (or fresh ground black pepper)

2 lemons, halved

12 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter, room temperature

4 sprigs fresh Rosemary, chopped

2 sprigs fresh Rosemary, whole

4 bay leaves, whole

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Position oven racks so that when the roasting pan is in the oven the chicken will roast in the middle of the oven, then turn heat to 400.

2.  Mix the butter, olive oil, garlic & chopped Rosemary together and set aside.

3.  In large, greased roasting pan:  arrange the prepared carrots, celery & onions in the bottom and set aside.

4.  Mix the salt & pepper together and season the chickens with it, inside & out.

5.  Cut the lemons in half and squeeze over the chickens, inside & out.

6.  Rub the chickens with the butter, oil, garlic, rosemary mixture, inside & out, .

7.  Place the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and lemon haves in the chicken cavity.

8.  Place chickens in roasting pan, breast side up, on top of the cut-up vegetables.

9.  Roast the chickens, uncovered, in the 400 degree oven for approx 1 hour 15 minutes  (juices run clear – 160 degree on thermometer in thickest part of leg).

10.  Remove chickens from oven and let  them rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

I originally got this recipe from Moogie to help feed a bunch of hungry fraternity guys.  Over time I have tweaked the recipe to make it more and more my own and also make it more and more delicious.  I’ve also had many people taste it and just love it.  The dish may not be perfectly presentable, but I can’t think of anything else that is such a comfort food.  I recommend that you take this recipe and use it as a guide to making it your own.

All the ingredients here are not exact.  It all depends on how big you want to make your enchiladas and how you want to stuff them.  The basic idea is to stuff tortillas with goodness and then bake them.  Simple.  Depending on your desired spice level, you can add more cayenne or take it out all together.  Chili powder is not spicy so you don’t want to skimp on that!

Ingredients

• 1 package of 10 tortillas
• 1 roasted chicken(from grocery store) shredded.  If I have the time I like to get fresh chicken thighs and grill it myself.  It adds a ton of flavor when their grilled.
• 1 large onion, Julienned
• 1 Bell Pepper(pick a color), Julienned
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• Lots of shredded cheese.  I prefer sharp cheddar and monterey jack.
• 1 8oz Heavy or ligh whipping cream
• Homemade Enchilada sauce.  (It’s ok if you get a can)
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 Pyrex Dish, 9×12

Small Extras

• A little Olive Oil
• Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tbs Chili Powder

 First Steps

• Start by shredding the chicken using a fork.  Set aside in a bowl, covered with tin foil.
• Sautee the Onion, Garlic and Bell Pepper in a cast iron skillet on high heat.  Let the skillet heat up so you hear it sizzle.  While you are constantly stiring so the veggies don’t burn, add the chili powder, cayenne and black pepper.  Don’t add salt at this point as it will draw the water out of the veggies and we don’t want that.   Then add some olive oil and stir.  Once veggies are crisply sauteed, set aside from the heat.
• Grate the cheese and set aside in a bowl, covered.
• Prepare you assembly line.  I like to have a plate where I roll the enchiladas in, placing them in the pyrex dish afterwards.  So have a plate and pyrex dish next to each other.  All the ingredients need to be in a semi circle around it for easy acces.
• Time to make enchiladas!  Follow assembly line below.  But first preheat oven to 350F.

ASSEMBLY LINE

1. Pour a dash of cream and enchilada sauce on plate, enough to coat one side of the enchilada
2. Add 1 tortilla to the plate and swirl around so the outside is covered with the liquids
3. Layer a small line of beans horizontally
4. Add a layer of shredded chicken
5. Add a layer of the sauteed veggies
6. Add a layer grated cheese
7. Spoon some enchilada sauce over all layers and sprinkle some salt over it all
8. Roll up the enchilada and place in pyrex dish
9. Repeat till pyrex dish is full
10. Pour more cream and enchilada sauce over the top of all of them in the pan so the liquid comes up 1/3 of the depth of the pyrex dish
11. Sprinkle some cheese on top for good looks
12. You are done with the assembly

Cook and Enjoy!

• After you have assembled your enchiladas in your dish you want to put them in the oven for 25-30 minutes.   Remember everything is already cooked, so you are just warming everything through and letting them “get to know” each other.
• Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. 
• Garnish with a dallop of Sour Cream, a dallop of Guacamole and a dash of tabasco.  Enjoy!!!

This dish requires your constant attention to prepare.  It is a good dish to prepare when your family/friends gather in the kitchen because you can take turns cooking it, while everyone is talking and having a good time.  It is delicious and really worth the time spent preparing it.

Makes 4 side servings or 2 main dish servings.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 cup Arborio rice, washed
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• salt, to taste – probably 1/2 tsp or so
• 1 lemon – grate for zest & squeeze for juice
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1. Have the stock simmering very low in a separate sauce pan.
2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed frying pan.
3. Saute the onion & garlic over medium low heat until the onion is golden.
4. Add the rice and continue to saute, stirring constantly, until the grains are glistening with oil.
5. Stir in the wine & salt and cook over medium heat, constantly stirring.  The wine should simmer very softly until it evaporates.
6. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful of stock and continue to cook slowly simmering & stirring.
7. Continue cooking in this manner:  cooking rice until liquid is evaporated, adding one ladleful of stock at a time, stirring constantly, USING ALL BUT ONE LADLEFUL OF STOCK.
8. After about 25-30 minutes the rice should be cooked al dente/firm to the bite.
9. In a separate bowl, beat together the lemon juice, lemon zest, egg & Parmesan cheese and set aside.
10. Add the last ladleful of stock so that the rice is not completely dry and remove from heat.
11. Immediately stir in the lemon mixture and taste to adjust salt & pepper.
12. Return to heat and stir for a few seconds.
13. Serve right away,

This is a greek sauce and is absolutely fresh and fantastic.  The cucumber realy adds a great fresh flavor.

Ingredients

• 32 oz Whole Milk Yogurt, greek style if you can find it.
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled
• 2 cucumbers
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic minced as fine as you can
• 1/4 Tbs Coriander
• 1/4 Tbs Cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Some chives(optional)

Instructions

• Start off by taking the onion and shredding it with the finest side of your grater, practically juicing it into the bowl that you will make the Tzatsiki sauce in.   Then take 1 cucumber that is peeled and seeded and do the same.
• Put the yogurt into the bowl and add the lemon juice, garlic, coriander and cumin.  Stir and mix.
• Peel and take the seeds out of the other cucumber as well.  Cut the cucumber into small chunks and add to the Tzatsiki along with some chopped chives.
• Salt&Pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors have time to come together.