Christmas (green and red) Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups shredded chicken
1 onion, chopped
Salsa de Tomatillos (see blog entry)
Tomato Salsa
2 cups chicken broth, warmed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
16 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 325.

Place half of shredded chicken, half of onion, half of chicken broth to cover, and a little liquid from the tomatillo salsa in a bowl. Add half of cumin and half of white pepper. Toss well with a fork to combine. Repeat in a separate bowl with tomato salsa. Allow to sit for one hour uncovered, adding chicken broth as chicken absorbs the liquid.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet (you can use chicken broth if you prefer) on medium high heat. Using tongs, dip each tortilla in the oil until softened...just a few seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Prepare two greased rectangular baking dishes, one for green enchiladas and one for red. Divide the tortillas into two groups of eight.

For the green enchiladas, fill each tortilla with tomatillo chicken mixture, add a sprinkling of cheese, roll and place into casserole. When the enchiladas are arranged in a single layer, spoon more tomatillo sauce over them and topwith half the remaining cheese.

Repeat for red enchiladas, with tomato salsa.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Aunt Dora's Cole Slaw

I don't like sugar in cole slaw, although apparently many people do. Also, I like the cabbage parboiled so it's still crunchy but doesn't have that raw taste. And a lot of garlic salt, black pepper, and lemon juice...the amount of those ingredients is to individual taste.

Aunt Dora's Cole Slaw

1 medium head of cabbage, finely shredded (or packaged coleslaw mix -- "angel hair" is best)
1/2 pint mayonnaise (or more if you like it "juicy")
garlic salt
black pepper
lemon juice

Shred the cabbage. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add cabbage for just a minute or two. Drain, pat dry, and put in a colander. Wrap several cubes of ice in a dish towel and place over the cabbage. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until cabbage is thoroughly chilled. Remove the ice, transfer cabbage to a large bowl, and add mayonnaise, garlic salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 or 3 hours (or preferably overnight) before serving.

Salsa de Tomatillos, Tomato Salsa

It is SO easy to make fresh salsa. The result is amazingly better than salsa from a bottle -- and healthier, too! These salsas are so fresh, delicious, and satisfying that they make a special meal out of practically anything from traditional Tex-Mex dishes like tacos or enchiladas to chicken breast or fish...even scrambled eggs (or an omelet). I especially like the tomatillo sauce on a chicken taco salad or soft tacos with portabello mushrooms, chicken, and creme fraiche. I confess to sometimes having the tomato salsa by itself as a snack. If you add some chopped mango and pineapple to the tomato salsa you have an approximation of the salsa at the Hula Hut in Austin, which is especially good with fish. Of course, both salsas are great with chips or tortillas, too. I like the fresh jalapenos with seeds and membranes removed, but you can use the brined jalapenos if you prefer that more pungent flavor...and if you really like the burn by all means leave the seeds and membranes! Serrano chiles are also good in either recipe...

As is the case with most of the recipes on this blog, this one comes with many memories of good friends and good times. These recipes were given to me by my friend Michael Obranovich, master potter and gourmet chef, when I bought a beautiful hand crafted tortilla warmer from him.

Salsa de  Tomatillos

3/4 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed, cut into quarters (or canned, quartered)
2 medium fresh serrano chiles (or fresh jalapenos), stems, seeds, and membranes removed,chopped
3 tablespoons fresh white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 heaping teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in blender and blend just a few seconds -- until thick and chunky but not pureed.

Tomato Salsa

3 or 4 small fresh jalapenos, stems, seeds, and membranes removed, chopped
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion
1 can diced tomatoes
(2 tablespoons chopped cilantro)

Place ingredients in blender and blend just a few seconds -- until thick and chunky but not pureed.

East Texas Bruschetta

Another great idea born of desperation...what to do with left-over shredded pork barbecue? Take a good French roll and split in half. Brush each side with melted butter. Toast lightly in the broiler. Spread each half with the barbecue and top with a small dab of mayonnaise mixed with Louisiana hot sauce. Return to broiler until warmed thoroughly. Sprinkle with chopped dill pickle before serving.

Antoine's Oyster Stew

A lot of recipes for oyster stew are rather bland, but this is not your New England oyster stew...welcome to New Orleans! This one spices it up just a bit with garlic and cayenne and then adds a little texture and flavor interest with celery and lots of chopped parsley. The roux base also adds another layer of flavor and really pulls it all together. Would you expect anything less from one of the best restaurants in  the best food city in the US?
This makes a beautiful dish just ladled as is into soup bowls, or you can serve over puff pastry shells for a special presentation. Some people add artichoke hearts. A dash of anisette or Pernod is also traditional. According to Saveur Magazine, this is the traditional first course for Thanksgiving dinner in New Orleans.
This recipe says it serves 6, but depending on serving size I think it could serve twice that.

Antoine's Oyster Stew

50 medium  oysters (such as bluepoints), shucked (about 1 1/2 pounds), with 1 cup liquor preserved
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons flour
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped curly parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream

Combine oyster liquor with 1 cup water in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add oysters and simmer until their edges just begin to curl -- about 2 minutes. Strain oysters through a fine sieve over a medium bowl. Reserve oysters and liquid separately.
Heat butter in a 4-quart saucepan over  medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown -- 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add celery, garlic, onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden  spoon, until onions and celery are very soft -- about 25 minutes.
Stir in milk, cream, and reserved oysters with cooking liquid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just hot -- about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, with a dash of anisette or Pernod if desired.

Mom's Shrimp Salad

My (83-year-old younger than I am) mother made this delicious shrimp salad today when I came over to tend to some business. She had some leftover shrimp she had bought cooked from Whole Foods for a friend's birthday. For the salad she removed the tails and chopped the shrimp into large pieces. Then added a little mayonnaise and sour cream to the bottled shrimp cocktail sauce. Next, chopped celery, chopped green pepper, chopped tomato, chopped green onion, and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning. Add the shrimp and mix well. Add chopped parsley. We served it on red leaf lettuce dressed very lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Green olives and a good French roll on the side...yum!

Peggy's Buttermilk Pie

My friend Peggy Manning Meyer loves pies and loves to bake pies. This is her favorite recipe:

1 unbaked 9" pastry shell, chilled (Marie Callender makes a good frozen pie crust)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine sugar and flour, then stir in eggs. Add melted butter and buttermilk. Mix well. Stir in vanilla and lemon extract. Pour into chilled pastry shell. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 35 additional minutes (do NOT open oven door while baking).