I started reading a new blog that links to reviews of Rachael Ray recipes.  (I know, I know!  Hey, either she can cook, or she’s hired good cooks.) First up was Fajita Chilaquiles Casserole.

I made this with steak, and halved the recipe.    I thought there were too many tortillas, though maybe mine were bigger than the ones intended.    Jim suggested that next time I serve it on top of lettuce as a salad, and I thought that would be great.

Although I’d halved the recipe, I made the full amount of the spice mix.  So instead of chopping up fresh garlic to season the veggies I tossed the veggies in the other half of the spice mix, which worked well.  Topped with Pico Pica hot sauce and Mexican Sour Cream.

I’d definitely make this again, but either reduce the tortillas and add more veggies, or reduce the tortillas and serve on a bed of lettuce. Half the recipe made three servings.

Next time I’d cut back on the olive oil (but I eyeballed it so the recipe may be right), try boneless thighs, and maybe skin some of the chicken to see how it comes out.

If you make this, and you should, right now, I highly recommend the following:

Use Corn, Onion and Parsley from your local Organic Produce outlet. Mine happens to be open Thursday evenings, right around the corner from where I work.

Use roasted Hatch Green Chile that your friend just couriered back from New Mexico.

Use an Heirloom tomato from some friends’ garden, picked for you just last night.

Use Parsley instead of Cilantro, because that’s what the produce place had, and because parsley is vastly underrated.

Don’t worry if you don’t have Avocado.  We didn’t and we didn’t miss it.  Especially since SOMEONE mostly likes Avocado as guacamole, not in salad.

With all this going on, next time we’d cut the bacon in half.   Never thought you’d hear us say THAT, did you?  And really, even with supermarket produce,  and no substitutions, this would be great.   Serve it forth.

Oh, and if you need a serving suggestion: Split a steak with someone, and a bottle of 2004 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

I was wondering if I’d like the beets just boiled instead of roasted but they were great – and I used large ones from the supermarket, not little baby ones from the farmer’s market. I’m taking the rest, WITH cheese, for lunch tomorrow!

Spice Rubbed Chicken Recipe

Blanch 1″ pieces of asparagus until tender-crisp.  Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.   Quarter strawberries.  Mix with barely enough bottled poppy seed dressing.  Top with toasted walnuts.   (We toast ours in the toaster oven.)

Enjoy.

(Beth brought killer triple chocolate cookies – you’ll have to get those from her!)

Pasta with Almonds & Peas

I didn’t have blanched almonds, so I used raw almonds for the sauce, and we thought it was yummy.

Oh, and I didn’t make my own tomato paste – I used canned.

Ingredients:

1 Pheasant

For the Stock:

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 carrots, cut in large chunks

2 fresh sage leaves (I used some fresh sage I’d frozen)

salt & pepper

For the Stew

1 large onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

a few ounces bacon or pancetta, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 – 28 ounce can posole (also known as hominy)

1 medium and 1 hot roasted green chiles, seeded, peeled, and diced 

The pheasants we have are already skinned.  Slice the breasts off the bird and set aside.  In other words, you now have two boneless, skinless pheasant breasts.

Place the remainder of the bird in a 5 or 6 quart pot – I used a Le Creuset dutch oven.  Cover with water, add the quartered onions, carrots, a little salt, pepper & the sage leaves. Cook about an hour and a half, making sure the stock reduces to a rich broth.

Drain the stock into a bowl. Wash and dry the pot.  Brown the bacon or pancetta, and if there’s not enough fat, add the olive oil.  Cook the diced onion & carrot until they start to soften.  Scoot aside, and add half the green chiles and pheasant breasts.  Lightly brown on each side.   Add enough stock to almost cover the breasts.  Cover the pot and simmer gently until the breasts are done: 20-30 minute.  

Remove the breasts.   Add the remaining stock, chiles, and posole to the pot, bring to a boil.   Dice the pheasant breasts and add back to the stew.  Cook gently 20-30 minutes.  Taste & adjust seasoning if necessary.