Feeling Peachy!

Let's just say that we needed some comfort food here at my house, and we just could not wait for the weekend. Enter Peach Cobbler, warm from the oven and cozied up to a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yep, that's right. And on a Thursday, of all nights! We are pure evil around here, or something like that. Here's the recipe... enjoy!

PEACH COBBLER 

5 to 6 cups peeled & sliced peaches

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks or crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the above ingredients; place into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

TOPPING:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Combine topping ingredients, mixing with a fork until crumbly. Spread topping over fruit. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Chicken Enchiladas

Greetings! I had a request for my Chicken Enchilada recipe, so I thought I would post it here. This dish always gets rave reviews, and if you have any left-overs they're even better the next day. These enchiladas are made with flour tortillas, and baking them in the oven with the pan covered in foil lets the tortillas steam a bit and they turn out a little fluffy and crepe-ish, which in my book means yum! I usually make guacamole and chop some additional fresh tomatoes to serve with the enchiladas, along with a big green salad. And you can easily convert this to a vegetarian dish by omitting the chicken and adding additional vegetables, such as asparagus, yellow squash, and maybe even some sliced mushrooms (saute the mushrooms first to develop their flavor and get the excess moisture out of them). And you can also make these extra decadent by using more cheese and sour cream. Lots of possibilities with this one! Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS 

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 small can diced green chilies, drained
1 cup prepared tomato salsa, any variety
1 can (15 oz) whole-kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup sour cream (light or fat free also works fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
¾ cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese
8 to 10 flour tortillas, either white or whole-wheat (8-inch size)
½ cup water or milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook chicken together with the onions, chili peppers and salsa. Remove chicken and shred or cut into small pieces, then return chicken to pan. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, sour cream and spices. Stir until smooth and heated through. Spray a 9x13-inch glass pan with non-stick spray; set aside. Remove tortillas from package; wrap in a clean towel and heat in microwave oven for about 30 seconds or until soft.

Assemble the enchiladas: Place a small amount of the chicken filling lengthwise down the center of tortilla, top with just a little shredded cheese, roll tightly and place in prepared baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. After all tortillas are filled, you should have some filling (mostly the liquid saucy part) left over. Thin this remaining sauce with the water or milk. You should also have some shredded cheese left over – save this for topping the enchiladas after they are baked. Pour sauce over the enchiladas, using a knife or fork to work the sauce down between the enchiladas. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese, and return to oven for five minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Made It!

...And I made it to the Finals! Thank you to all who voted for my recipe, Balsamic Chicken Cranberry Panzanella. The 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest will be held this coming November in Las Vegas, and I will be one of the 100 finalists competing for the million dollar prize! Oh, I am so excited and I can't wait! This is big. Wowza!