For Valentine's Day there's nothing better, in my opinion, than making dinner and spending the evening IN! This year, I tried a new recipe I've been wanting to make - Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas (from Tyler Florence), yum! The actual recipe is very long with lots of ingredients, but I scaled it down a bit, took a few shortcuts, and the results were absolutely delicious.
I also made a special dessert that looks and always sounds fancy, but is SO easy and quick to make. Give them both a try!
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Extra virgin olive oil + 1 T. butter
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chicken stock
Chopped cilantro
Salt & pepper
1 jar thick tomatillo salsa
1 rotisserie chicken (meat pulled off), or 3 chicken breats (cooked & shredded)
10 flour tortillas
1/2 lb. shredded Monerey Jack cheese
Chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and chips & salsa for garnish
*Note: I made all the filling and put half in a bowl to freeze since it was just the 2 of us. This probably serves 4-6 people.
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat 2 T. olive oil + butter in medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft - about 10 minutes. Add garlic & cumin and cook one minute more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and continue stirring until liquid thickens. Turn off heat and add about 1/2 the jar of tomatillo salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, and the shredded chicken.
Smear the bottom of a large baking dish with some of the tomatillo salsa. Put a scoop of the chicken filling in each tortilla followed by a sprinkle of cheese, roll up, and place in baking dish. Finish assembling all tortillas, pour rest of tomatillo salsa over top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until melted & bubbly. Top with fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream, and fresh guacamole.
Chocolate Lava Cakes
4 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
4 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) butter
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla
2 T. chocolate liqueur
Preheat oven to 425.
Butter 6 custard cups/ramakins well. Melt chocolates and butter in microwave in 1-minute incriments, or over double boiler. Take off heat and add flour and sugar (it will be very thick). Stir in eggs and yolks and stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla and liqueur. Divide batter evenly between the 6 cups. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes. The edges will be firm but the center will be runny. Run knife around the edges to loosen, place a small plate on top and invert onto plate. Serve warm with fresh berries (I recommend raspberries) and a scoop of ice cream.
For Valentine's Day there's nothing better, in my opinion, than making dinner and spending the evening IN! This year, I tried a new recipe I've been wanting to make - Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas (from Tyler Florence), yum! The actual recipe is very long with lots of ingredients, but I scaled it down a bit, took a few shortcuts, and the results were absolutely delicious.
