My NYE Table Setting

This is a little late, but I wanted to document this table I set for New Years Eve. I shared a quiet nite in with my hubby. We had an AWESOME time together!

This is my table...I went with a silver theme...and pulled some of the silver ornaments I had hanging on the tree to dress the table, some little glass marbles (i love these) reflective surfaces, white dishes...total shine!





I picked up 2 porterhouse steaks, and just salt and peppered them and thru in some thinly sliced garlic:


Then I made my favorite steak accompaniment..sauteed mushrooms and shallots in a red wine reduction...SO GOOD!


I picked up some chicken base for a recipe, and saw there was also a beef base...similar to boullion, but a much deeper flavor. I used a little in here which helped the color and made them so delicious and meaty.



I roasted some potatoes with salt, pepper, olive oil and whole cloves of garlic (still in the skin) and I also roasted some asparagus...if you have never tried this, do it...they are delicious! I also did a little surf and turf by grilling up some jumbo shrimp that I had marinating in lemon zest and olive oil.



This was WAY too much food, we only really ate 1/2 of the steaks, mushrooms and asparagus...but it was all really yummy! I used the left over potatoes in a breakfast disn the next morning!





I find I spend a lot of time trying to make lots of other people happy...and this year, I am going to take more time out for me and the people I love the most...make it special, even if it is just the two of you! It is so worth it! :) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

So there are no holidays on the horizon to deck the halls for...I have to cook! :) This time, it is enchiladas...green chile chicken...so simple and easy:

I usually buy a rotisserie chicken once a week. We eat 1/2 for dinner one night, and the next night I shred the rest for another meal...this is the perfect recipe for that.

Take your shredded chicken and add it to a saute pan with 1/2 diced onion and a small can of green chile, just until the onions begin to turn translucent:



Add about 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar, you could also use monterey jack...I just have a love affair with cheddar.



In the mean time, take a clean lint free dish cloth...tuck about 5 corn tortillas inside and nuke in the microwave for about 15 seconds...I always work in small batches, because it is easy to just warm up more.

Take a warmed tortilla, and spoon in some of the chicken filling:



Fold each side up over the filling, and lie them seam side down in a baking dish that has been prepped with cooking spray:



Keep rolling, warming more tortillas as you need them. Once the dish is full, use a can of green chile enchilada sauce. and pour over the top of the enchiladas.



Then use another cup of cheese to top the enchiladas, this time I used a mix of cheddar and monterey jack, and another can of green chilies:



Cook in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes until everything is warmed thru and the top is bubbly and golden:



Serve with some refried beans...home made of course, don't you dare buy canned refried beans...I will show you how to make those one day. Trust me you will LOVE THEM! People who say they hate refried beans have only had bad ones! :)



The great thing about green chiles is that it is super mild...no heat at all...just good flavor and cheesy goodness!

Turkey Soup Anyone?

So, does anyone else still have any leftover turkey? I decided to make some soup out of mine.

I started with a simple miripois: I finely diced 2 celery ribs, 1/2 an onion and 2 carrots. I sautéed them a bit, then added one box of chicken stock and 1 tsp. of poultry seasoning.



In the mean time, I sauteed some mushrooms, zuchinni and garlic with a bit of fresh sage. Once it was nice and golden, I added them to the pot.



After it came to a simmer, I took my leftover turkey and added it to the pot. I also dropped in 2 cups of egg noodles.



When the noodles were done, I added the juice of a meyer lemon. We had tons of them this season, and I just like the flavor of citrus and poultry. I garnished with some fresh sage and served with some nice crusty bread...YUM!

Making Fresh Pasta

I took a pasta making class a few months ago at my local Williams Sonoma, and just had to try it at home. My husband found me the rollers online, we opened up some wine, and off we went...here are some pics:

We made to different flavors, a classic fresh pasta:


and a Spinach flavored pasta:


This dough was so easy to make, one in the kitchenaid, and one in the food processor. I don't know why I am so afraid of dough...I just need to be more adventurous in my cooking the payoff is enormous!

The most magical part is cutting the pasta in the rollers, instantly it is pasta!:





I also made some raviolis with a filling I made with sauteed mushrooms, garlic and ricotta:









I haven't tried it since, but I definitely will again. The process was pretty simple. You can even freeze the dough for up to three months, make a big batch and freeze the dough.







There is really nothing like fresh pasta!