Cooking Lesson with Two Home Chefs.

In my recent article reviewing Home Chef, the main reason I gave this product a try was due to not always wanting to cook from scratch.  While that was my personal goal, it did not end up being that way. 

It came to pass that I found ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, on sale, at the local market.  This was a great opportunity to purchase a double quantity, and make two trays of lasagna.  One tray would provide dinner, and a multitude of lunches during the week.  The other tray was wrapped up in foil, placed in the freezer, and would be consumed sometime within the next six months.  It took me a good three hours to prep all the ingredients, that includes homemade meat sauce, build up the trays, bake one, and freeze the other.

Lunch time comes around and Roy happens to say the last thing I want to hear, “Are you going to make those flautas you got from that food company?”  Count to ten, breathing in slowly, exhaling slowly, turn to face him and, “No hunny, you are!”  Oh, the look on his face…priceless.

However, I have to give the man credit, without flinching, he actually said, “Fine, but you have to watch me, and make sure I’m doing it right.”  Agreed!  So, while Roy became the home chef, I simply became supervisor, and, of course, demonstrator of technique if necessary.  My knife skills far exceed his, in the kitchen, and on the battle field.  I will leave that last sentence for you all to ponder over.

 

 

 

 

 

While the instruction card stated prep to cooking to dining time was 40 to 50 minutes, the company probably expects “home chefs” to be experienced and fast.  Not so with a beginner, and it took a good 1 and ½ hours before lunch was served.  Yes, Roy did follow the recipe card, but even the instructions, with photos, perplexed him a bit.  I did assist by showing, with half the tomato, how to slice and dice for salsa quality; large chopping for the spinach, and minimal slicing of the green onions.  Adding the seasonings, browning the chicken and making the finishing sauce he did on his own, and quite well.  Rolling the flautas was a challenge at first. He did not understand which end of the filled tortilla needed to be “folded over”.  I explained that, instead of making a burrito, pretend to make enchiladas, and the challenge was overcome!

 

She only had to show me, how to use the knife, once!

Browning the chicken.

"What the heck is this saying!?!"

 

 

Roll up the tortillas.

Place in skillet to brown.

 

Both sides browned.

Now, this recipe from Home Chef, is a fusion of Mexican and Italian tastes.  The pesto and mozzarella cheese are essentially Italian, and, well, we both did not see the point of the mixing of these two cuisines.  Oh, do not get me wrong, the meal was good, but nothing we would ever want to make again.  That is, using the ingredient list provided by Home Chef.  We discussed what flavor over or under whelmed the rest of the dish; what ingredients would have provided a better, tastier, meal.  So, we are keeping the recipe card, but will be playing and creating.

Overall, Roy said he enjoyed the experience, and now has a much better understanding of what I do, in the kitchen, and why I am an excellent home chef.  He will not be trading me in, for meal kits, any time soon.

 

Creamy Pesto Chicken Flautas

(Note: Recipe and directions are from the Home Chef recipe card received with Meal Kit.)

 

 Ingredients:

12 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

6 Small Flour Tortillas

1 Roma Tomato

2 oz. Basil Pesto

2 oz. Baby Spinach

2 oz. Cream Cheese

1 oz. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 Green Onions

¼ oz. Flour

½ tsp. Poultry Seasoning

Preparation:

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients and Make Salsa.

In medium sized bowl, coarsely chop spinach.  Separate green from white on green onions, and thinly slice green onions.

Core tomato and cut into 1/2" dice. (Note: the tomato in the kit was not ripe and bitter; sprinkling salt over it helped with taste).

Add white part of onions to spinach.   In another mixing bowl, combine tomato, green part of onions, half the pesto (reserve remaining for sauce), a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Set aside.

Step 2: Prep and Cook Chicken

Pat chicken dry and top with 1 tsp. olive oil. Season both sides with poultry seasoning and a pinch of pepper.   On medium-high heat, brown chicken; remove to bowl and shred.

Mix shredded chicken spinach, white part of onions, shredded cheese, and a pinch of salt until spinach begins to wilt.   

Step 3: Assemble the Flautas

Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Place, in center of each tortilla, generous helping of chicken/spinach mixture.

Fold tortilla over filling, tucking long edge under. Roll tortilla and place seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas

Step 4: Cook the Flautas

Place a medium non-stick pan, over medium heat, and add 2 tsp. olive oil.

Working in batches of 3, place flautas in hot pan, seam-side down. Cook until browned on one side, 2-3 minutes. Replenish oil if necessary. Gently roll to opposite side and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes.

Remove to plate, repeat with second batch of 3.

Step 5: Make Sauce and Finish Dish

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine softened cream cheese, flour, remaining pesto, and 1/3 cup water.  Microwave, 15 seconds a time and stirring in between, until smooth and heated through, 45-60 seconds.  If too thick, add water, 1 tsp. at a time and up to 1 Tbsp., until desired consistency is reached.

Plate dish as pictured on front of card, halving flautas, if desired, and topping with sauce and salsa. Bon appétit!

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

Say Si Senor when in Farmington, New Mexico.

Si Senor 4015 East 30th Farmington, New Mexico, 87402 (505) 324-9050 Website: http://sisenorrestaurants.com/ (Note: address is not listed on this website, but the menu is similiar with a few names changes) Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Si-Se%C3%B1or-Restaurant/375288312413 Only a short distance from the Animas Valley Mall is Si Senor, a superior Mexican cuisine restaurant where dress can be from your Sunday best to the most comfortable casual. The interior is beautifully done with hanging ristras (arrangements of dried chile pods) and awards for their fine wines. The hostess is quick to greet you with a smile and seat you at one of their beautiful tables. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a lovely white fountain surrounded by fine wooden tables and carved chairs. There is marble everywhere, including the restrooms, and you have the feeling of being in a fine hacienda. A waitress takes your drink order, giving you time to peruse their varied menu, and a listing of daily specials. After giving our food order, we received a basket of fried tortilla chips with two condiments, a salsa and a divine jalapeno cream cheese dip which I suspect has sour cream in it to obtain its creaminess. Now here is a hint on the spice index for Si Senor; medium to hot. If you are one who likes your spice slim to none, Si Senor is not your type of place; then again, how can one eat Mexican without a little heat? There were five of us dining together, so you'll get a good glimpse of what is available. The Si Senor salad - Marinated chicken or beef, grilled with fresh onion, bell peppers and tomatoes, placed on a bed of fresh green lettuce, served with cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Taco Platter - three tacos made with corn tortillas, chicken, shredded or ground beef; served with rice and refried beans. While the rice is spicy, the refried beans are creamy and absolutely delicious; both are basically served with every entree. Many dishes are served with a choice of red or green chili sauce; tender chunks of pork are in the sauce; the green sauce is slightly sweeter than the red. Combination #1 - chile rellano, taco and cheese enchilada. Combination #2 - tamale, taco and cheese enchilada. Combination #3 - flauta, taco and cheese enchilada. For dessert we had Sopapillas (deep fried flatbread) with honey; a perfect light finish to one of Si Senor's meals. So when in Farmington, New Mexico and you're craving Mexican food, just say "Si Senor!" Mary Cokenour

Miguel's Baja Grill Serves it Up Fresh.

Miguel's Baja Grill

51 North Main Street
Moab, Utah, 84532

(435)259-6546

Website: http://www.miguelsbajagrill.com/

After climbing and hiking around Arches National Park, a good meal in a relaxing atmosphere is most welcome. Miguel's Baja Grill may be small in size, but big on taste; based upon the cuisine of Baja California Sur (one of the Mexican States) Our waitress, Rafaela, was all smiles, welcoming and very helpful with the menu questions.


The Salsa was a type we had not tasted before; the taste of lime and cilantro was predominant which enhanced the flavor of the chunky tomatoes and diced onions; heat was medium.


The Guacamole was a chunky mixture of avocado, onion and tomatoes; sprinkling a little salt over it all helped to enhance the flavors.

An appetizer of Chicken Flautas started off this dinner adventure. Tortillas were tightly wrapped around slices of tender chicken, deep fried and served with what could only be described as a salad on top. Taking a bite of flauta with a bit of the salad was a taste sensation and fun to eat.

My husband had Steak Tampiquena for his main course; a nicely seasoned flatiron steak which is grilled; served with two chicken flautas (what can I say, they were good) and an enchilada. He chose mole sauce for the enchilada; however I did not care for it as the chocolate flavor was too overwhelming for me.

I enjoy Baja Fish Tacos, so definitely ordered that dish when I spied it on the menu. It must be popular, as I kept hearing people around me ordering it also. The batter on the deep fried Mahi Mahi was light and the fish was flaky. The "special sauce" served with it tasted like buttermilk ranch dressing, so I ignored it. Instead I used the shredded cabbage, salsa and sour cream; definitely yummy.

Miguel's Baja Grill opens for dinner only at 5pm; we arrived at 5:45; only a few tables were still open. By the time we left, it was packed and there was a waiting list; tourists and locals alike know a good place.  If you're looking for "not run of the mill" Mexican cuisine, try Miguel's.

Mary Cokenour