Sunday, July 30, 2017

A Simple Supper: Chicken Burritos

7/19/17 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Summer suppers are the bane of my daily life. I absolutely hate cooking in hot weather. The heat not only makes me grouchy and takes away my appetite but it fries my brain when it comes to meal planning. Usually, I wake up wondering what’s for dinner and it nicely gels into a plan before I’ve eaten breakfast. That does not happen in June, July or August. Cooking creativity and desire die in the heat.

Probably the most exciting meal we’ve had this summer is one that I concocted out of leftovers. I peered in the refrigerator and came up with some cooked rice, chicken, bell peppers, onions and tortillas. Hmm. How could I put this together, spice it up and make it special? Perhaps one of those new-fangled burritos would be good.

Now I am a California Girl and I love genuine Mexican food. One of my fondest  childhood memories was eating dinner at Olvera Street in the 1950s with my family in the heart of historic Los Angeles,. We also used to eat at the now famous El Cholo Restaurant on Western Ave. in L.A. But contrary to common food folklore, there were no burritos on the menu. Albondigas soup, enchiladas and tacos-yes. Burritos-no. Burritos were a poor working man’s meal made of simple corn tortillas and beans.

 I learned about burritos from watching our neighborhood gardener’s helper eat his lunch. He was a Mexican immigrant, did not speak English and had not adopted American ways. He was a hard worker and there were no nearby cafes or parks where he could eat. Every day at noon, he would sit down at the curb, get out his lunch bucket, make a little fire and heat his beans and corn tortillas. I was mesmerized by the process but I didn’t stare (it’s not polite!) so I don’t know how he made the fire or heated the food. I just know that he did.

Corn tortillas were originally very small. They were a great staple of ranchers, cowboys and braceros who moved about the countryside—easy to make on a camp fire, the ingredients didn’t spoil but there was barely room for a spoonful of beans and meat inside. Maybe that’s why the larger flour tortillas were introduced in California and Texas border towns.

The size of today’s flour tortillas amaze me. They are so big that I seldom order a restaurant burrito because I can’t begin to eat it all. Still, one night, when faced with nothing for dinner, I decided to concoct my own gigantic chicken burrito recipe. It was good! So if you’re desperate for a dinner idea, check out your refrigerator and cupboards. You’ll be surprised at what you come up with. Enjoy!

Chicken, Rice & Veggie Burritos

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup red and green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
1 can, (15 ounce) Pinquito beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 small can green chilis, drained
1/3 cup black or green olives
3/ 4 cup thick and chunky salsa
Spices as desired: salt, pepper, dash cayenne, cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups Jack cheese
8 flour tortillas (10” wide)

Sauté onions and bell peppers until soft. Combine with rice, beans, corn, green chilis, salsa and olives with spices. Warm tortillas one at a time in a skillet. Place 1/4 cup cheese on bottom half of 1 tortilla; top with 1/2 cup bean mixture and rice mixture; add 1/4 cup chicken, leaving 1-inch border around bottom and side of tortilla half. Fold bottom edge of tortilla over filling, then fold in opposite sides of tortilla and roll up.

 Place each burrito seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake in 375ºF oven 15 to 20 min. or until heated through. They can also be wrapped in foil and heated on an outside grill.

Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, cilantro and lime wedges.  A fresh fruit salad makes a nice side dish. Serves 8.


Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 
that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

It's Strawberry Season!


6/21/17 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

Strawberry season crept up on me thanks to our soggy June weather. My first clue was when I saw that Laura at Eden Valley Farm was looking for pickers. Yikes! That means it’s time to take inventory of leftover freezer jam, buy some berries, mix up some smoothies and do a little baking.

Nothing can beat fresh Oregon strawberries. Fresh, huge, perfectly formed out-of-state strawberries are available all year long at local super markets but there’s just no taste comparison to Oregon grown berries. They aren’t big or perfectly formed and don’t last very long but they are red, sweet, juicy and taste like….strawberries!

It’s our wonderful Oregon weather that makes the difference. We have the best growing conditions for sweet, juicy berries. That means lots of rain, cool nights and (hopefully) warm, sunny days. It allows the berries to stay on the vines longer and the sugar to develop before the berries are harvested. It also means that their shelf life is short so we need to get them while we can.

We have already had our first strawberry shortcake of the season, a couple of smoothies and now I’m looking forward to stocking up on freezer jam. In between preparing batches of jam, I’m going to treat family and friends to some simple Strawberry Cheese Tarts for a quick dessert and some Strawberry Nut Bread at coffee break time. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY KALE SMOOTHIE
(Grandson Josh’s favorite)

2 cups strawberries

2 bananas
1-2 cups chopped kale
½-1 cup apple juice
Ice

Blend ingredients in processor until smooth.  Serves 2-4.

STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM

2 cups crushed strawberries or blackberries (about 1 quart berries)
4 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin
1 cup water
To prepare fruit. Sort and wash fully ripe berries. Drain. Remove caps and stems; crush berries.
To make jam. Place prepared berries in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve pectin in water and boil for 1 minute. Add pectin solution to berry-and-sugar mixture; stir for 2 minutes. Pour jam into freezer containers or canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top. Cover containers and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until jam has set.

Store jams in refrigerator or freezer. They can be held up to 3 weeks in a refrigerator or up to a year in a freezer. Note: If jam is too firm, stir to soften. If it tends to separate, stir to blend. If it is too soft, bring it to a boil. It will thicken on cooling. Makes 5 or 6 half-pint jars.

STRAWBERRY CHEESE TARTS

1 pound low-fat cream cheese, softened

½ cup low-fat sour cream

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

(12) small packaged graham cracker tart shells (about 3½ inches in diameter)

2/3 cup strawberry preserves (preferably home made!)

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and lemon peel in small bowl; beat until smooth.  Spread evenly into crumb crusts; refrigerate about 4 hours.  Before serving, spread evenly the strawberry preserves over the filling. Garnish with whipped cream. Serves 12.

STRAWBERRY NUT BREAD

10 ounces frozen sliced strawberries
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. Salt
¾ cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Thaw strawberries.  Beat eggs until fluffy.  Add oil, sugar and berries, beating until light.

Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Blend flour mixture into strawberry mixture until flour is moistened.  Do not over mix.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into greased 9 1/2 by 5 inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min. or until tester comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes.  Remove from pan.   Finish cooling on rack. Serves 10


Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 
that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.