Coffee-Chocolate Layer Cake with Mocha-Mascarpone Frosting

A time-consuming, but amazingly tasty dessert. Be sure to line the pans with parchment paper, cool very thoroughly, and invert carefully.

Cake
2 cups cake flour (1 3/4 cup AP flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch)
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature< 2 cups (packed) brown sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 4 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water (strong instant coffee will do) Frosting
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs instant espresso powder (instant coffee will do, but grind it more finely)
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cups sugar
16 oz chilled mascarpone cheese

For the Cake:

• Position rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans; dust with flour; line bottom with parchment paper.
• Sift cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla. Add flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk, beating until just blended after each. Gradually add hot espresso, beating just until smooth.
• Divide batter into pans and smooth tops. Bake until tester comes out clean, 40 minutes. Cool cakes for 15, then invert onto racks and remove parchment. Invert again so top side is up. Cool completely.

For the Frosting:

• Sift cocoa into large bowl with espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil, and then slowly pour over cocoa mixture, whisking until dissolved. Add sugar and 1/2 cup cream; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill 2 hours.
• Add mascarpone to chilled cocoa mixture. Beat on low speed until smooth. Increase speed to high, beat until thickened and medium-firm peaks form. Do not over beat.
• Brush crumbs off of cakes. Place one cake layer on platter, spread 1 3/4 cup frosting to edges. Top with second layer, press to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides. Chill 10 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Chill.

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

This is a delicious dish shamelessly borrowed from Alton Brown. A great combo of curry and comfort food! I've made a few changes from the original, but only things that simplify the overall recipe. For the original, go here.

Ingredients

• 4 cups frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 package puff pastry sheets (not bowls)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

If you don't have leftover cooked chicken, simply cut up raw chicken into small cubes and saute in olive oil. Add a some red pepper flakes if you feel daring!

Put frozen veggies in a microwave safe dish and gently warm according to directions on package. It's ok if they're a little under-done since they'll be going in the oven shortly.

In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry to celery mix and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk/broth mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan, or a large terra cotta pot base (lined with foil if using terra cotta), and top with a full sheet of puff pastry (packages typically have two full sheets per box). Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Flank Steak with So-Hot-You-Can't-Eat-It Pepper and Watermelon Salad

I pulled this recipe out of Bon Appetit (no surprise) last summer, thinking it sounded pretty good. We never had the chance to make it before grilling season ended, so last week we finally got around to it.

This is an interesting one. Husband doesn't like watermelon much, so the salad was already kind of a miss, but it was so spicy that neither of us ate much, throwing away most of the salad.

The next time we make it, there will be drastic changes:

• The meat marinade wasn't noticeable, even though it sat for nearly 12 hours. I'd use the dressing for the salad as a marinade instead.
• The salad is an interesting concept, but a little too variable in terms of texture and of course it was too spicy. I might leave out the watermelon, halve the quantity of sriracha, and double the honey.
• It needed a starch. I'm making rice with it next time and dealing with it more like a stir fry (hence, no watermelon).

The Original Recipe: Grilled Flank Steak with Spicy Pepper and Watermelon Salad

Flank Steak:
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp sambal oelek (a hot chili paste)
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 lb flank steak

Pepper and Watermelon Salad:
1/4 cup sriracha (hot chili sauce)
1/4 olive oil
3 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/4 tsp honey
4 bell peppers of varying color, cut into 1/2-inch squares (2-3 is plenty, really)
2 Tbs minced red jalapeno chiles (we used green, it was fine)
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes of seedless watermelon

Steak Preparation:
Whisk all ingredients together (except steak), pour into a ZipLock bag with the steak and let marinate as long as possible, ideally 4 hours up to 1 day (chill, obviously). Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Salad Preparation:
Whisk sriracha, oil, vinegar, and honey in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Place peppers and chiles in large bowl. Toss with 6 Tbs dressing. Let marinate 2 hours at room temperature.

Prepare barbecue (high heat). Grill steak until cooked to desired doneness. Transfer to work surface; let rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak against the grain. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing from the salad.

Toss watermelon into pepper salad. Serve flank steak and salad with remaining dressing alongside.

***

When we make this again, I'll post the new recipe and let you know how it goes.

Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce

An instant crowd pleaser, this was the most-requested recipe at our last BBQ! It sounds a little strange, but is absolutely delicious. The coffee rub and barbecue sauce could be used on many other meats.

Coffee Rub
1 Tbs freshly ground coffee
2 tsp (packed) brown sugar
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Burgers
8 slices bacon (applewood smoked is preferred, but not necessary)
2 lbs ground beef
8 slices smoked provolone
8 hamburger buns (we used onion rolls from Sunflour Bakehaus in Farmington)
8 slices red onion
8 slices tomato
Texas Barbecue Sauce

For the Rub:
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Can be done up to one week ahead. Store at room temperature.

For the Burgers:
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Break in half.

Form ground beef into 8 patties. Using thumb, make a slight indentation in the center of each burger. Burgers and bacon can be prepped up to 8 hours ahead. Chill.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle 1 tsp of coffee rub on top side of each burger. Place burgers, rub side down, on grill rack. Grill until slightly charred, about 4 minutes; turn.

Place 2 bacon halves atop each burger. Cook 3 minutes. Top each with 1 cheese slice. Cover and cook until cheese melts. Place burgers atop bottom halves of buns. Top with onion and tomato slices. Spoon on Texas Barbecue Sauce. Cover with bun tops and serve.

Texas Barbecue Sauce

A great standard BBQ sauce to use with Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers, BBQ Chicken Pizza, or any other standard summer fare.

1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 chipotle chile from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced with seeds
1/4 tsp ground cayenne

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Stir in all remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until reduced to 1 1/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Penne with Hazelnut Gremolata and Roasted Broccolini

This was a very tasty side we made with the Roasted Duck Breast (I think it would be good even if you used pork). Can't find broccolini? I'd say you can substitute broccoli, but cut it in to small florets. We might even try making a pesto instead of a gremolata with all the herbs and hazelnuts. It can also be a little dry, so don’t be afraid to use the olive oil (plus some).

1/2 lb broccolini or broccoli
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 Tbs hazelnuts, toasted, finely chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 lb penne

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place broccolini on a large rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). Drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then spread in an even layer.

Roast broccolini until tender and golden brown around edges, tossing occasionally, about 18 minutes. Cool. Chop coarsely.

Mix hazelnuts, chopped parsley, finely grated lemon peel, and garlic in a small bowl.

Cook pasta until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to saucepan.

Add broccolini and toss over medium heat to rewarm, if necessary. Add gremolata and remaining oil (plus some if dry); toss to distribute evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

Seared Duck Breast with Cherries and Port Sauce

I’ve only had duck a handful of times in my life, but this is one of the tastiest. It is also a plus to make it when Michigan cherries are in season. Our only complaint: duck is rather expensive; when we made this last week, we decided that the next time, it would be very easy to substitute a pork chop, or maybe a chicken thigh. Originally from Bon Appetit.

2 5- to 6-oz. duck breast halves, or 2 pork chops
2 Tbs chilled butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
16 halved, pitted sweet red cherries
4 Tbs tawny Port
2 Tbs honey

Place duck breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound lightly to even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Discard plastic wrap. Using sharp knife, score skin in 3/4 inch diamond pattern (do not cut flesh).

Melt 1 Tbs butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper. Add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook until skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn duck breasts over, reduce heat to medium, and cook until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 4-8 minutes. Transfer to work surface, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 Tbs drippings from skillet. Add shallot to skillet and stir over medium heat 30 seconds. Add broth, cherries, Port, and honey. Increase heat to high and boil until sauce is reduced to a glaze, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Whisk in 1 Tbs cold butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice duck. Fan slices out on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

Spicy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

This one is even quicker and easier than the last (mostly because it doesn't require marination). I would recommend upping the crushed red pepper flakes a bit if you like spice, and I do think it would benefit from marinating, to give the chicken a stronger flavor. Originally from Bon Appetit.

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
3/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs corn starch
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into strips
8 oz. sugar snap peas

Cook rice according to package instructions. Cover to keep warm; set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until corn starch dissolves. Mix in orange peel.

Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add chicken, seasoned with crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook chicken in batches until done.

Add onion and snap peas, cook until crisp-tender. Add chicken back to wok and juice mixture. Toss until sauce begins to boil. Serve with rice.

Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds

This is a quick, delicious side for Five-Spice Roast Chicken.

1 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed
2 tsp minced shallot
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until golden and fragrant and butter begins to brown, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add snow peas and shallot; sauté until snow peas are crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat; add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and serve.

Five-Spice Roast Chicken

All of our recipes lately are coming from Bon Appetit, and this is no exception. It sounded easy, so I ripped it out and here we are. The only catch is that it IS best to marinate it overnight, if you remember. I might also suggest making extra marinade and rubbing some under the skin of the chicken thighs. Serve it over ginger-scented rice (make basmati rice according to package instructions, but add some minced ginger to the party).

4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tbs kosher salt
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
3-4 pieces chicken with skin and bones
1 large onion, peeled, cut into wedges

Combine garlic, salt, olive oil, and Chinese five-spice powder in large bowl. Add chicken pieces; turn to coat. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange onion wedges in a 9x9 baking pan, and arrange chicken, skin side up, atop onions.

Roast until chicken is cooked through, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 50 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Arrange chicken and onions on platter and serve.

Chicken Milano

"A delicious pasta and chicken dish with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Use the dry packaged sun-dried tomatoes instead of the tomatoes packed in olive oil. The sauce can be kept, covered, for one day in the refrigerator; heat again over low heat. Try it with some crusty bread if desired." Shamelessly stolen from AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup chicken broth, divided 1 cup heavy cream 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 8 ounces dry fettuccini pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2.	Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
3.	In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
4.	Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
5.	Cut each chicken breast into 2 to 3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.

Beer- and Onion-Braised Chicken Carbonnade

According to Bon Appetit, a carbonnade is technically a Belgian beef stew, but this recipe uses chicken; I think I prefer all the flavors this way. The original recipe was cloyingly sweet, so we've made a fair number of modifications to make it suit our tastes. This is an excellent weeknight recipe as it is reasonably quick.

Serve over egg noodles (one of my favorites!).

2 Tbs unsalted butter
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 lb onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar
4 small bay leaves
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer (we use Guinness. Don't use something too malty.)
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.

Add onions and 1 tsp brown sugar to skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, mustard, and remaining 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Add chicken, skin side down, then beer, broth, and vinegar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, turning chicken occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Salsa Verde

As mentioned yesterday, we've been looking for a good taco recipe. In the process of searching for one, it goes without saying that we stumbled across some pretty bad tacos. One of them was a fish taco recipe.

Now, I've had good fish tacos. These, however, required about two hours of preparation for an entirely underwhelming product. On the plus side, however, the salsa recipe that was paired with the tacos turned out to be a real winner. Paul especially likes the smoky grilled flavor of the vegetables.

A couple of things to note: if you like spicy salsa, use the serrano chiles, without the seeds. If you're a masochist, leave the seeds. If you like spicy things, but don't want to burn yourself, use jalapenos. They'll be just fine. Also, if you're like me, remember to wear gloves when chopping up the peppers! My hands burned for hours afterwards, and I had to sit around with my fist in a glass of milk to aleviate some of the pain. A margarita helped some more.


3 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed
1 small onion, quartered through root end
3-6 serrano chiles (HOT), or 2-4 jalapeno chiles (just hot)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp sugar
Coarse kosher salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread garlic onto skewer. Grill garlic, tomatillos, onion quarters, and chiles until dark brown spots form on all sides, about 9 minutes for onion, 6 minutes for tomatillos and chiles, and 4 minutes for garlic. Cool.

Peel garlic. Trim core from onion. Scrape some of burnt skin off chiles; stem. Seed chiles. Coarsely chop onion, chiles, and garlic.

Transfer tomatillos and all vegetables to blender. Add cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon sugar; puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Carefully add tomatillo mixture (juices may splatter). Stir until slightly thickened, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add broth and 2 Tablespoons lime juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture measures 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and more sugar and lime juice. Can be made ahead.

Originally from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

Paul and I have been searching for a new taco variation for a while now. We've added chorizo to ground beef (WIN), tried a few types of fish tacos (FAIL), and finally stumbled upon black bean tacos in Bon Appetit Magazine. This is a delicious vegetarian option that is also super fast! Seriously, I made these in about five minutes. If you have a little more time, however, it pairs well with Lyn’s Mexican Rice.

1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
5 tsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbs lime juice
2 cups coleslaw mix
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 corn tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Hot sauce of your choosing

Place beans and cumin in a small bowl; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro; toss to coat. Season slaw with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tsp olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in a single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture into each; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with feta and slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside.

Notes: I found these to be a little dry. You might double the coleslaw dressing, or avoid rinsing the beans. Definitely add hot sauce.

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat

I like to think I'm a pretty good cook. I've made all sorts of things, from your standard grilled chicken to a variety of ethnic foods including falafel, chicken tikka masala, Moroccan braised beef, coconut curry, enchiladas and so forth. My cooking career really began with baking, when my mom taught me how to make bread (Sally Lunn bread. I won a contest.) I've made the typical chocolate chip cookies, brownies, raspberry white chocolate layer cakes, biscotti, and the ubiquitous rice krispie treats. I've made mousse, custard and real pastry dough. Last year, for Jon's birthday, I tackled my first real cheesecake (the type that takes days to make, not the kind where you pour some flavored cream cheese in a pre-made crust). I felt confident. On top of my game. Nothing could stop me.

Until I tried to make a Mexican chocolate cheesecake for Jon for Valentine's Day.

First of all, we do not go in for big, fancy Valentine's Days. Neither of us particularly like the holiday and my birthday is a mere 10 days before it. We tend to keep it simple and just celebrate by cooking something fancy. In past years we've done Chateaubriand. This year we were trying beef tenderloin in an orange and poblano pepper sauce. We were having margaritas and spanish rice with it. I thought, what a perfect sort of treat! A Mexican cheesecake! And promptly found a recipe for it online.

Saturday rolled around and I began working on the cake. I was a bit confused when the recipe didn't require you to bake the graham cracker crust at all, as my limited experience with cheesecakes has required that in the past. "No biggie," I thought. "I'll just bake it anyways." And so I did. No problems so far.

The recipe then requires you to mix the cream cheese (24 oz) with 6 eggs, sugar and vanilla. So, in the process of doing this I realize that the cream cheese isn't really incorporating with the eggs and sugar. I have this sort of eggy soup with blobs of cream cheese floating in it. I try a different attachment on the mixer. No luck. Finally, I strain out the cream cheese and put it in the food processor where it finally gets to be the right creamy consistency. Now I slowly add the eggy soup back into it. Except, we have a problem Houston. There is far too much liquid than the processor can hold and it begins to seep out the bottom of the bowl. I quickly add in the melted chocolate before too much more leaks out.

Having very little hope at this point, I pour it into the springform pan and there is WAY too much batter. I set the timer for an hour like the recipe says. After an hour the thing is STILL soup. I leave it in for another hour and then it seems to be done, though looks pretty bad.

After it cools, it looks like this. The ugliest cake in the world.



I took it to Jon's feeling quite depressed that I'd spent so much time (and used up perfectly good ingredients) on something that looks like that. Somewhat surprisingly, it didn't taste terrible. Not quite like cheesecake, but not nearly as bad as it looked. However, I will NOT use that recipe again. Lesson learned.










Because I'm a glutton for punishment, today I decided to try to make homemade baklava. Luckily, this process went very smoothly from start to finish and I am proud to present these goodies:



Haven't tasted them yet, but they hold much more promise than the ugly cake. I feel a bit redeemed :)

Enchiladas

I have to say, these are always a hit and they're really not difficult to make. It is a VERY hearty meal and expect leftovers (not a bad thing as they reheat really well). They are also a good dish to serve at a party since all the work can be done ahead of time and you can serve it with the Mexican Rice recipe also posted on the fudblog. Enjoy!

1 package of boneless chicken
Red pepper flakes
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks
1 package of flour tortillas (burrito sized)
Olive oil or Olive oil infused with chili peppers
Tequila (optional)
1 can of refried beans
Grated cheddar cheese (lots)
1 can of Hot Enchilada sauce
1 can of Mild Enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Trim fat from chicken and cut into pieces approximately 1 sq. inch (can be a little larger). In a wok or large pan, heat a little olive oil (or olive oil with chili peppers) and throw all the chicken in to begin cooking. Add red pepper flakes to your taste.

2. When chicken is mostly cooked, add peppers and onions (these don’t have to be completely cooked through, since enchiladas will go into the oven) and a splash of tequila. Cook until chicken is done.

3. Spread refried beans on the tortillas, top with chicken and pepper mixture and cheddar cheese. Tuck ends in and roll the tortilla (so it looks like a burrito).

4. Spray a deep baking pan with cooking spray and place the enchiladas in the pan, flap down. When the pan is full, cover with enchilada sauce and top with grated cheddar cheese.

5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.