Week 17

*Thai Chicken Enchiladas

*Grandma's Lasagna
*Grits a YaYa
*Fiesta Pasta

Thai Chicken Enchiladas

• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped/shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped/shredded cabbage
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped and crushed  peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 cups light coconut milk
• 1/3 cup + 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add canola oil.  Throw in onions, cabbage, carrots, garlic and and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring to mix.  Let cool until vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, remaining salt and pepper, tossing to coat and let cook for  1-2 minutes. Add in 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, mixing thoroughly to combine. Turn off heat.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with spray. Whisk together remaining coconut milk and sweet chili sauce.  Pour about 1/2 cup or so on the bottom of the dish.  Slightly warm tortillas to make them more rollable. Place a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each, rolling up tightly and placing in the dish.  Cover with remaining coconut milk and chili sauce mix.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until heated through. Top with additional peanuts and cilantro.

Grandma's Lasagna

• 1 lb. hamburger browned
• 2 TBSP minced onion
• 1 TBPS basil -dry
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 cans (16 oz) stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste

Combine and simmer for 30 minutes.

• 1 8 oz package lasagna noodles cooked
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese grated
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cus cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 TBSP parsley
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Combine eggs, cottage cheese, parmesan, parsley, pepper and salt together.
Put some sauce on the bottom of a 9x13. Layer noodles, egg mixture, cheese, sauce, noodles, egg mixture, cheese, sauce, noodles, sauce, cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Grits a YaYa

The Grits:

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups grits (Dixie Lily)
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1/2 lb. shredded smoked Gouda cheese

The YaYa:

• 8 strips applewood-smoked bacon, diced
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 TBSP minced shallots
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 1 portabello mushroom cap, diced
• 1/4 cup diced scallions
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups smoked Gouda cheese grits
• salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

First, you make the grits. Run the chicken stock into a thick-bottomed saucepan and turn on high til it boils.  Mix in the grits and stir like crazy. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cream if you need more liquid.  Then tumble in the butter, drizzle in the rest of the cream and stir til it's all in the family.  Then shake in the shredded cheese and stir very well until it's all nice and smooth.
While your grits cook, bring a large saucepan to medium heat.  Add bacon and cook for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and shallots. Saute and then add butter. When the butter is half melted, add the shrimp. When the downsides of the shrimp become white, flip them and add mushrooms, scallions and spinach. Saute for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp. Pour in the heavy cream and let simmer while stirring.  When reduced by one third, add salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Return shrimp to the sauce and combine.  Spoon the sauce and shrimp onto heaping mounds of cheese grits. Top with fried sweet potato straws.

Fiesta Pasta

• 1 lb. orzo pasta (or any pasta)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cool. In a large serving bowl, combine everything but the cilantro and feta.  Add the cooked pasta and toss. Sprinkle with the cilantro and feta and toss again. Serve immediately.