Day 20 - Recipes 33, 34, & 35

I am on the hunt for the perfect bran muffin. Anya has recently become obsessed with them and every time we go to the commissary she asks for one. Better than a donut, right? Although she says they are brown because they have chocolate in them! :) Anyway, I really like the ones from the commissary but I prefer to make my own muffins. Today I tried a bran muffin recipe from Joy of Baking and it was really good. I enjoyed the orange zest in them and I am pleased with the way they turned out. I would definately make these again, but I will be on the lookout for different recipes in hopes of finding the PERFECT bran muffin. (Oh, and I used oat bran instead of wheat bran... gotta use what you have!)

Dinner tonight was Green Chile Enchiladas from The Way The Cookie Crumbles and Arroz Verde (Green Rice) from Culinary Infatuation. As ashamed as I am to admit it, this is the first time I have made enchiladas without using canned enchilada sauce. I don't know why I waited so long! These enchiladas were incredibly good. Just don't judge them by the picture.... I can't figure out how to make enchiladas look pretty! They definately took a lot longer to make than when I use canned sauce, but it makes up for it in taste! I loved these! The rice was also amazing. I have never had (or seen!) green rice, but I love cilantro so I thought I would give it a shot. What a great side dish! Definately a keeper.

For the enchiladas, I used a boneless, skinless chicken breast and just boiled it. And for the rice I substituted a can of green chilis for the poblanos because the commissary didn't have any poblanos.

Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups (75 grams) wheat bran
1/3 cup (80 ml) boiling water
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (205 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (140 grams) whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup (70 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk

Note: You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Place the bran in a bowl and stir in the boiling water. Set aside.

Cream the butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and molasses and beat until well blended. Add the wheat bran and beat until combined.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, cinnamon, orange zest, salt, baking soda and powder.

In a small bowl combine the milk and buttermilk.

Add the flour mixture, alternately with the wet ingredients, to the bran mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Cover and place the batter in the refrigerator until chilled (several hours or even overnight).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or else spray with a nonstick vegetable spray.

Fill the muffin cups, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop, about 3/4 full and bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 14 - 16 standard-sized muffins.

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Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Note: To wet the tortillas before heating and rolling them, I usually hold them under running water for a second. Alternatively, you could brush water on them using a pastry brush.

1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (12-16 ounces)

salt and pepper

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons butter

½ large onion, chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk plus ¼ cup4

ounces chopped green chiles, undrained

½ cup sour cream plus 2 tablespoons

1 cup (4 ounces) cheddar, shredded, plus ¾ cup (3 ounces)

1. For chicken: Adjust oven racks to the lower-middle and upper-middle positions; heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 9-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke; swirl skillet to coat evenly with oil. Brown chicken breast skin side down until deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes; turn chicken breast and brown until golden on second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Place in oven on lower-middle rack. Roast until thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 18 to 25 minutes. Using potholder or oven mitt, remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to platter and set aside until cool enough to handle. Pour water into hot skillet and scrape with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Pour liquid into small bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

2. For filling: Melt butter until foaming in medium saucepan over medium heat; add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1½ minutes. Do not brown. Gradually whisk in milk and reserved water from deglazing. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Stir in green chiles, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in ½ cup sour cream.

3. For sauce: Set aside ¼ cup of filling mixture. Add an additional ¼ cup milk and 2 tablespoons sour cream and stir until blended.

4. Remove and discard chicken skin. Using fingers or fork, pull chicken off bones into 2-inch shreds and 1-inch chunks. Stir shredded chicken and 1 cup shredded cheddar into filling mixture. Spread ¼ of sauce in bottom of 9×13-inch pan.

5. Lightly wet both sides of four tortillas; place on baking sheet in oven for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Spread approximately ¼ cup of filling down center of each tortilla. Fold in sides and place enchilada, seam side down, in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas until all the filling has been used, wetting and warming tortillas as necessary.

6. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining ¾ cup cheese. Bake on upper-middle rack until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Let rest 5-10 minutes and serve.

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Arroz Verde

2 Poblano peppers
2 cups chicken stock (warmed)
Bunch of cilantro (about 2 cups)
1 onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves minced
tsp. cumin (my addition)
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup long grain rice
salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chop poblanos and add them to a blender. Add warm stock and cilantro. Blend until well mixed. Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over med. high heat. Add onions and cook a few minutes. Add rice and garlic and saute a few minutes more until the rice is toasted. Add poblano mixture and cumin and heat until boiling. Turn down heat and simmer 25 minutes.