...was i there?

10/21/08

Cowboy Casserole

I’ve blogged it before, but hey, it’s what’s for dinner.

Cowboy Chicken Casserole
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse,
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Casseroles for Every Occasion

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I did more like 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I did 1/4 cup or 2 limes)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (couldn’t find these, so I used green)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound white button mushrooms, wiped clean and stems trimmed, quartered
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
12 cups tortilla chips (12 cups is a lot, we are just lining the bottom of the dish, about a half inch after crushing)
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped, optional (I used three large)
8 ounces grated Pepper Jack
8 ounces grated Cheddar
1 tablespoon Emeril’s Southwest Seasoning, recipe follows
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
Combine the chicken, chicken stock, wine, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the oregano, and bay leaves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and tear or cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve the chicken. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat until foamy. Add the mushrooms, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and all the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour, stir to blend, and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken cooking liquid, stir, and cook until very thick and flavorful, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Place the tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass casserole. Crush the chips with your hands so they form a thin layer on the bottom of the dish. Pour 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid over the tortilla chips and allow them to soak up the liquid. Scatter the chicken over the top of the tortilla layer. Spread the chopped onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos evenly over the chicken. Top with half of the grated cheeses. Sprinkle with the Southwest Seasoning, chili powder and ground cumin. Spoon the reserved mushroom mixture evenly over the top of the spices, then top with the tomatoes and green chiles. Cover with the remainder of the cheeses. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the casserole is heated through. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Tip: This casserole may be prepared in advance and frozen until ready to use. Simply allow it to thaw 1 day in the refrigerator and come to room temperature before baking.

Emeril’s Southwest Seasoning:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 1/2 cup

‹ wish i hadn't asked!

tagged: cooking wine dinner clean emeril cowboy casserole

daniel · early evening · say it · ping it

02/13/08

Morning From Hell (Beep)

• anger management

I woke up with one chore to do today. Clean the fish tank filter. I was up nice and early. As I was checking my email and sipping a nice cup of coffee I heard it.

Beep. Beep. Beep beep!

It was that damn washer again. It does this every now and again. I don’t know why. It was brilliantly designed by those Kenmore folk with no display. Anyway, the last time it did this beeping non-stop (usually it stops on it’s own) I had found a magical button combo to reset it. Did I write it down? Erm.. No. Of course not. So I lost like 30 minutes looking for it on the Google. Then I went down to try and ‘figure it out’. No luck. It was getting late so I went to my chore of the filter.

Beep. Beep. Beep beepbeep.

The filter thing went fast, although with all the beeping I was a bit annoyed. I put it back together and went to re-attach it to the tank. It filled with water, but wouldn’t prime and start. I pumped the little starter to get suction. Nothing. I pumped more.

Beep. Beep. Beeeeep.

After some time I gave up and tried to detach a hose to use my mouth to start it. The hose apparently had filled with water even though it wouldn’t prime. This water sprayed everywhere, drenching me and the immediate area of floor and inside the cabinet that houses the filter.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

So I unplug it altogether and take it back to the sink to drain it and try to start the process all over. Water of course drips along the way. I head bak to the tank, re-attach and try again. I pump the thing. Water leaks out from somewhere. The washer beeps. Finally it starts.

Beeeeep.

So I have cleaned up. I am running totally late (even later after blogging it). The washer is still beeping.

tagged: fish coffee washer running annoyed clean reset beep filter insane

insane

daniel · lunch time · 3 comments · ping it

01/07/08

My Stigmata

• making a living • insanity

I am not trying to be sacrilegious really, but how else do I give you a vivid picture of my injury?

You see, I was at work when a rather stupid move on my part caused a very heavy metal object to land in my palm. I now have a deep puncture/scrape combo in the center of my hand. I don’t think I need stitches. It didn’t appear that deep when it was fresh. However it is in the middle of my right palm on that part that moves if I erm.. do anything with my hand. I am right handed. So it has been pretty constantly open and hard to keep clean, although I suspect it was better off before I tried to peroxide it. Now it’s kinda runny. And dark looking. Ew. I know, but it adds to the whole stigmata effect. I have to stop calling it that. I really can’t go around saying “be careful of my stigmata” at work every time I go to shake a hand or give a high five (which I do way more often that you think I would..). Jeez. Even typing irritates my stigmata. Srsly. It hurts!

Okay, I really have to stop calling it that.

tagged: work ew clean stigmata injury my stigmata hole palm

daniel · the wee hours · 3 comments · ping it

07/08/07

Where To Go On The Go

• link-tastic!

MizPee via The Presurfer.

Do you ever find yourself desperately looking for a clean toilet in the city?

MizPee finds the closest, cleanest toilet and gives you entertaining reading material once you get there. Since the service is cell phone-based, it’s always with you, when you really need it.

tagged: links clean pee toilet city mizpee

daniel · terribly early · say it · ping it

01/30/04

The Hard Part About Coming Home For Lunch

• thoughts i had

I have had the luxury over this past year to work close enough to my apartment to eat lunch at home. It’s great! Really! I get to check email, feed the cats (there are two), watch TV, clean, and all sorts of things. The problem is that it takes me completely out of work mode. Take today for instance:

I get home and find that I have actual comments from people visiting this site! I got excited about that, so I forgot about eating (apparently I wasn’t hungry enough after five hours at work with no break) and started noticing a few things I had added to my blog that I wanted to change. Like my categories… more like was I drunk? So I ditched that, changed a button, realized I hadn’t eaten, shoved a leftover burrito down my throat, and I still wanted to post this entry. I’m sure this is not what I had originally wanted to say, but now I’m running late! See what happens!?! Gotta go!
tagged: tv lunch late clean

daniel · early afternoon · say it · ping it

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