Salmon with Asparagus Panzanella

Hello Readers!

For Tuesday night's meal, I decided to make something a little on the lighter side since we have been getting some record high temperatures here in VA.  I have posted the way that I make my salmon before on the blog, but for those of you that may be new to this site, I have listed the instructions below.  You can use any type of fish that you like, but I am pretty partial to the taste of salmon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients Needed: 

Salmon (or any type of fish you like)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper seasoning
Seafood seasoning
Panko bread crumbs 
1 bunch of asparagus, cooked, dried off, and cut in chunks 
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped in chunks
1 red onion, chopped in chunks 
1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped in chunks
1/4 cup of Kalamata olives (I buy the kind that are already sliced in half)
1 tablespoon of capers
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar 
3 thick slices of crusty bread sliced in chunks (I use Country bread)

Directions for Salmon: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Lay salmon on baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle on Lemon Pepper seasoning, seafood seasoning, and top with bread crumbs
*Bread crumbs on fish give it amazing texture with a neutral flavor

Directions for Asparagus Panzanella: 

In a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, olive oil (2 tablespoons), salt and pepper.  In a large bowl, combine cooked asparagus, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, and capers.  Toss with olive oil mixture. Once combined, add sliced bread and toss again to allow bread to soak up the juices.  I allow this to sit in the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes prior to serving to allow all of the flavors to marry. 

Enjoy!

I'm Back with Spicy Chicken Avocado Enchiladas!

Hello Readers!

It feels great to be back writing about something that I am very passionate about---COOKING!

I wanted to start out my first post back with one of my favorite recipes of late.  This particular recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and completely fell in love.  This recipe is great for all seasons and is a hearty meal that feeds a lot of people or makes for phenomenal leftovers.  I hope that you enjoy this recipe and I appreciate your continued support and following to this blog. 

Happy Cooking!

Ingredients Needed: 

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 Serrano pepper, chopped (I leave the seeds in for extra spiciness)
1 yellow sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup fat free sour cream (yes, I did use the fat free and it tasted just fine:)
1 cup chicken stock
1 16 oz. jar of medium salsa verde
2 avocados, diced
1 bag of Mexican cheese
1 bag of flour tortillas (you can use the small or the regular size depending on how many you want to make-I used the regular size that made 6 large enchiladas)
Cilantro, chopped roughly 

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a non-stick skillet, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook your diced Serrano pepper until softened.  This should take about 2-3 minutes.  Add the flour, cumin, and salt and stir around until combined, but be careful with how hot your pan gets as the flour can and will burn.  Add chicken stock, stir to combine and let cook until this comes to a low boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream, salsa verde, and cilantro.  Removing from the heat is crucial in this step as your sour cream will curdle if it is at a boiling point, which is not very appetizing:) 

Shred your cooked chicken, diced your onion, and dice the avocados.  Set up an assembly line since you will now be making the enchiladas and it is much easier to have everything laid out on a cutting board (see my picture below). 

Spray a glass baking pan with PAM and spread 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom.  Assemble your enchiladas, roll, then place in baking pan seam side down.  Cover with remaining sauce.  Top with Mexican cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has melted. 

My Enchilada Assembly Order: chicken, onion, avocado, cheese

I usually make a pot of Mexican rice or white rice to go alongside these wonderful enchiladas.  Enjoy!