The past week has been a little strange for me. We had multiple plans canceled, and with the exception of walking the dog have not left the house since Friday. All this extra time at home has been a nice break but I am starting to get a little antsy. I have found myself spending much more time in the kitchen trying to create recipes with our minimal ingredients. Alex was sick of pasta on day two, so I decided to get a little creative a create a Mexican dish. These Verde Chicken Enchiladas are very simple and use ingredients that most people already have on hand. This dish makes great leftovers, for two people, or easily can feed four. I am a sucker for good Verde Chicken Enchiladas at restaurants and was glad to create something similar while we are at home. Hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and checking in on loved ones. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips. 

Download Verde Chicken Enchiladas Recipe. 

2 cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 onion, chopped

12oz green chilies

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 tortillas (corn or flour)

1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Verde Salsa

1/2 cup light sour cream 

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Using a food processor, mix shredded chicken, onion and green chilies until well combined. Roll about 1/3 cup mixture into each tortilla and place in baking dish. I use Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortillas, but flour or corn work well too. My baking dish holds about 6 rolled tortillas, but you want them to fit compact in your dish. In a separate bowl mix verde salsa and sour cream until well combined. Pour mixture over rolled tortilla and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until top begins to brown. Best when served warm. Easily doubles for a larger crowd.  

This past weekend I posted an Instagram Story poling if you thought chili should include beans. I was shocked at how many of my followers thought that beans belonged in chili! One of the “life rules” my parents instilled in me from a young age was that chili should never include beans. Actually, my dad has claimed that the second you drop a bean in a pot of chili, you start making spicy bean soup. To clear up this great debate I thought I would provide a little history on chili, the official state dish of Texas.

According to the Chili Appreciation Society International, chili spread nationally when a couple from San Antonio set up a Texas-style chili stand at the 1893 Chicago Exposition. During the Great Depression, chili gained popularity because the ingredients were so cheap. The first (recorded) chili contest was held at the State Fair of Texas in 1952. The rules clearly stated that chili-containing beans would be disqualified. Fast forward to the present day, the annual, invitation-only, Terlingua International Chili Championship is hailed as the “granddaddy of all chili cook-offs.” The very first rule listed for the Terlingua Chili Championship reads: “NO FILLERS IN CHILI – Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted.”

Considering the history of chili, I think it is pretty clear that beans do not belong, so I am calling my chili recipe “Texas Style Chili”. If you want to add beans, go ahead, just don’t claim your chili to be Texas-style. I also believe that chili should be so spicy that you sweat a little. My Texas Style Chili recipe, listed below, is a little milder, but keep in mind that there is quite a kick. I usually add a few more variations of Chile powder and you can find the best selection at Fiesta or your local Hispanic grocery store. I like to top my chili with a handful of Fritos or warm cornbread. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Texas Style Chili Recipe.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large white onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into inch cubes

28 oz canned tomatoes, drained

6 oz tomato paste

8 oz chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon ancho Chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a dutch oven heat vegetable oil. Add onions and garlic, and cook over medium heat until onions are tender and fragrant. Add sirloin steak searing all sides but not cooking the meat all the way through. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, green chilies, cumin, ground cloves, Chile powder, chipotle powder, ancho Chile powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well, cover, and let cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with shredded sharp cheddar and Fritos.

M&M cookies are my all-time favorite type of cookie! While I really love just about any kind of cookie, for as long as I can remember I have been especially fond of M&M. I love using the seasonal M&M colors to turn this classic cookie into a festive dessert. I especially love the Christmas and the Valentine’s Day M&M colors, but Halloween, Fourth of July, and Easter have some great seasonal M&Ms as well. After perfecting my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, I started experimenting with the addition of M&Ms. There were many iterations of M&M cookies, but I found that when I use a 1-inch cookie scoop, 6 M&Ms placed in a flower pattern is the perfect ratio. This way you have a bite of M&M with every bite of the cookie. My Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe has proven to be a great base for many variations of cookies and it works particularly well for M&M.  Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print the M&M Cookies recipe.

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups flour

1 bag of Regular M&M’s

Cream the butter with sugar until fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

Combine and sift all dry ingredients, then beat into the butter mixture.

Use a cookie scoop to place dough on a cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Place 6 M&M’s on each cookie in a flower shape.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I use a convection oven, and they are done in 8 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Looking for more cookie recipes? Check out my posts here:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Heart Cookies 

During our trip to Chicago, we ate dinner at Fig & Olive and I had the best scallop risotto with mushrooms and truffle. It was so good, that not only did I completely scrape the plate, but I order the same dish at Fig & Olive when visiting New York. After realizing how much effort goes into making delicious risotto, this dish has been reserved for special occasions or our next trip. If you do not enjoy cooking or spending time in the kitchen, this scallop risotto recipe is not for you. Seriously, you have to stir the risotto for about 30 minutes and it is a tedious process. Carnaroli rice is a little bit more difficult to find but works way better than sushi rice when making risotto. I usually find carnaroli and good scallops at Central Market or Whole Foods. If you do not like mushrooms or truffles, you can use the risotto recipe as a base and add vegetables and flavors of your liking. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Scallop Risotto recipe.

1 tablespoon salt

6 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

2 cups carnaroli or Japanese sushi rice

1 cup dry white wine

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon truffle oil

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound sea scallops

Combine 1 tablespoon of salt and 10 cups of water in a medium pot, and bring to a simmer. Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven and cook shallot until translucent and soften. Add 1/2 cup of water, stirring often, until water evaporates and shallot is completely tender. Add rice and stir well to coat with oil. Stir constantly until grains of rice are translucent around the edges, about 5 minutes, and they make a clattering sound when they hit the pot. (Coating the grains with oil helps the rice cook evenly so the outside does not become mushy before the center is tender.) Add wine, and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally until wine is evaporated. 

Reduce heat to medium and add hot salted water for the second pot in 1 cup increments. Stir constantly and allow water to absorb fully before adding more. Cook until rice is al dente and surrounded by a creamy suspension, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat, add 5 tablespoons of butter, Parmesan cheese, truffle oil, and ground pepper, and stir until melted. 

  Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet on medium. Add chopped mushrooms and garlic, and cook, until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Pour mushrooms over risotto and using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Season scallops generously with salt and pepper. Cook scallops on one side until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and turn scallops over. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Plate scallops with risotto and serves warm. 

I have always loved trying new recipes and baking for others but rarely thought about food allergies. In college one of my good friends, who has coeliac disease, challenged me to try some gluten-free recipes so she could enjoy my treats as well. Most of the recipes I tried were just plain gross or had a funky texture. After many trials and adaptions, I found a recipe for gluten-free brownies that you would suspect of being flourless. Now, especially when hosting for the holidays, I always offer a gluten-free option for guests and these gluten-free brownies are a favorite. It was really weird to write a recipe that didn’t list flour as one of the first ingredients, but I have found corn starch to work really well as a substitute. Be sure to check out some of my other recipes for the holidays! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Gluten-Free Brownie Recipe 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans

Somehow we were lucky enough to not host any major holidays this year (woohoo), and are only having immediate family over for a Christmas meal. Just like my Thanksgiving table, I set our Christmas table with a simple white and gold color pallet. We are still in the process of finding a buffet and artwork (harder than I thought it would be) so I try to keep our table settings as simple as the room. I set the table with the same white linen place mats, chippendale sliver and French provincial china that I used at Thanksgiving and Easter. I added these glass Christmas trees, snowflake napkin rings and snowflake place card holders to bring in the Christmas spirit. I love these glass Christmas trees, because even when the table is not set for dinner, they help fill the space. I debated ordering these napkins from Williams-Sonoma, but I decided on  the gold snowflake napkin rings, because they can also be used for a New Year’s Eve dinner. Shop everything on my Christmas table below! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips