Yesterday,
Alex and I spent most of the morning in the park because the day was gorgeous.
We climbed up rocks, played in the sandbox and strolled off the beaten paths.
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He had to
take his stroller with him everywhere.
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We also
stopped at Whole Foods. I actually really dislike grocery shopping in New York.
I feel like everything is a bit of a competition, including shopping for food.
I get stressed if the line is too long and I end up having to wait 20 minutes
to check out with a toddler in tow. So, I wanted to hit the grocery store
earlier, when the crowds are not too bad.
My
brother-in-law and sister-in-law call Whole Foods “Whole Paycheck”; but, in Manhattan,
Whole Foods is usually more economical (especially if you get the weekly deals).
For example, the basil I picked up is $1.50 cheaper at Whole Foods than at the
grocery store down the street! Plus, the produce lasts about five days longer.
I wanted
to make something summery feeling, as the sun was out and we were not bundled
up with tons of layers. I decided to make creamy chicken enchiladas and corn cakes with
homemade salsa.
During
Alex’s nap time, I prepped everything for dinner. When Andy got home from his
soccer game, we went for a family bike ride in Central Park—it was our first
bike ride together this year. See the video here.
When we
got home, all I had to do was throw the enchiladas in the oven, fry the corn
cakes, dice the avocado, and dinner was on the table in 30 minutes. This meal
really felt like summer had almost arrived!
Creamy Chicken and Cilantro Enchiladas
Original recipe can be found here.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup of
cream cheese, soften in microwave for 20-30 seconds
¼ cup of
green salsa (used TJ's bottled salsa verde)
Juice and
zest of one lime
½ teaspoon
of cumin
½ of a red
onion
¼ teaspoon
of garlic powder
Chopped
cilantro (I used the entire bunch)
Sliced green onions (I used about four)
Sliced green onions (I used about four)
3 cups of
shredded cooked chicken (I boiled about three chicken breasts and then shredded
it)
3 cups of
grated pepper jack cheese/Mexican cheese blend (use 1 cup in the chicken
mixture; use the remaining 2 cups to put on top of the enchiladas)
Medium
whole wheat tortillas
DIRECTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients
(cream cheese through pepper jack) in bowl.
3. Add about ½ to 2/3 cup of
the chicken mixture to each tortilla
4. Roll up loosely, and place
in a glass baking dish.
5. Spread the remaining cheese
on top of the enchiladas.
6. Cover with foil and bake
for approximately 30 minutes.
Summer Corn Cakes
Original recipe can be found here.
INGREDIENTS
3 ears of
corn, shucked
1 cup of
all-purpose flour
½ cup of
cornmeal (if you can only find cornmeal mix, skip the baking powder)
½ of diced
red onion
¼ cup of
thinly sliced fresh basil
1 teaspoon
of baking powder
½ teaspoon
of baking soda
Dash of
salt
Dash of
pepper
2 large
eggs, lightly beaten
2
tablespoons of buttermilk (I only had whole milk on hand)
2
tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
Olive oil
(for frying)
Makes about 12 large cakes; serves 6 to 8
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the corn from the
cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife
(or a spoon) to release the juices into the bowl.
2. Place 2 cups of the corn
kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is
slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn
kernels.
3. Add flour, cornmeal,
onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to
mix.
4. Add the eggs, milk and
butter, and stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)
5. Place a large skillet
over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom, and
heat until sizzling hot.
6. One heaping tablespoon
at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to
avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
7. Drain on the lined baking
sheet, and place in a warm oven to keep hot. Serve warm topped with a heap of Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa (recipe below).
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The corn
cake mixture with no eggs, milk or butter.
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Completed
corn cake mixture. I covered with plastic wrap and put in the fridge till we
got home from our bike ride.
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Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa
INGREDIENTS
1 large
tomato, cored and chopped
1
scallion, trimmed and minced
3
tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
1
tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic
clove, minced
Juice and
zest of one lime
1 ½ teaspoons
of extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of
salt and pepper
1 avocado,
peeled, pitted and diced
Makes about 2 cups
DIRECTIONS
1. Place all of the
ingredients (except the avocado) in a bowl, and stir to mix. Refrigerate in an
airtight container until ready to serve, for up to 2 days.
2. Just before serving, add
the avocado, and mix gently.
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