Author Archives: ginamd

Annette’s Enchiladas from Bread & Wine

26 Friday Sep 2014

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Tonight I made Annette’s Enchiladas. I’ve never made enchiladas I don’t think. I don’t usually cook mexican food. It’s just not on my radar. Now that I live in the south however, there are Mexican restaurants on every block. Good ones.

As Shauna says “This is serious comfort food – like, ‘eat it with a fork straight out of the pan in the middle of the night’ comfort food.” She’s right. It totally is. After dinner. After we had all stuffed ourselves. After my brother-in-law took another helping saying “I’m not even hungry, it’s just so, so good.” When I was putting it away. I sneaked another fork, and ate some. Right out of the pan. I even texted Lindsay and said “You know in the book, how she says it’s so good you eat it out of the pan for a midnight snack? She’s right!” Its that good. It. Really. Is.

These are layered not rolled. It’s the Mexican version of lasagna. It’s brilliant because nothing gets dried out and its easy to cut and serve. I hope you love these as much as we did!

Ingredients

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1 C Sour Cream (I used plain Greek yogurt the 2nd time I made this)
1 28-oz can green enchilada sauce (Las Palmas is best)
2 4-oz cans green chilies, diced
3 C cooked chicken, shredded or diced
2 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12 corn tortillas
1 C chicken broth
Cilantro

Instructions

Mix green sauce with chilies and sour cream.

Smooth 1 spoonful of the sauce around the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

Simmer the chicken broth in a skillet, and before placing each tortilla in the 9×13 pan, use tongs and pass the tortilla through the broth for just a few seconds. If you leave the tortillas in the broth for too long, they’ll fall apart, so just dip each one in for a few seconds to soften it before putting it in the enchilada pan.

Layer 4 tortillas over the first layer of sauce. (I fit 6)

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After tortillas, add half the chicken, then 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/3 of the cheese.
Repeat so there are 2 full layers (I ended up with 4 layers)

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Finish with a layer of tortillas, sauce, and cheese.

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Bake at 350 until warmed through and the cheese is melted, about 30-35 minutes.

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Let sit at least 15 minutes before cutting. Top with chopped cilantro.

Serves: 6

Enjoy! It’s SO yummy!

23 Tuesday Sep 2014

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joelwitwer's avatarThe Way I See It

Whenever people confess Jesus as Lord, we are proclaiming that ISIS is not. The US is not. The threat of death is not the greatest power in our lives. We bow in submission to Jesus because we believe in a force more powerful. This is, in short, what the Bible calls “good news.”

– Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove in Acting Liks A State: ISIS, the US, and Jesus as Lord 

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scars

22 Monday Sep 2014

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You could grieve endlessly for the loss of time and for the damage done therein. For the dead, and for your own lost self. But what the wisdom of the ages says is that we do well not to grieve on and on. And those old ones knew a thing or two and had some truth to tell. For you can grieve your heart out and in the end you are still where you were. All your grief hasn’t changed a thing. What you have lost will not be returned to you. It will always be lost. You’re left with only your scars to mark the void. All you can choose to do is go on or not. But if you go on, its knowing you carry your scars with you.

Inman
Cold Mountain

Cooking through Bread & Wine

15 Monday Sep 2014

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Last week Brighton and I went to see The Hundred Foot Journey. A movie about French cuisine, delicious Indian food, tension between cultures, class and style. Throughout all the tension and struggles there were BEAUTIFUL shots of food and a great storyline. It ended with a meal around a table embracing both cultures, people and food. See it. Its amazing.

We walked out of the theater, stomachs growling: demanding savory foods to satisfy their cravings. The next day we were at Mela’s, devouring a delicious Indian buffet for lunch. Fingers messy. Ripping pieces of naan, soaking up butter chicken and tikka masala with Basmati rice, while sipping warm chai. Delicious.

I started thinking. I need to cook more. I need to branch out more. I get in a cooking rut. I make grilled chicken. Then grilled chicken with salad. Then grilled chicken with a different marinade and rice. Then Thai curry chicken. And sometimes to switch it up I make hamburgers. And I’m better than that. Food is meant to be enjoyed. And savored. Not whipped up and scarfed down. I’m a good cook. I need to embrace it more.

So here’s my idea. It’s not a new idea. Or an original one. But its small, doable, and a good step towards my next new idea which I will share with you later. I am going to read through Shauna Niequist’s Bread & Wine again. I’ve read it multiple times, and even have the audio book. But I’m going to work through it again. This time creating every recipe. Learning all the steps. I’m going to learn how to make risotto, and mousse, and bread. I’m going to learn what exactly a cassoulet is. Because I have no idea. And I’m going to make each recipe mine. And then, I’m going to share it with you!

Shauna tells a story about journalist, Daniel Duane cooking with Thomas Keller, one of the great American chefs. “Keller told him to make the recipe once according to the instructions. The second time, he told Duane to rewrite the recipe in his own terms, adjusting for his taste, cutting out or adding steps according to what made sense to him. The third time, Keller said to make it without any recipe at all, just by his memory and tastes and hands. And at that point, he said, ‘The recipe is yours.'”

I’m going to follow these steps. Make the recipes mine. Have some amazing dinner parties, lots of champagne, and hopefully be a better cook at the end of it. There are 29 recipes. So I figure this will take me about two months. I will make all these and blog about them and share pictures. Hopefully add a guest blogger or two to keep things exciting. And then at the end of two months, I will share my fabulous idea for the next challenge!

Bread & Wine recipes COMING SOON!

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If you want to purchase Bread & Wine and cook along with me, click here!

Here’s Daniel Duane’s article about Thomas Keller. I thought it was pretty interesting.

I wrote a book review before Bread & Wine was released. To read that, click here.

Your pain is not a problem

21 Thursday Aug 2014

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We need to stop shaming ourselves about our pain and instead acknowledge that we are all fragile humans who are trying to figure this life thing out. We need to remind one another our pain matters, even when it feels petty.

And especially when we’re tempted to compare and conceal it.

Let’s practice more compassion without comparison. Let’s gain more eternal perspective while giving ourselves permission to mourn our worldly losses.

Your pain is not a problem.

Charleston/Chapin/Greenville

18 Monday Aug 2014

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My good friend Allie travelled with me to Asheville. It was great to have a travel companion and such a blessing to have someone help me unpack and get settled in my new apartment! I love her so much! We decided to take a break from unpacking and cleaning and go off on some adventures.

Our adventuring took us to Charleston last week and on to Chapin, SC to visit our dear friend/most awesome lady ever, Debbie and finally to Greenville.

Charleston is a very old city with colorful stucco buildings and cobblestone streets.

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We ate amazing southern food, and explored the town walking down street after street of little shops, antique stores, and tiny restaurants.

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It’s such a colorful place.

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We sat by the ocean, watching dolphins swimming, fish jumping and pelicans soaring overhead.

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This is at a plantation we visited. I just love Spanish moss. It is so eerie and whimsical. Beautiful.

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Debbie took us out on her boat for dinner. We sailed around, swam in the lake, ate delicious food, watched the birds circling this island where the come to sleep at night, and watched a glorious sunset.

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The next day we headed home but made a pit stop in Greenville. Greenville is about an hour from my new house. It is a small, fun city with a river walk, delicious coffee and bubble tea, and great streets to wander.

IMG_5148 IMG_5157When we returned to Asheville, Allie packed her things and continued on her summer trip. Kansas was next in her sights. I worked more on settling into my apartment and getting it ready for my next two guests who will stay for the rest of the summer!

I do want to show you around my apartment, so look for that coming soon!

gluten free crepes

10 Sunday Aug 2014

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YUM. Can I just say. We had the BEST breakfast yesterday morning. We had stayed up super late watching movies, so we slept in late and when I finally rolled out of bed, I decided that I would make crepes for breakfast. One of the kiddos staying with me has to eat gluten-free, and I was up for the challenge. Gluten free crepes. How hard could they be? I pulled out my crepe maker. (Yes I have a crepe maker) and got to work.

They turned out fabulous! They weren’t crumbly. They were nice and soft and spongy and delicious. We had nutella, peanut butter, sliced star berries and an amazing creme fraiche filling. Lets just say we were very spoiled for Saturday morning breakfast! We will definitely be making these again. And again. And again.

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Gluten-Free Crepes

1 3/4 C gluten-free flour blend
1/2 t salt
3 eggs
2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 C milk at room temperature

Directions
  • In a large bowl, place the flour blend and salt, and whisk to combine well. In a separate, small bowl, place the eggs, butter and milk, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk until very well combined. The batter will thicken a bit as you whisk.
  • For best results, cover the bowl and place the batter in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 2 days. Before using the batter, remove it from the refrigerator, whisk until smooth, and allow it come to room temperature. The batter should be about the consistency of half and half (thicker than milk, thinner than heavy cream). Transfer the batter to a large spouted measuring cup.
  • Heat a heavy-bottom nonstick 9 inch skillet (or a well-seasoned and lightly greased 9 inch cast iron skillet) (or a crepe maker: follow crepe maker instructions) over medium heat for 2 minutes. Holding the warm skillet just above the flame, carefully pour about 5 tablespoons (a bit more than 1/4 cup) of batter right into the center of the skillet and swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly across the entire flat surface of the pan. Once you get a rhythm going, you should be able to begin swirling as soon as the first drop of batter hits the pan. Cook over medium heat until the edges and underside of the crêpe are lightly golden brown (about 90 seconds). With a wide spatula (and/or your fingers, carefully), turn the crêpe over and cook until the other side is lightly golden brown (about another 45 seconds). Slide the crêpe out of the skillet onto a parchment-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the finished crêpes on top of one another.
  • The crêpes may be covered well with a moist towel and kept at room temperature for about 2 hours until you are ready to serve them, or wrapped tightly in freezer-safe wrap and frozen until ready to use. Defrost at room temperature, and refresh the crêpes in a warm, nonstick skillet for a few moments per side, per crêpe

Creme Fraiche Filling

1 8oz container of creme fraiche
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 t almond extract
2T heavy cream

Put all ingredients in a mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat slowly to mix and then on high for 3-5 minutes.

I found the crepe recipe here

Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins

18 Friday Jul 2014

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Two of my brother-in-law’s younger brothers are staying with me this month. They are from Washington and came to help Colton with work and just hang out in Asheville for the summer. They’re staying with me because I have two bathrooms (which is amazing!) and because with a new baby, my sister and B-I-L thought it would be easier this way. Which it is. And its great because they’re awesome kids and we’ve been having a blast already. One of them is celiac, so I have been filling my house with gluten-free goodness. This morning I whipped up these muffins for their snacks at work. They actually came out quite good. I under baked them a little, so the centers were a little mushy. But they still tasted great!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used 1/4 of coconut, rice, almond, and sorghum flour)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder (I only had baking soda and they came out ok)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used 1/2 cup softened coconut oil)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Blueberries (I had bought fresh organic blueberries and froze them, so that’s what I used)

  1. Pre heat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter or grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
  2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until blended. Whisk together butter, milk, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Stir in flour mixture until partially moistened. Fold in blueberries until evenly mixed. Batter will be thick, do not over stir.
  3. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.
  4. Bake 10 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to bake about 10 minutes longer or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 3 minutes. Serve warm or remove to wire rack to cool completely.

original recipe 

Annabel Lee

14 Monday Jul 2014

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This week we went to explore Charleston, South Carolina. It is a beautiful old town, with colorful stucco buildings, cobblestone streets, and old churches. There is so much history in Charleston. One of my favorite things was a graveyard at an old Unitarian church. It is left overgrown on purpose and is said to be haunted by the ghost of Annabel Lee.

Local legend tells the story of a sailor who met a woman named Annabel Lee. Her father disapproved of the pairing and the two met privately in a graveyard. Before the sailor’s time stationed in Charleston was up, Annabel’s father locked her away so that she could no longer see him. While the sailor was away at sea, he heard of Annabel’s death from yellow fever, but her father would not allow him at the funeral. Her father buried her in the family plot underneath another grave and had no marker put there so the sailor could never find her. Because he did not know her exact burial location, the sailor instead kept vigil in the cemetery.

There is no evidence that Edgar Allan Poe had heard of this legend, but locals insist it was his inspiration for this poem, especially considering Poe was briefly stationed in Charleston while in the army in 1827. I just love old legends. We explored the whole cemetery and found the graves of the rest of the Lees. Perhaps Annabel is really buried beneath one of them…

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Annabel Lee
By Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

   In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

   By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

   Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

   In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love—

   I and my Annabel Lee—

With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven

   Coveted her and me.

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And this was the reason that, long ago,

   In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

   My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

   And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

   In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

   Went envying her and me—

Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,

   In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

   Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

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But our love it was stronger by far than the love

   Of those who were older than we—

   Of many far wiser than we—

And neither the angels in Heaven above

   Nor the demons down under the sea

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

   Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,

   In her sepulchre there by the sea—

   In her tomb by the sounding sea.


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