Who Needs Pie When You Have Tortillas?

Janet here: So you don't know what to make for dinner and can't imagine making another burrito or quiche? Take a deep breath and realize you have the makings of a great (easy) dinner within your grasp. I'm talking something I generally call tortilla pies.

Here's the general idea: You saute up some veggies, maybe take some chicken you've got in the fridge and saute that up, grate some cheese of your liking, add some spices and then build a tortilla tower. Bake it and you are in business about 30 minutes later. It's that simple.

You could take some leftover veggies too for one of the layers....or saute them fresh in whatever combination you want. Interested in Mexican? Use chilies and south of the border spices. Got a yen for something Indian? Add in cumin and curries and you've got something that works there too. The point is it's as versatile as you want it to be. The only limitation is your imagination.

Here's a recipe to get you started.

Tortilla Pie
serves 4-6

ingredients
12 6-inch corn tortillas
about 3 cups assorted diced veggies such as onion, garlic, zucchini, peppers, whatever your heart desires
about 1 cup of diced chicken
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheese
1 cup or so salsa OR
2 tablespoons butter, about 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup diced green chilies and about 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

method
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9X13 inch baking pan with canola oil.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the veggies/chicken of your choice for about 5-7 minutes until just cooked. If you're doing veggies alone, start with onions and then add garlic and the denser veggies, ending with zucchini, which cooks quickly and you don't want it to be overcooked. If you're doing chicken add it after the onions but before the garlic. It can all be sauteed together.

If you're using salsa, move to the next step. If you're making this roux version (pictured here), melt the butter, stir in the flour to make a roux and then add the broth and stir frequently until it thickens. Take it off the heat and add the chilies.

Place 4 tortillas (they will overlap a bit) in the bottom of the baking pan. Add half the sauteed goodies. Spread cheese on top and whatever sauce you're using. Then add another layer of four overlapping tortillas. Spread your veggie/chicken/salsa/roux/cheese mixture on top. End with four more tortillas and a little salsa/roux/cheese. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned on top.

Brunch Schmunch

Janet here:

This recipe (or my variation) was touted in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine (I swear I am not a paid shill for this magazine; it's just that this month had a ton of inspirational recipes!) as a brunch recipe. I made it (with a few tweaks) for dinner and it was fabulous. So whatever. You decide.

Eggs with Squash
serves 3

ingredients
2 pounds zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 scallions, diced
red pepper flakes to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

method
Grate the zucchini into a colander. Toss with 1 tablespoon of salt and let drain in sink for about 40 minutes. Squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.

While the zucchini is deliquifying, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the scallions and saute. Add the red pepper flakes and salt. Cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded and dry zucchini. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley, nutmeg and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry. Remove from heat and cool


Make sure the zucchini is evenly spread out in the pan. Make four little holes in the mixture. Put a little pat of butter in each hole. Crack an egg one at a time and pour into each hole. Add the grated cheese on top. Put the skillet into the oven and cooked 12-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked the way you like them.

Serve and enjoy

It's Hot (Finally!). Salad Time

Janet here: I don't know about you but one way in which I've become wiser over the years is discovering that salad is actually a lot more than just some iceberg lettuce with a tomato or cucumber thrown in for good measure. It's been a happy revelation, especially in the summer months when turning on the oven or cooking over the hot stove loses some of its appeal. With salad you can toss a few ingredients together, add a dressing and voila! instant dinner. Want to add a little something from the grill, go for it.

The other appeal of salads is their easy transportability for picnics and other outdoor outings. We had relatives visiting from England over the weekend and an outdoor concert with a picnic was part of the plan. I made these two salads ahead of time and we were good to go. Add some beverages, paper plates and these killer cookies I made (more on these another time) and we were ready to dance to Broadway show tunes under the tent.

The first salad I made was this fabulous Chinese chicken salad from the Barefoot Contessa. If you haven't made this yet, I don't know what you are waiting for. I have never made it to anything but rave reviews.

I also made a roasted veggie salad. I'll provide the basic recipe below but really this is a recipe that screams for some improvisation. Use whatever veggies you like best. Add some additional seasoning — soy sauce? chili powder? — to the dressing. Be brave. It's really almost impossible to ruin. :)

Happy outdoor eating!

Roasted Veggie Salad
serves 6

ingredients
veggies of your choice, sliced for roasting. I used a red pepper and yellow pepper, and a large red onion
1/2 pound or so of orzo
about 2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting the veggies; about 1/4 cup or so for the dressing
4 scallions, diced
juice of two lemons
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/4 cup of pine nuts
about 3/4 cup of feta cut in small 1/2-inch blocks rather than crumbled


method
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut up the veggies and place in a large roasting pan. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper. Toss until well coated. Place in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes. I turn them a bit at 20 minutes to make sure they're getting fairly evenly browned. Take out of oven and let cool.

Cook the orzo according to directions on the box. Rinse with cool water, drain and put in a large bowl.

Whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil, lemon juice and additional salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the orzo.
Once the veggies are cool, add them to the orzo. Toss and then add the feta and pine nuts and toss more gently.
Serve cold or room temperature (my preference).

Quick and Easy Pasta

It's Friday. I don't know if you're like me but it's my least favorite night to cook. I pray that no one has dug into any of the leftovers I deliberately made sure existed earlier in the week with Friday in mind. The less I have to cook the better.

But if you have to cook — or maybe you like to cook on Fridays because it signals the beginning of the weekend rhythms — here is an easy pasta dish I was inspired to make after looking over one of my many Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. It's a variation on her Bolognese and seriously didn't take more than 25 minutes to put it on the table.

What's your go-to easy I-don't-really-want-to-cook dinner? We'd love to know.

Ridiculously Easy Bolognese
serves 4-5

ingredients
a couple of tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey (you could obviously use beef; we just don't eat that)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
red pepper flakes to taste--1/4 teaspoon or so
1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 pound dried pasta (some kind of shell works best)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup cream or half and half
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan

method

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour 1 cup of the win into the skillet. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a little olive oil and the pasta. Cook until done.

While the pasta cooks, add the nutmeg, basil, cream and remaining 1/4 cup of red wine to the sauce and simmer about 10 minutes. When the pasta is cooked, drain, and pour into a large bowl with the sauce and Parmesan. Stir it all together and serve.

Tex Mex Comfort Food

Hey Rachel
My go-to comfort food is Mexican, and with the Northeast looking as if it's going to be blasted this week with its third snowstorm in as many weeks, I just might have to make this tasty meal. Oh, wait, no I can't because I'm still on my detoxing food plan. Argh. Somehow stir-fried veggies with wild rice is just not going to cut it.

But I digress. This Tex Mex dish is an easy weeknight meal and includes, if you're feeling very pressed for time or lazy, a rotisserie chicken if you want. It will be our little secret.

I'm not sure why Tex Mex is so comforting to me. I'm sure it has something to do with the carbs and cheese. Now that's a combination I can get behind. :)

Anyway, do me a favor and make it this week and send vicarious warm, cozy thoughts from CA, where it is, as you annoyingly like to remind me, 60 degrees and mostly sunny.
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In the meantime, I'd love to hear from some readers. Do you have favorite comfort food when the weather outside is frightful? If so, what is it? Do you go for sweets? Carbs? Salt? And why does the weather make some of us (I can't be the only one can I???) feel like eating certain kinds of food?

Quesadilla Pie
serves 4-6

ingredients
1 10 ounce can of green or red enchilada sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 8-inch tortillas
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for the top
1 3-4 pound rotisserie chicken shredded OR (for the ambitious) 3 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup salsa

method
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
If you're not using a rotisserie chicken, saute the chicken slices in a skillet with a little olive oil and some chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl combine the enchilada sauce and cream. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce mixture into the bottom of a shallow 2-quart caserole. Top with 1 tortilla and a third of the cheese, chicken, onion and zucchini. Place a tortilla on top and repeat twice more to form a total of 3 layers. Top with the remaining tortilla, sauce and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more. Slice into wedges and enjoy!