Grow Fatter and Fatter with Me: Cooking with COVID, Part 4 (I Think)

Still more recipes that we've enjoyed during isolation.

Chicken Enchiladas
For some reason, my picky children really like Mexican food, including tacos and burritos. I had my doubts as to what they would think of enchilada sauce, but as long as it's mild, they seem to love any dish I make with it. This recipe is a great use for rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or leftover cooked chicken from another dish, or do what I do and cook up a couple of chicken breasts quickly in the Instant Pot. (You can also parboil them on the stovetop.)

2-3 chicken breasts (or 3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded)
3/4 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth, or water (omit if using pre-cooked chicken)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 can enchilada sauce, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2-1/2 to 3 cups shredded cheese, divided
10-12 flour tortillas (you can make your own with this recipe, although I haven't tried it yet)

Place the chicken breasts in the instant pop and season well with salt and pepper. Pour broth over. Seal and cook for 14 minutes. Allow natural release for 5-10 minutes, then quick release. Set aside the liquid (save as broth for future recipes) and place the chicken in a large bowl. Shred with two forks or an electric mixer on low.

In a large frypan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until translucent, stirring often. Stir in the chicken and 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, just enough to coat the chicken. Add sour cream and parsley, stirring until combined, and remove from heat. Stir in 2 to 2-1/2 cups of cheese until melted.

Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray and add just enough enchilada sauce to coat. Lay out each tortilla, spread with sauce, top with a generous spoonful of chicken mixture, Roll the tortilla and lay in the baking dish. Repeat until all the chicken is used up. Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with parsley. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes, until sauce is bubbling, tortilla edges are slightly crisp, and cheese is melted.


Crock Pot Whole Chicken
I hesitate to include this recipe, because it's really not even a recipe. It's just...directions. Seriously. Take a whole chicken. Take out the giblets, if there are any, and pat it dry. Throw it in the crockpot. Sprinkle it generously with coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning blend. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, then allow to stand for a few minutes before carving. (If you like crispy skin, you can throw it under the broiler for a few minutes before carving.)

That's it. That's the whole entire recipe. If you want to get fancy, make up some chicken gravy mix using the liquid from the chicken in place of water, and make "real" mashed potatoes instead of the kind from a box. Don't know how to make real mashed potatoes? OK, here's another non-recipe: Peel a bunch of potatoes (1 per serving is generous) and cut them into 1" chunks. Throw them in a pot of water and add a teaspoon or so of salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, until they're very tender when you poke them with a fork. Drain the water, throw in a bunch of butter (I use a scant tablespoon per serving) and mash with a potato masher. Stir in enough milk (or half and half, or light cream) to reach desired consistency, then add salt and pepper to taste. If you want to get SUPER fancy, throw in some sour cream. THAT'S IT. That's the whole entire "recipe."

You're welcome.


Chicken and Beef Tacos
This year, Cinco de Mayo fell on a Taco Tuesday, so naturally, we had tacos. I had not quite enough beef for a full 4 servings, and not quite enough chicken - so I made both and let everyone choose. I made my shredded chicken in the Instant Pot, just because it's fast and easy, but you can cook it to shredding texture however you like.

2-3 chicken breasts
1 cup water or chicken broth
1 lb ground beef
2 packets taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
flour or corn tortillas or tortilla chips
chopped tomatoes
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese
guacamole
salsa and/or salsa verde
black olives
sour cream

Place 1 cup of water or broth in Instant Pot. Lay chicken breasts in pot. Seal and pressure cook for 10 minutes. While chicken is cooking, brown the ground beef and drain fat. Add 1 packet of taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow IP to natural release when chicken is done. Drain liquid, reserving 1/2 cup. Return the breasts to the IP and shred with two forks or an electric mixer on low. Add the 1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid and the second packet of taco seasoning. Set pot to saute and cook just until warmed through.

Serve in warmed tortillas, in taco shells, or over shredded lettuce with tortilla chips. Garnish as desired.


Leopard Bread
I saw a photo of this bread and I was intrigued. I didn't even care if it tasted terrible, as long as it looked like this photo:

(Spoiler alert: It did not, in fact, taste terrible. It did, it fact, vaguely resemble this photograph.)

I didn't have orange zest; in addition, I don't like orange zest. So I opted for lemon zest instead, just to give the sweet chocolate a tangy contrast. It worked! Also, the recipe makes it look a lot more complicated than it is. If you can make a log from play-doh, you'll manage this just fine.

For the dough:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup warm milk, plus more for brushing on dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons orange (or lemon) zest
3 cups bread flour (I only had all-purpose flour, so that's what I used)

For the dark chocolate paste:
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk

For the light chocolate paste:
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon milk

Stir the cornstarch in the warm milk until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl, combine milk mixture, yeast, and 2 Tbsp of the sugar. Gently stir together and let sit for 8-10 minutes, until frothy. Add melted butter, the rest of the sugar, vanilla and zest to yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment mix on medium low speed. Slowly spoon in flour on medium speed, and then turn up to medium high until dough has formed. The dough should be very slightly tacky, with a soft and smooth texture. Once formed, let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

Turn mixer back on to medium high and beat for 6-8 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide into two halves. Lightly dust one half with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Take the second half and evenly divide it into two halves.

Make the two chocolate pastes in separate bowls, combining cocoa powder and milk. Place one of the remaining halves of dough in each bowl of paste. Work the chocolate into the dough with your hands, kneading to incorporate all the chocolate into each dough. Lightly flour each ball, cover in plastic wrap and set in the fridge. Let all three dough balls chill for about 60-90 minutes.

Remove all three doughs from refrigerator, and divide each into 7 equal pieces. Roll each light brown piece between your hands to form a hotdog shape and set aside. With a rolling pin, roll each dark brown piece into an flat oval a little longer than the light brown pieces. Use a pastry brush to coat the edges of the oval with milk, then fold each piece around a light brown piece and seal, resulting in a cigar shape. With a rolling pin, roll each white piece into an oval a little longer than the "cigars." Wrap each "cigar" in white dough, sealing with milk as before. Roll each cigar with your hands until doubled the length of your loaf pan, then cut in half. When finished you should have 14 thin logs.

Line your loaf pan with parchment paper and stack the logs inside. Cover with a tea towel and rise in a warm place for at least an hour, until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, then turn down to 350 and bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and sounding hollow when bottom is tapped. If it browns too early, cover top with foil. Cool on cooling rack in pan for 5-8 minutes, then lift out of pan using parchment paper and cool for an additional 10 minutes. Slice and serve.


Pretzel Bread
Let me start this one with a disclaimer: It was a bit of a disaster when I made it. Well, visually it was a disaster. But it tasted fabulous. So I'm still going to call it a success. I think the problem was that I didn't use (because I don't have) a "spider skimmer" to scoop the dough out of the boiling water, and my technique of using two large spoons caused it to fall apart. If you don't have a skimmer, I'd recommend making three or four smaller loaves, or even dinner roll-sized pieces, and reduce the baking time accordingly. That's going to be my strategy when I make this recipe again - and I definitely will, because it was that good.

For the dough
2 ¼ tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups flour

For the baking soda bath:
4 quarts water (16 cups)
½ cup baking soda

For the topping:
1-2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I forgot to use this and it was fine, so consider it optional)

Combine yeast, water, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Combine melted butter and milk and add to proofed yeast. Beat on low speed with dough hook until just combined. Add salt and flour and mix with dough hook until flour is fully incorporated. Knead in a mixer until the dough forms a slightly tacky, but firm ball, gradually adding additional flour if needed. Dough should be tacky but not too sticky to handle. Place the dough ball in a greased bowl, flipping to coat, and cover with a damp towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for one hour or until doubled.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda a little bit at a time to avoid over-foaming. When risen, remove the dough from the bowl and gently press out the air bubbles. Divide the dough in half and form into two round loaves. Drop one of the balls into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. (Use a spider strainer to FULLY support the dough when removing from water.) Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on a greased baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with salt, and use a knife to cut a small "X" on the top of the bread.

Bake the bread for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once. Remove from oven, brush with melted butter, and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.


Easy Cinnamon Rolls (from scratch)
So many "easy" cinnamon roll recipes call for refrigerated crescent roll dough, which is not something I have on hand except at Thanksgiving (my husband makes very few requests of the Thanksgiving menu, but Pillsbury crescent rolls is always one). So I was delighted to find this basic recipe that makes the dough from scratch. I decided I wanted these for Mother's Day, so I made them up to the end of the first rise the night before, then threw them in the fridge and let my crew bake them for me in the morning.

For the dough:
2-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg

For the filling:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 sugar (white or brown)

For the icing:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk (or strong brewed coffee)

Make the dough: Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, water, and butter and heat until butter is completely melted and mixture is warm to the touch. Pour into the dry ingredients and add the egg, stirring or using a mixer with dough hooks to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 3 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely, and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Fill the rolls: After the dough has rested, roll it out into a 14×8 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish. If making the rolls ahead of time, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight at this point.

Finishing: Tightly cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes. Uncover and bake at 375 degrees for 25-28 minutes until lightly browned. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. While rolls are cooling, whisk together the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and milk (or coffee). Drizzle or spread icing over rolls and serve warm.

Leopard Bread

I stumbled across a photo of leopard bread on line somewhere and I knew I just had to make it. I didn't even care if it tasted terrible, as long as it looked as adorable as it did in the photo. Now that I've made it, I will say that it is not only adorable, it is also delicious! It does take quite some time to make, and there are quite a few steps, but none of the steps is especially difficult. Scroll to the bottom for the summary recipe.

The ingredients are pretty basic: Cornstarch, milk, yeast, sugar, flour, unsweetened cocoa, butter, vanilla, and orange zest (I substituted lemon, because I don't like orange and didn't have one hand).

Warm 1 cup of milk to 110 degrees ("handwashing warm"). My milk was straight from the fridge and I gave it 1 minute in the microwave at full power.

Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in the milk.

A wire whisk works well, but be sure to use a spoon to scoop the cornstarch out of the corners of the measuring cup.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and allow to cool to room temperature.

 

Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl, and stir in 2 tablespoons of yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Allow to sit for 8-10 minutes until foamy. 

Whisk in the melted butter, a generous 1/2 cup sugar (2/3 cup less the 2 tablespoons already added to the yeast), a teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of orange zest (I used a scant tablespoon of lemon zest instead).

Using an electric beater with a dough hook on medium speed, gradually add 3 cups of flour, frequently scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium-high until the dough forms. I found it easiest to knead by hand in the bowl for a bit to pick up the last bit of flour.

Allow the dough to set for about 10 minutes.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board. Knead for 6-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Form dough into an even ball.

Using a sharp knife coated with flour, cut the dough ball in half.

 Set one half aside, and cut the other half into two even pieces and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa and 1 tablespoon milk. (Warm milk will combine more easily.)

In a second small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons cocoa and 1 teaspoon milk.

Stir both bowls thoroughly to form a paste. I found that mashing with the back of the spoon worked better than simply stirring.

 Place the two smaller pieces of dough into the two bowls.

Using your hands, knead the chocolate paste into the dough. The chocolate didn't work its way into the dough as thoroughly as I expected, and the two doughs were not noticeably different in color, but I didn't want to overwork the dough, so I left it as is. (The final result was just fine.) Dust all three balls of dough lightly with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide each ball into 7 roughly equal pieces. I found it easiest to form each ball into a cylinder and score it before cutting.

Begin with the lighter of the two chocolate doughs, and form each piece into a cigar shape.

With a rolling pin, roll each piece of darker chocolate dough into an oblong about the same length as the "cigars." Using your finger or a pastry brush, dampen the edge of the oblong with milk.

 Wrap each cigar with the darker pastry and seal tightly.

You should now have 7 fat cigar-shaped pieces of dough.
 

Roll each piece of white dough into an oblong about the same length as the larger cigars and wrap as above.

You now have 7 three-layered cigars.

Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, with excess over each side to aid in lifting the baked bread from the pan. 

Roll each dough "cigar" between your hands and/or on the floured board until you have formed a rope about twice the length of your loaf pan (conveniently, my wooden bread board is exactly twice the length of my loaf pan).

Cut each rope in half, roll to smooth the cut end, and stack in the bread pan. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When ready to bake, reduce heat to 350 and place bread in oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until inner temperature reaches 190 degrees. (My loaf took about 40 minutes.) If top begins to brown too early, cover with foil.  

Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for 5-8 minutes. Lift bread from pan using parchment paper and cool on wire rack for an additional 10 minutes.

Slice, admire, and enjoy!

Leopard Bread (original recipe here)

For the dough:
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Cup  Warm Milk plus more for brushing on dough
2 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar, divided
4 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Orange Zest (I substituted 1 Tbsp lemon zest)
3 Cups Bread Flour (I used all purpose flour)

For the dark chocolate paste: 
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Milk

For the light chocolate paste:
2 tsp Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Milk

Stir cornstarch in cup of warm milk until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl, combine milk mixture, yeast, and 2 Tbsp of the sugar. Gently stir together and let sit for 8-10 minutes until frothy. Add melted butter (cooled to room temperature), the rest of the sugar, vanilla and orange zest to yeast mixture using the dough hook attachment mix on medium low speed. Slowly spoon in flour on medium speed, and then turn up to medium high until dough has formed. The dough should be very slightly tacky, with a soft and smooth texture. Once formed, let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Turn out on floured board and knead for 6-8 minutes. Divide into two halves. Lightly dust one half with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Take the second half and evenly divide it into two halves.

In two separate bowls, stir cocoa powder and milk for each paste together with a spoon. Place one of the remaining halves of dough in each bowl of paste. Work the chocolate into the dough with your hands, kneading to incorporate all the chocolate into each dough. Lightly flour each ball, cover in plastic wrap and set in the fridge. Let all three dough balls chill for about 60-90 minutes.

Remove all three dough balls from the fridge. Divide each ball into 7 equal pieces. Roll each of the light brown pieces into a small hot dog shape. Then using a rolling pin roll each of the dark chocolate hunks into flat oval. Place the light chocolate sausage onto the flat dark chocolate oval. Using a pastry brush lightly coat the edges of the dark chocolate with milk. Then fold the dark chocolate over the light chocolate as if you were wrapping a hot dog bun around a hot dog. The result should look like a chocolate cigar. Now take the white dough and toll into an oval with the rolling pin. Repeat the process by placing the dark chocolate wrapped ‘sausage’ onto the white dough oval. Paint the edges of the white dough with milk and then fold it over the dark chocolate, closing the seams. The result should now look like a log with a light chocolate center, a wrapping of dark chocolate, and then a final wrapping of white dough. Repeat this process with the remaining dough until you have 7 logs.
Now, roll each log lengthwise with your hands, until it becomes doubled in length. Like a long snake.
Slice in half. You should now have 14 skinny logs.

Prepare loaf pan with parchment paper. Stack dough logs into the pan. Cover with a light tea towel and place in a draft free warm location to puff and double in size, at least an hour. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C), then turn down to 350 F (176 C) and place loaf into the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until inner temperature reaches 190 F. Place pan on a cooling rack for 5-8 minutes. Remove loaf from pan. Let bread cool another 10 minutes.