CREATIVE INPUT: Cookbook Challenge and Autumn Quilt Blocked Out!

Creative Input - Cookbook Challenge

and

Creative Input - Autumn Quilt Pieced!

This recipe came from Cooking Light magazine - Chicken Verde Enchiladas - and it came together very easily! It called for 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, but I had some chicken thighs in the freezer I needed to use up.

I've come to realize that although I love the low prices of chicken thighs, my family just doesn't like them! The dark meat is just to rich for us, so I thought this recipe would be a good mask for the fact I was using the thighs - I am too frugal to throw them in the trash!

How did it turn out? Too rich, of course!

But the flavors of the dish were fantastic! The other "rich" factor might have to do with that I swapped out the avocado ingredient for refried beans - I am probably the only person on the planet who doesn't like avocados!

The green stuff is salsa verde! It was a lovely pairing with the cilantro. Oddly, the recipe called for "cilantro stems" chopped up into the filling

You never would have guessed -no chomping on stems when we were eating. I am keeping the recipe - I think in the "Make Ahead" section because of the chicken made a head of time - either the night before like I did or the rotisserie chicken

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

Cooking Light magazine

Hands on: 25 mins Total time: 25 mins

3/4 pre-chopped onion (I keep a bagged of frozen pre-chopped onions and peppers always)

3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

1/2 cup salsa verde

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro stems

2 Tbsp slicked pickled jalapeno pepper

5 tsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

8 oz shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (about 2 cups)

3/4 cup chopped tomato

3 Tbsp reduced fat sour cream

1 ripe peeled avocado, coarsely mashed

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas

4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp cilantro leaves

1. Place oven rack lower third of oven, and preheat broiler to high.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 4 mins. Stir in chicken; cook 1 min or until heated. Remove from heat. Stir in tomato, sour cream, and avocado.

3. Stack tortillas;wrap in damp paper towels and microwave at HIGH for 45 seconds. Spoon 1 cup of the chicken mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 glass or ceramic baking dish. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla; roll up. Arrange tortillas, seam sides down, in a baking dish. Top with cheese. Broil 3 mins or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

I forgot the cilantro leaves on top! It would have been pretty - but it was still so yummy and a little different. Yum!

Creative Output - Fall quilt all squared up!

I cut setting triangles to sew on my on point tree block - it makes a more manageable square! To save time, I cut a lot of setting triangles and chained pieced the remaining 11 blocks

You just sew one after the other until you have this flag line of quilt blocks!