Recipes: Lemon Couscous - Chicken Enchilada Dip - Seafood Bacon Spread

CHEERS Pat and those of you reading this post.  It's another glass of motivation for me.  I'm enjoying Cupcake Zinfandel from Lodi with the candy bar Raspberries in Dark Chocolate.  This combination had me in my happy place during my tasting Saturday.  The new song Happy by Pharrell Williams just kept running through my head.  Sheez and did I need that wine-chocolate combination and happy song.  How many (newbie) customers felt the need to try and lift my slow cooker lid or pick up my open bottles.  Health Department and ABC say that's a no-no. Aghhh!

Recipes ...

First a truth.  I am tired of cheese spreads and cheese balls.  Honestly.  October.  November.  December. January.  I needed a change so I turned to browsing Fresh Markets isles and cheese case.  Myzithra peaked my interest.  The consistency, color and shape of the cheese (before Nicole cuts it).  Also, it's not a cheese you'd slice and eat; too salty.  So, I turned to the internet, my cousin Nadene (who married into a Greek family - boy can they party!) and my personal chef recipes.  I decided on my personal chef recipe, Lemon Couscous, and I'd give it a Greek flare.  WINNER!  Customers loved this.  Some even told me they were preparing it for dinner that night.  A perfect pairing to Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc that I was pouring.

Lemon Couscous

1 can (14½ oz.) chicken broth            

1 box (10 oz.) couscous*                    

Zest of 1 lemon                                   

juice of 1 lemon                                    

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil                     

 2 oz. fresh baby spinach

¼ c. toasted pine nuts

 ½ c. sliced Kalamata olives

½ c. diced red onion

¼ lb. Myzithra cheese, shredded

In a small saucepan heat broth to boiling.

Place the couscous in a bowl along with oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Stir in the boiling chicken broth.  Cover and set aside.  Once the stock has been completely absorbed (approximately 5 minutes), add baby spinach.  Mix thoroughly.   Add pine nuts, olives, and cheese.  Mix thoroughly.  

*NOT pearl couscous.  If you use pearl couscous, cook according to package directions.

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We are revisiting last weekends Chicken Enchilada ... DIP.  Yes, I made it a dip and not a soup.  When I had my wine tasting at Fresh Market Parham last Tuesday, I spoke with the person who prepared this.  They also had a soupy dish on Friday.  Saturday they thickened it up by adding 1 block of cream cheese and ½ a pound of Pepper Jack cheese.  I took a different route.  I added 1 pound rotisserie chicken (I needed precooked chicken since I would not be able to cook raw chicken this time around) and ½ a pound of Pepper Jack cheese.  It had nicer consistency and retained that  great flavor.  However, a word of caution - you need to use a thicker tortilla chip for dipping.  A thin chip will break in a heart beat.  Here's the updated recipe:

Chicken Enchilada Dip
4 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
1 can Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce
16 oz. TFM cream cheese
1½ lbs. shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

tortilla chips

Remove any excess fat from chicken thighs and place thighs in bottom of the slow cooker.

Pour enchilada sauce over chicken.  Cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker.

Add cubed, softened cream cheese and Pepper Jack cheese to slow cooker.  Stir.  Continue cooking on LOW while you shred the chicken.

Stir shredded chicken back into slow cooker.  Cook for 30 to 60 minutes on HIGH.  Stir and serve.

There were just a couple customers who commented that this was too spicy for them.  My suggestion - substitute Monterey Jack for some or all of the Pepper Jack.

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Lastly ...  

Seafood-Bacon Spread

1 lb. TFM Seafood Salad

¾ c. mayonnaise

6 oz. shredded Baby Swiss cheese

2/3 c. grated Parmesan-Reggiano

2 tsp. dried tarragon

9 slices Smithfield Fully Cooked Bacon, cooked and crumbled    

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Serve with your favorite TFM crackers or TFM French Rounds.

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Yes, I said I was tired of spreads and cheese balls ... but in my defense Baby Swiss was on special and Nicole was sampling it out.  This recipe was also a success and customers enjoyed. 

That's it for this post.  Now it's on to next weekends food sampling for me.  I am pouring Champagne and sparkling wines (not sure about still wines) on Friday for Valentines day.  I've planned quick, easy appetizers to pair with these wines.  Come join the celebration.

Looking forward to seeing you next weekend.