Carry-In meals... Vegetarian enchiladas

Maybe I'm the only one, but I have to make a meal to carry to someone at least once a month. I usually double the recipe and make 1/2 for us and 1/2 for the family receiving the meal. So, I get bored making the same 4 dishes and have been trying to come up with a list of recipes that I can turn to when the usual mix-up is either over my budget or I'm just plain sick of it. I'll be listing recipes here as I come across good ones and if anyone else wants to join the party, post the recipe and tag it "carry-in" and maybe potluck too :)

First up:
Vegetarian Enchiladas
(this makes about 12 enchiladas)

For the filling:

Saute until soft
1 med-large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced

When soft add:
2-4 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli pepper
Cook for 1 minute

Add:
2c. diced tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2c. cooked black beans (or 1 can)
2c. cooked pinto beans (or 1 can)
2c. cooked rice
salt to taste
Stir and cook til heated through. Adjust seasonings as needed. Add water or broth as needed to prevent sticking.


Place 1/2c of filling into a 8"flour tortilla, roll and put into casserole dish. Repeat til your dish is full or you're out of filling. Top with your favorite enchilada sauce (I like this ranchero recipe) or not. Finally sprinkle about 1c of shredded cheese (queso, cheddar, monterey jack, etc.) Wrap in foil and carry to it's final destination with instructions to bake, uncovered, at 350' til cheese is melted and sauce (if you're using any) is bubbly.

Lebanese Lentil-and-Rice Pilaf with Blackened Onions

Source: Bon Appétit | November 2003

Serve with: Warmed flatbread. Dessert: Vanilla pudding with sliced mango.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

2 large onions, sliced

3 tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 cucumber, peeled, cut into rounds
Plain yogurt
Chopped fresh mint


Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates; top with blackened onions. Place tomatoes and cucumber alongside. Top pilaf with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with mint.

I love this and it doesn't take too long. I usually skip the mint because I never have it on hand.

Balti Butter Chicken with Pullao Rice

I made this last night and oh my goodness, is it amazing! Al said it was the best he's had. I hope that you like it too! I made the rice first because the chicken didn't take that long to assemble.

Pullao Rice:
1C Basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
2T butter
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1t salt
2C water

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add spices. After 2 minutes add rice and fry for 1 minute. Add water, bring it to boil, cover pan and reduce heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork.


Balti Butter Chicken:

2/3C plain yogurt
1/2C ground almonds
1.5 t of cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1/4t ground cloves
1/4t ground cinnamon
1 t garam masala
4 cardamom pods
1t grated ginger
1t grated garlic
1.25t salt
2 C canned crushed tomatoes
2 lbs (roughly 6.5C) boneless chicken breast, cubed
3T butter
2T olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2T chopped cilantro
3T heavy cream

Mix yogurt, almonds, spices, tomatoes, add chicken, set aside.
Melt butter and oil in a deep skillet, saute onions until they are transparent, about 3 min.
Add the chicken mixture and saute for about 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Add cilantro, cook for 2 minutes. Add cream, stir and bring to a boil for only 1 minute.
Serve with pullao rice. Enjoy!

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Another  slow-cooker recipe I haven't tried, but will soon. It looks perfect for this time of year!

6 scallions

2 ribs celery

1 zucchini

1 carrot

2 medium potatoes

1 large tomato

2 chicken thigh fillets

2 T. butter

8 c. chicken broth

salt and pepper

2 oz. green beans

1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas

2 T. chopped parsley

1/4 c. uncooked rice

1. Finely chop the scallions and celery. Finely dice the zucchini, carrot, and potatoes> Core, halve, seed, and chop the tomato. Skin the chicken thigh fillets, trim away any fat, and finely dice the meat.

2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, celery, zucchini, and carrot; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 mintues.

3. Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker and pour in the broth. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and chicken meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Close and cook on Low for 8-10 hours. About 4 hours before serving, dice the green beans and stir them in along with the peas, parsley, and rice.

5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives. Serve with lots of good crusty bread.

Stand-by Stir-fry

(this is a use-up-what's-in-the-fridge recipe, the only constant being the sauce it's cooked in)

Sauce:
1/2c soy sauce/tamari
1/4c rice wine vinegar
2Tbs-1/4 toasted sesame oil
ginger to taste
garlic to taste
(if I'm using meat and thinking ahead (not often!!) sometimes I will mix the sauce and marinate the meat.)

Prepare all veggies & any meat (some favorites: carrots, broccoli, grean/pole beans, squash, collards, bok choy, cabbage, peas, turnip greens, mustard greens... beef or chicken or none at all)

Heat oil. toss in a pinch of mustard seeds and some pepper flakes (if you like spicy) & maybe some whole cumin if you feel like it. As soon as they start to change color, add your meat, then veggies (from longest cooking to quickest). Pour the sauce over and cook a few minutes. Serve over brown rice.

EGGS IN A NEST

-from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

2 cups uncooked brown rice

Cook rice with 4 cups water in a covered pot while other ingredients are being prepared.

Olive oil – a few tbsp

1 medium onion, chopped, and garlic to taste

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a wide skillet until lightly golden.

Carrots, chopped

1⁄2 cup dried tomatoes

Add and saute for a few more minutes, adding just enough water to rehydrate the tomatoes.

1 really large bunch of chard, coarsely chopped

Mix with other vegetables and cover pan for a few minutes. Uncover, stir well, then use the back of a spoon to make depressions in the cooked leaves, circling the pan like numbers on a clock.

8 eggs
Break an egg into each depression, being careful to keep yolks whole. Cover pan again and allow eggs to poach for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Pakistani Kima aka Hamburger Curry

Saute in butter:
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
add:
1 lb ground beef
brown well. stir in:
1 T curry powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
dash: pepper, cinnamon, ginger, tumeric
2 c. cooked tomato
2 potatoes, diced
2 c. frozen peas or green beans
Cover and simmer 25 min. Serve with rice.