Cooking with Katy

recipe:
- combine a 10 - 12 oz. jar of green enchilada sauce (i just used the Safeway version) with a handful of fresh cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic (i eyeballed it with the pre-chopped roasted garlic-in-a-jar), and a large onion (chopped) in your blender.
- place chicken breasts (i used about 8 tenders instead) in a large skillet and cover with blended sauce.
- cover the skillet and simmer for an hour.------------------
1 HEB Rotisserie chicken-Honey Jalapeno flavor-meat picked off bones (no skin)
18 corn tortillas, medium
3 cups spicy enchilada sauce
5 cups 2% colby and monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup onions, sauteed in frying pan with a bit of olive oil to soften
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix shredded chicken, sauteed onion, and black beans in a bowl.
Spray a 13x9" pan with cooking spray.
Dip tortillas in the enchilada sauce one at a time, making sure they are completely covered with sauce.
Layer covered tortillas in the bottom of the pan, it should take six.
Add a layer of 1/2 the chicken mixture & 1/3 of the cheese.
Add a another layer of the tortillas dipped in sauce.
Press down gently all over the pan.
Add the remaining chicken, onion and cheese mixture.
Add remaining layer of tortillas dipped in sauce & press down gently again all over the pan.
Add the remaining cheese on the top.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, starting to brown and the casserole is hot all the way through.

1-2-3-4 Peanut Butter Cookies (this is a great recipe for cookies in a hurry, you probably have these items on hand):
adapted from The King Arthur Cookie Companion

1 c peanut butter (crunchy or creamy, not low-fat or natural)

1 lg egg

1 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment. Beat together all ingredients until smooth. Drop by the teaspoonful into baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until cookies appear set. Cool on the pan 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I've stored vanilla beans in)
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Royal Icing...follow the instructions from your container of meringue powder (Ateco recommended). Remember to SIFT the powdered sugar. When the icing is beginning to reach stiff peaks, add a drop or two of almond extract and beat until still peaks form.
Transfer icing to two separate containers and color (3/4 AmeriColor Egg Yellow, 1/4 AmeriColor Leaf Green). Press plastic wrap down onto the icing.
Sweet Potato Fries
3-4 large sweet potatoes
zest of 2 limes
good sea salt

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges. Toss with olive oil and sea salt. Grill on medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until soft.
Remove from heat and while still hot, toss with lime zest and a little more sea salt. Serve with some lime wedges on the side.