Chili Relleno Casserole

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 cups milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Poblano Chilis
2 cups shredded cheddar (about 1/2 pound)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (about 1/2 pound)

Preparation:

Lightly grease 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Beat first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Arrange chilies from 1 can in prepared dish, covering bottom completely. Sprinkle with 1/3 of each cheese. Repeat layering twice. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Let stand 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until casserole is slightly puffed in center and golden brown on edges, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes and serve.

Spicy Stir Fry - Chicken and Greens with Peanuts

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons dry Sherry, divided
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons golden brown sugar, divided
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
4 green onions, white parts and green parts chopped separately
2 teaspoons chopped seeded serrano chiles
1 large bunch greens (such as spinach, mustard greens, kale, or broccoli rabe; about 1 pound), thick stems removed, spinach left whole, other greens cut into 1-inch strips (about 10 cups packed)
1/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

Preparation:

Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add chicken; marinade 20 to 30 minutes.

Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in small bowl and reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add white parts of onions and chiles; stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir-fry just until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to same skillet; heat over high heat. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more. Sauté just until tender, 1 to 6 minutes, depending on type of greens. Return chicken to skillet. Add reserved soy sauce mixture; stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with green parts of onions and peanuts.

Crockpot Pot Roast

This recipe is an adaptation from one I saw on Alton Brown's Food Network show, Good Eats. It's one of my absolute favorite pot roast recipes, probably because cumin, balsamic vinegar and olives are some of my favorite tastes!

The original recipe also called for 1/2 cup dark raisins, but I prefer it just the way it is!

Ingredients:

1 (2 to 3 pound) blade cut chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken

Make Ahead Preparation:

Place a wide, heavy skillet or fry pan with a coating of vegetable oil over high heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt and cumin. When the pan is very hot, brown the roast on all sides and remove from pan.

Add just a little more vegetable oil to the pan then add the onion and garlic. Stir constantly until onion is softened, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and olives. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half.

Add half of the tomato juice mixture to the bottom of a crockpot. Add the roast, and then top with the remaining mixture. Turn crockpot to high for one hour. Then reduce heat to low and cook for another 4 to 6 hours.

Last Minute Assembly

Remove the meat from the crockpot, cover and let rest for at least 1/2 hour.

Drain all of the liquid from the crockpot and put in a blender or food processor. Puree.

Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce over egg noodles or rice.