Chicken, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Burritos

I pulled this recipe out of a magazine and held on to it for a long time. Thinking about it later, I'm not sure why. I love burritos, yes. But burritos with mushrooms and spinach? What was I thinking?

My older self must have known something my recent self didn't, because I could hug old me. These burritos, as weird as they are, are scrumptious. Filling and delicious and HEALTHY! How many burritos can claim that? And quick-to-make! I got home and 20ish minutes later, Dave and I were chowing down on burritos with spinach in them. Crazy!

For whatever reason, I couldn't find green salsa at the store or they were out, but I didn't get it. We had lots of jars of salsa in the fridge already, so I dumped in some of a couple. Please feel free to use whatever salsa your heart desires. This is a perfect opportunity to impulse-buy a rotisserie chicken, too. (Except, if it's on your grocery list, it isn't much of an impulse-buy, now is it?)

Chicken, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Burritos
c/o Everyday Food Magazine
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-mushroom-and-goat-cheese-burritos?autonomy_kw=goat%20cheese%20chicken%20mushroom%20burrito&rsc=header_1

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed for less heat), minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces white button mushrooms, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin removed and meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1 cup prepared green salsa, plus more for serving
6 burrito-size (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, thick stems removed (3 cups)
1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled

In a large skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion and jalapeno; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms; cover, and cook until they begin to release their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to brown and skillet is dry, about 5 minutes more.

Add chicken, corn, and salsa. Cook, stirring, until heated through and mixture is saucy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat tortillas according to package instructions. In center of each tortilla, layer spinach, chicken mixture, and goat cheese.

Wrap burritos one at a time: Fold side of tortilla closest to you over filling. Fold right and left sides toward center, and roll up. Halve if desired; serve with additional salsa.
 

See the recipe...

Fusilli Pasta with Burrata Cheese, Spinach, Lemon, and Toasted Almonds

This was a very spontaneous dish. Dave and I had popped into Balducci's for a few things (very few, or else I'm not allowed to go very often!) and I happened to see that they had some burrata in the cheese case. I'd never had it before and I've always wanted to try. Was it last Summer or Fall that it was all the craze?

Well, burrata in hand, we looked up what to make with it and got cracking. With the new laptop, it was really awesome to have it open to the recipe in the kitchen. Ah, technology.

Now, I'm keeping an open mind, but I didn't love the burrata. This won't make any sense to you, but I don't really like cheese as a whole. It's the smell. I like some cheeses in things, and I like fresh mozzarella in a Caprese salad, and I adore pizza and the like... but I have to wash my hands after I grate Parmesan because I don't like the way my hands smell (not that I wouldn't wash them anyway, of course!) So, less-stinky cheeses are cool, more stinky, not so much. I really wanted to like the burrata because I love fresh mozz... the burrata was stinky in a way I couldn't make friends with. The creamy texture was really great, I'll admit that... but I also picked around any clumps I couldn't just mix in. O well. At least it looked pretty.

Now, the REST of it I liked. The perfectly cooked pasta, tossed in the lemonybutterygarlicy goodness, tossed with the toasted almonds and spinach... dreamy.


Campanelle Pasta with Burrata Cheese, Spinach, Lemon, and Toasted Almonds
c/o Bon Appetit Magazine, December 2004
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/231293

Burrata is a luscious Italian cheese made by mixing cream and unspun mozzarella curds together (for a texture similar to ricotta): the mixture is then inserted into the center of a ball of fresh mozzarella. It can be found in some supermarkets, at specialty foods shops, and at Italian markets. Substitute fresh mozzarella if you can't find burrata.

1 pound campanelle (trumpet-shaped pasta) or fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 6-ounce package baby spinach (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 pound burrata cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and lemon peel. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl. Place spinach and almonds atop hot pasta. Pour hot lemon mixture over spinach. Toss until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Divide pasta among plates. Top with burrata cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

See the recipe...

Pappardelle with Squash, Mushrooms, and Spinach

You know that feeling you get, when you know you've blown something off long enough that you feel so guilty that you keep blowing it off because maybe then you won't have to fess up to it? I'll admit that its that feeling that mightily contributed to my failing out of college (as I'd skip class a few too many times but feel to sheepish to return). You'd think I'd have a handle on that feeling by now, being an official grown-up and all... but no. Here it has happened again. :)

I also didn't make any resolutions last week, which is new for me. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I only started really cooking because of a New Years resolution. You see, it was what... 2000?... when I met my husband... I knew how to cook a few things... like Chicken Kate or Chicken Mom or Salisbury Steak from a Box and the like. (I rocked that food from a box, lemme tell ya!) Anyway. I met Dave the summer of 2000. By that winter, I was smitten with him (long before, actually). I really really wanted to cook for him. I made him the two Chickens... I even made him a purple banana cream pie (I can save that for another day). But then I'd exhausted my non-box foods. What is a girl to do?

What I did is make a resolution: I would buy a new cookbook every month and learn to make at least one thing from said book. I was pretty ramped up at the beginning and got a whole bunch of books at once... but still. I stuck with it. I learned to cook. I asked my friends and coworkers for recipes. I fed my husband. And you know what? I found great joy in filling his belly... in putting a smile on his face... and that propelled me forward.

Sure, its a sappy story. What it has to do with the pasta we had for dinner last week, I have no idea. But what I wanted was a nice, healthy, delicious dinner to help push me forward again. To snap me out of my blogging sheepishness and get back to sharing our meals with you. Because you know what? A lot of what we eat COMES from you - hence the blog name - and I like the fact that in sharing what I make, I celebrate what the food blogosphere has to offer! Because, seriously, you have MAD SKILLS!!! :)

Now, a little bit about this recipe from Bon Appetit magazine: Aside from all the butter, I could happily eat this on a regular basis. I felt like a nutritional rockstar the night we had this. So many veggies! And because each veg was a different kind and color, I got the feeling that we might not need our multi-vitamin that night. I'd made the pappardelle myself a few days prior and I was really pleased with the results.


Pappardelle with Squash, Mushrooms, and Spinach
c/o Bon Appetit Magazine, November 2007
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240429

12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine pasta

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes butternut squash (from 1-pound squash)
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 5- to 6-ounce package baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash and cook until almost tender, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, sage, and remaining 1/4 cup butter; sauté until mushrooms are soft and squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Add spinach; stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to sauce in skillet. Toss to coat, adding pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.

See the recipe...