What is "Mise en Place" anyway?

Recently in our test kitchen, we prepared chicken and Portobello Mushroom Enchiladas with our Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. With a recipe such as this one that encompasses the colors and flavors of many different ingredients, it really helps us in our kitchen to keep organized.

Mise en Place, as stated in The Food Lover’s Companion book, is a French term that literally means "putting in place", referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking. Take a look at how we set up our Mise en Place prior to preparing our enchiladas;

This organized technique helps the cooking process be more fluid, so you’re not looking all over the place for the next ingredient as your current one is burning on the stove!  Dishes such as enchiladas are very easy to create, but often involve several ingredients.
We like to have everything prepped and ready for simple, stress free cooking!

Test out your Mise en Place skills when you try our Portobello Mushroom Enchiladas!

Portobello Mushroom Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 10 soft corn tortillas
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 1 - 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, diced
• 3 medium Portobello mushrooms, sliced 1/4” thick and sautéed until tender
• 6 scallions, sliced, plus 2 for garnish
• 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro plus 1/4 cup for garnish
• 1 small can green chilies, diced
• 1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
• 1 - 10 oz. can Enchilada Sauce
• 8 oz. Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Wrap corn tortillas in foil and warm in the oven.
3. In a large saucepan bring broth to a boil; add chicken breasts, garlic cloves and peppercorns. With cover on bring to a boil then reduce heat.
4. Simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked and will shred easily (approximately 1 hour). Remove chicken from broth and shred with forks.
5. Combine shredded chicken with 1 cup of salsa, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, chilies, scallions, and cilantro.
6. Put 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
7. Remove tortillas from oven. Increase heat to 350 degrees.
8. Put some filling into each of the tortillas and roll. Place filled tortillas in casserole dish seam side down. Combine remaining salsa and enchilada sauce and spoon over enchiladas, top with cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbling.
9. Garnish with sour cream, chives and cilantro.

I Scream, You Scream.....

The warm temperatures of summer are a perfect excuse to enjoy a nice, cold, refreshing treat at any time of day!  Ice Cream is one of our favorite summer treats - we have so many great little ice cream shops here in Southern Maine, but sometimes, building your own sundae at home is just as fun as going out!

There is no skimping when it comes to our sundaes.  For a base, we always go with a premium ice cream, such as Gifford's Old Fashioned Vanilla.  Next, we warm up a little chocolate sauce such as Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Sauce or Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce and drizzle it over the ice cream.  Occasionally, we'll even add a drizzle of caramel sauce!  A dollop of fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of fresh fruit such as strawberries or a crunchy topping such as chopped nuts finish it off! 

Grab a spoon and dig in!