pretty by the bay

Remember when I was relaxed? That feeling lasted for approximately 12 hours after my last blog post. We continued to enjoy ourselves…

(Yes, this is how you entertain yourselves when you’ve been married for 10+ years. Am I the only former wannabe-cheerleader marveling at Corey’s toe touch?!)

But on the final day of our vacation, we learned our dog had been skunked and we’d be returning to a fairly stinky house. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a catastrophe – our dog sitter did an excellent job and handled the situation as well as she could – but when you’re 7+ months pregnant, fairly hormonal and sensitive to strong smells, it sure feels like one. We spent the next several days cleaning and deodorizing everything in our house. Furniture and rugs were steam cleaned. Massive amounts of laundry were done. And the source of all of this trouble received both a new haircut…

…and a new collar. His dad felt he needed something tough to ward off future skunk predators.

While the skunk drama and odor are starting to fade, we’re still not completely free of household problems. Our washing machine is acting up, and in a clumsy pregnant moment I managed to do this to our laptop.

The screen is now permanently damaged, and we have to decide whether to fix it or get a new computer. Fixing the screen is cheaper than buying something new, but before this happened we were considering a few software upgrades…and now it may be more economical to just buy a new one.

I’ve shed more than a few tears over the past few days. Really, it’s all minor stuff, but it was a lot to deal with in a short amount of time. To combat this negative energy, I’ve spent a lot of time in my kitchen, which truly is my happy place. I made a delicious pork roast on Sunday, and while Corey would be content to eat straight-up pork for days on end, I wanted to do something different and delicious with the leftover meat. Roast pork enchiladas fit the bill.

If you are having a bad week, might I humbly suggest you increase your consumption of cheese, salsa and sour cream? This was so comforting and delicious. I’ve always loved Mexican food, but pregnancy has elevated that love to a much higher level. I have intense cravings for spicy salsa and tangy, pickled jalapenos; this recipe took care of both of those cravings, while fulfilling the more important task of using the leftover roast pork. I chopped the meat and mixed it with some caramelized onions, diced green chilies and a splash of chicken stock. It was a nice twist on the typical enchilada.

You’ll notice that the enchilada sauce is neither red nor green, which was something different for me. When searching for potential recipes, I found this one and was intrigued by the sauce ingredients: sour cream, salsa verde and chicken stock. Those who tested and reviewed the recipe said it was much too watery for their tastes, so I made a few tweaks and came up with something creamy, light and tasty. The pork was a great complement to these flavors, though I think leftover chicken or beans would be equally delicious.

Let’s hope this dish is a sign that things are looking up in our household. Mexican food certainly smells a lot better than skunky dog.

Roasted Pork Enchiladas

inspired by Emeril Lagasse

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked pork*

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp canola oil

salt and pepper, to taste

7 oz can diced green chilies

1 c chicken stock

1 c lowfat sour cream

1 c salsa verde

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 c shredded monterey jack or Mexican blend cheese

8 to 10 small corn or flour tortillas (I really like these because they have the texture of flour, but a corn-like taste)

2 – 3 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish, if desired

pickled jalapenos, for garnish, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400.

Heat the oil in a large pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and allow to slowly cook and caramelize, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (You want them brown, but not burnt). Add the cubed pork, diced green chilies, cilantro and a few splashes of chicken stock – just enough to give the mixture a slightly moist texture. Warm the mixture for a minute or two, then remove from heat and set aside. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Whisk the sour cream, cumin and salsa verde together in a mixing bowl. When combined, add the chicken stock, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more until desired consistency is reached. You want it to be saucy, but not too thin; I added about 3/4 cup total. When the sauce is fully combined and the consistency is to your liking, use 1/2 cup to evenly coat the bottom of a glass baking dish. Scoop a generous amount of filling into each tortilla, add a sprinkle of cheese and roll them up, placing them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Cover the tortillas with the remaining sauce, shredded cheese and jalapenos, if using.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil that’s been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. Broil for 1 – 2 additional minutes if you like a brown, crusty topping. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving, and garnish with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

* I used leftovers from a pork shoulder roast that had been simply seasoned with salt, pepper and brown sugar. You can use any leftover pork, or even leftover roast chicken or beans.