Leftover Challenge #3: Korean Grilled Pork Salad with Crispy Rice Cakes

It's my last week in DC - the hubby and I are shutting down the house and getting ready for the big move across the country. Some of you may know that I LOVE Korean food. I have been lucky to live and eat in the DC metro area, which has some of the best Korean food in the country. Because of my seven years in this area I constantly have cravings for good Korean BBQ. So this week's leftover challenge is inspired by my favorite Korean BBQ place, Honey Pig in Annandale, VA.

Leftover Challenge #2: Chicken Curry Naan'wich with Mango Chutney

I'm still digging through my freezer trying to find inspiration for a good dinner, while using up my stockpile in preparation for the big move out West. The other day I found chicken thighs, chiles, and naan bread in the freezer; apples, mango, onion, raisins, and curry powder in the pantry; and a container of yogurt and mayonnaise in the fridge. The end result - a tasty sandwich with Indian and American flavors.

Cured Meat and Melon Crostini

I updated the classic pairing of prosciutto and melon into this fast and easy yet elegant appetizer!

Leftover Challenge #1: Chicken Chorizo Pizza

My husband and I are leaving DC and heading west to Salt Lake City. We have less than three weeks to go, and my husband challenged me to raid the freezer and use up our stockpile of food. This challenge I couldn't resist! I am a freezer hoarder - I buy and cook in bulk, store almost anything edible in that frozen box, and always come back weeks later to find happiness with a great, quick meal.

This week I dug deep into to my freezer and found Trader Joe's pizza dough, chicken thighs, chorizo, and chile verde. The other essentials I had tucked away in the fridge and pantry. The end result was this flavorful pizza that blew our leftover expectations (and taste buds) out of the water!

Made It! Chile Verde Chicken Enchiladas

I enjoy eating a good enchilada any day of the year, but this occasion was always reserved for restaurant outings. I never had attempted to make them in my own home. So I was excited to try this Chile Verde Chicken Enchilada recipe. Let me just start this review by saying that since I usually only eat enchiladas while dining out- so my expectation is comfort food - rich, gooeey and slathered with melted cheese. I'll be honest this recipe didn't meet my expectation for comfort food but was I pleasantly surprised by the flavors and could easily settle for this healthy runner-up.

I wanted to re-create my ideal enchilada. My first goal was to make the filling creamy, so I added cream cheese. This was a big mistake as the cream cheese overpowered the chicken filling and made the consistency of the filling chalky. Next time, I will use more Monteray Jack cheese to give it that ooey-gooey texture that I was craving so badly. I loved the bold vibrant flavors of the chile verde. The tangy-ness of the tomatillos. The sauce was light and flavorful. Overall, this is an excellent recipe for a healthier enchilada, but it cannot be compared to the authentic versions.

Chile Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Let's celebrate this Cinco de Mayo with amazing enchiladas! What's not to love about the enchilada? Take a great filling, wrap it up in a tortilla, slather it with a chile sauce, and then top it off with ooey gooey melted cheese - sounds like a winner to me! I make huge batch of these a couple of times a year, portion them out, and freeze them so that my husband and I can whip up a fiesta at a moment's notice.

Banana Oat Muffins

I adapted this Banana Oat Muffin recipe from a friend of a friend's award winning banana bread recipe. These muffins are moist, delicious, and full of healthy ingredients (oats for fiber and flax seeds for omega-3s). I love the individual portions of the muffins, which can be easily taken from the freezer and defrosted for a snack anytime of day.