March 2011

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Best-ever chicken potpie What’s our secret shortcut?

living in the west March 2011

LIVING IN THE WEST

20 Spring day hikes and trips | Makeovers for small backyards | best-ever chicken potpie | stylish veggie gardens

20

Bay Area & Beyond

Spring day hikes and trips Makeovers for small backyards

Veggie gardens with style!

San Francisco’s best new view MARCH 2011

Luxe mustard

Sunset.com

blend your own, spice up your dinners p. 70 Sunset.com

In the Western kitchen

the dish

Enchiladas

Made healthy with more veggies Recipe on page 84

reboot

You told us what dishes to reinvent, and here they are––new and improved

Recipe reboot

By Amy Machnak | photographs by iain bagwell | food styling by dan becker

Sunset March 2011

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In the Western kitchen

3. Bake enchiladas until bubbling, cheese is melted, and tortillas are starting to brown on edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions. *Or use a 9- by 13-in. baking dish, spreading one-third of sauce over bottom; top with one-third of tortillas, the beans, one-third of cheese, one-third of tortillas, the vegetable mixture, remaining tortillas, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

PER 11/2-CUP SERVING 343 Cal., 27% (93 cal.) from fat; 15 g protein; 10 g fat (4.5 g sat.); 48 g carbo (11 g fiber); 1,271 mg sodium; 19 mg chol.

Grown-up mac ’n’ cheese SERVES 6 | 30 minutes Suggested by Sunset Facebook fan Roxanne Lewis (and others)

the dish

Mac ‘n’ cheese

Made for grown-ups with bacon and gruyère

reboot

Vegetable enchiladas SERVES 6 | 11/4 hours Suggested by sunset Facebook fan Judy Shellabarger Gosnell Your typical vegetarian enchiladas are mostly cheese. That’s not the case with this version, loaded with fresh spinach, corn, and two types of beans.

1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1/2 onion, chopped 3 qts. baby spinach 1 cup frozen corn About 1 can (19 oz.) enchilada sauce 9 all-corn tortillas, quartered 1 cup refried beans About 1 cup cooked rinsed black beans 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. shredded Monterey jack cheese 6 tbsp. chopped green onions 84

Sunset March 2011

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a

large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring as needed, until almost completely wilted.

Add corn and cook until hot. Set aside.

2. Put 6 ovenproof baking dishes* (each about 12-oz. capacity) on a rimmed baking sheet. Working with one dish at a time, spoon in 2 tbsp. enchilada sauce. Top with 2 tortilla quarters, 2 rounded tbsp. each refried beans and black beans, 1 tbsp. cheese, and 2 more tortilla quarters, pushing tortillas down gently as you layer them over cheese and beans. Spoon in 1/3 cup (packed) vegetable mixture, then 2 more tortilla quarters, 3 tbsp. enchilada sauce, and 2 tbsp. cheese. Repeat layering with remaining dishes.

You can use any shape of pasta you like, but ziti tubes are best at holding the molten cheese sauce.

12 oz. ziti pasta 4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-in. pieces 2 tbsp. flour 2 cups milk 4 oz. gruyère cheese, coarsely shredded 4 oz. Italian fontina cheese, coarsely shredded 2 oz. freshly shredded parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. chopped chives

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions.

2. Fry bacon meanwhile in a medium saucepan over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

3. Pour off all but 1 tbsp. fat from pan. Add flour and whisk over medium heat. Pour in milk 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well after each addition (it will be very thick at first) until incorporated and smooth. Add cheeses in 3 batches, whisking continually and making sure each batch is mostly melted before adding the next.

4. Drain pasta, then stir into cheese sauce (it will thicken upon standing). Divide pasta among individual ramekins or bowls and top with bacon and chives.

PER 1-CUP SERVING 511 Cal., 40% (206 cal.) from fat; 27 g protein; 23 g fat (12 g sat.); 49 g carbo (1.9 g fiber); 569 mg sodium; 67 mg chol. >86

Slug

the dish

Chicken potpie

Made faster with croutons instead of crust Recipe on page 86

reboot

17 comfort-food recipe makeovers:

To change mouse color, (fill) sunset.com/comfortfood with direct selection tool use layer p

To change background color (fill), with direct selection tool (hollow arrow) in layer palette to select “background shape” layer, Sunset then choose color from swatch palette.

“compound shape” layer and shape

choose color Marchthen 2011 85 from swatch pale

To change mouse tail (stroke), with “mousetail” layer, then choose colo

In the Western kitchen

Eggplant parmesan SERVES 4 | 50 minutes Suggested by Sunset Facebook fan Eve Lynch This (non-casserole) version of eggplant parmesan is lighter and fresher tasting than the classic—we ditched the breading and added spicy sauce and fresh herbs.

1/4

cup olive oil, divided onion, chopped 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes 1 tsp. each kosher salt and sugar 1/2 tsp. each black pepper and red chile flakes 1 large eggplant (about 11/2 lbs.), cut lengthwise into 8 slices (1/2 in. thick) 8 oz. water-packed fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices 1/2 cup each fresh oregano and torn basil leaves 1/2 cup crushed croutons

the dish

1/2

Eggplant parmesan

Made lighter by baking, not frying

reboot

1. Set an oven rack in highest position and

Quick chicken potpie SERVES 6 | 50 minutes Suggested by sunset Facebook fan Melinda Velayo Everyone loves chicken potpie, but it takes 2 hours to make. We’ve traded from-scratch pie dough for homemade croutons, creating a great potpie in half the time.

3 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 1 cup each chopped carrot, onion, celery, and frozen peas 1/4 cup flour 3 cups milk 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves 4 cups cubed sourdough bread 3 tbsp. melted butter 4 oz. shredded emmenthal cheese

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Sunset March 2011

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 4-qt. pot over medium heat. Add carrot, onion, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add peas; set aside.

2. Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil to pot. Add flour and whisk until dry and crumbly, about 30 seconds. Pour in milk 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well after each addition until smooth and creamy (mixture will be pastelike at first). Add reserved vegetables, salt, pepper, and chicken to milk mixture, stirring gently to combine. Spoon mixture into a large gratin dish (about 21/2 qts.) or ovenproof frying pan. Sprinkle with tarragon.

3. Mix bread and butter together in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Top chicken mixture with bread. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake until browned and starting to bubble around the sides, 20 to 25 minutes.

11/2-CUP

PER SERVING 671 Cal., 65% (437 cal.) from fat; 27 g protein; 49 g fat (17 g sat.); 32 g carbo (3 g fiber); 741 mg sodium; 145 mg chol.

preheat oven to 350°. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine and let reduce by half, 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, pepper, and chile flakes and simmer, stirring often, until very thick, 20 minutes.

2. Lay eggplant slices meanwhile on a greased broiler pan (they can overlap).

Cover with foil. Bake until steamy and softened, 20 minutes. Uncover; brush with 1 tbsp. oil. Broil until starting to brown, then turn over and brush with remaining oil.

Broil until lightly browned, 8 minutes total.

3. Put an eggplant slice on an oven-safe plate (leave broiler on). Top with 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Lay another slice of eggplant across first and spoon more sauce on top. Top with 2 slices cheese.

Repeat layering on 3 more plates.

4. Broil 2 plates at a time just to melt cheese, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle each plate with about 2 tbsp. each mixed herbs and croutons. Serve with remaining sauce.

PER SERVING 427 Cal., 55% (234 cal.) from fat; 15 g protein; 26 g fat (9.6 g sat.); 30 g carbo (9.1 g fiber); 1,020 mg sodium; 57 mg chol. N