Didn't get enough green on Earth Day?

Didn't get enough green during yesterday's Earth Day festivities? How about cooking up some green in the kitchen with these Chicken Enchiladas Verdes. They are so good I made them twice this week, and ate them for lunches! The sauce and flavor combo is just that tasty.

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
1/2 medium white onion, halved crosswise
1 whole garlic clove
1 Tb olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 jalapeno
1 poblano chile
8 six-inch flour tortillas (or corn, whichever you prefer)
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2 oz)
1/2 cup sour cream, thinned with 2 TB water

Place chicken, 1/2 of the onion, the garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil over moderate heat. Add minced garlic and onion and saute until onion is tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add cumin and continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

When chicken is done, remove to a plate and let cool. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid; set aside. (I used boneless chicken breasts, so at this point added a bit of bouillion for extra flavor.) When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard bones and shred with two forks. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup cilantro, and add it along with the onion-garlic mixture. Toss well to combine.

Preheat broiler, with the rack about 6 inches from heat source. Broil tomatillos and chiles on a rimmed baking sheet, rotating them as they blacken, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Remove the blackened skins, stems, ribs, and seeds (optional) from chiles. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Coarsely puree tomatillos and chiles in blender with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1 1/2 cups cilantro, and reserved 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Transfer salsa to a large bowl.

Heat a tortilla in a dry skillet over high heat for 5 to 10 seconds per side. Dip the tortilla into salsa to coat lightly. Place 1/3 cup chicken on half of tortilla. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese on top, and roll up tightly. Place it seam side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Repeat to make more enchiladas, lining them up snugly in dish. Spoon remaining salsa on top, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Drizzle with sour cream and serve.

Try the sauce with chips, too!

Happy Earth Day!

Come on out this Saturday for Re-Make, a FREE Earth Day event at the Blue House in Ann Arbor! There will be live music from Joe Reilly, hands-on eco-craft activities, demos and more. It runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and will be packed with family-friendly fun - so come on down!

Also, head on over to Indie Fixx right now because it's the last day to enter the Indie Fixx Earth Day giveaway. There are two prize options with lots of green goodies, including a print and note pad from me - yay! Don't you wanna be a winner?!?!

Cincinnati is hot!

I had such fun at the Crafty Supermarket. I met some terrific people and was inspired by all of them — they are not just makers, but doers. Drawing, painting, business-owning, sewing, organizing, DJing, writing doers. Oh yay, and that's in addition to full time jobs. The organizers in particular, Grace, Alisha and Chris, were incredibly gracious, organized, fun and inspiring! Of course, I rarely left my table because it was crazy busy, but here is just a wee peak…

I met the lovely Jess from Paper Acorn — I wasn't quick enough to snatch up one of her paper bird boxes. They sold out in a flash!

My view for the day was of these fantastical creatures, or "hand-crafted curiosities" from Lori Brown of Morninglori.

I also got to check out Fabricate on Sunday, a new Cincinnati shop run by my hostess and all-around extraordinary lady, Chris Salley along with her business partner. They have all kinds of goodies from local makers, as well as a gallery space. The current exhibit is from a local high school class — I love the community feel of the whole place, not to mention the turquoise!

Did I mention I ate some awesome food, too? Yummy sandwiches at Melt, sushi at Kosho and shrimp and grits at Take the Cake, all in Northside. Now I know where to go for a little piece of urban inspiration! They know how to get things done in Cincinnati.

I think I would like them: They Draw and Cook

Vegetable Stock by Nate Padavick

Hello! I want to tell you all about my new favorite city: Cincinnati. I had a great weekend there for Crafty Supermarket, but I'm still catching up with things and it will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, I wanted to share this terrific blog that features two of my favorite things -- drawing and food -- together in one place. It is called They Draw and Cook and I discovered it through Ann Arbor artist Peter Breese. The site, run by Nate Padavick and Sally Swindell, invites artists, illustrators and designers to submit drawings of recipes. It's so fun to scroll through the entries and read the recipes. I can't wait to enter a recipe or two of my own! Thanks, Peter!

Sushi by Dante Terzigni