GourGanics Spicy Braised Chicken with escarole, tomatoes and olives

This is a spicy, satisfying dish that is succulent and delicious.

Here’s what you need:

1 tablespoon organic olive oil

1 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Organic Kosher Salt and organic black pepper

2 medium organic sweet onions

12 cups torn organic escarole (about one head)

small 8 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes

1/2 jar spicy GourGanics Salsa

1/3 cup pitted organic kalmata olives, pitted and halved

Here’s what to do:

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and. Work in two batches and cook the chicken until brown, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb some grease. ADd the onions to the pot and cook until they begin to soften. Then  add the escarole, tomatoes, GourGanics salsa and 1/3 cup of water. Mix to combine. Place the chicken on top of the escarole, cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Bake, covered until the escarole is wilted and tender. Uncover the pot, cook time more minutes through and fold in the olives.

Enjoy as is or serve with a nice jasmine rice.

Gluten-Free Organic Butternut Squash Fries

Here’s whatcha need:
1/2 Organic butternut squash
lots of kosher salt

If you like sweet potato fries try these delicious baked organic squash fries. They are not quite as sweet as sweet potato fries so they go really well with GourGanics salsa as a dipping sauce. They’re so warm and crisp and wholesome. Zero fat, lower calories, as Rachel Ray would say, “figure friendly.” Good for you, good for the environment (keeping America beautiful counts.) Enjoy these crispy crunchy fried treats without guilt. Dip them in salsa for a sweet and spicy extravaganza that will BLOW YOUR MIND! ‘

Here’s what to do:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel and de-seed your organic butternut squash slice it in half.  Then cut it up into French fry shapes.  Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cover lightly with kosher salt. Place tray in your pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes or so, flipping halfway through baking.

Serve ‘em up hot with Spicy GourGanics.

GourGanics Healthy Yummy Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe has a few steps and while still very easy, it is a little more complicated than most, but I love the results. I first make crock pot pulled chicken. I then take the juices from the mixture (rich with overcooked veggies) and put the whole thing through a food milll to create a smooth enchilada sauce. Then it’s as simple as quickly assembling the enchiladas and baking them for 35 minutes in the oven.

Here’s what you need to make the chicken and enchilada sauce:

1 package organic chicken ( I used bone-in thighs and breasts)

1/2 cup white wine

1 large organic onion chopped rough

1/2 cup Spicy GourGanics Salsa

splash water

dash salt

Veggies your family loves.  ( I rough chopped squash, baby spinach, a few tomatoes, rough chopped bell peppers, tomatillos and eggplant from my garden just because I had them and they add extra healthy nutrients to the broth)

Here’s what to do:

Open the pack of chicken, rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Add a little salt if desired. Add any veggies you have hanging around, plus rough chopped onion. Then cover with wine, water and salsa. Cook it slow and low all day long while you are at work or play. When we got home, the house smelled amazing! I extracted the chicken from the broth and took a quick shower while it cooled just a little.  It was falling off the bone at this time. I used two forks to pull the chicken apart and added two tablespoons of salsa and a little broth to the pulled chicken mixture just to flavor the chicken and keep it moist. Set aside to use to fill enchiladas.

To make the smooth enchilada sauce:

I ran all of the cooking juices from the crock pot through a food mill. The sauce is velvety and smooth. You won’t need it all for this recipe but you can freeze it as “spicy enchilada sauce” and make this recipe using cooked chicken next time around. It also the perfect base for tortilla soup.

Here’s what you need to make enchiladas:

1 pack organic corn or flour tortillas

1/2 jar USDA organic GourGanics SPICY salsa

1/2 cup organic sour cream or Greek yogurt

1 1/2 cups organic melting cheese ( I used a mexican Colby, cheddar and Jack blend)

Organic pulled chicken from recipe above

Here’s what to do:

Mix spicy salsa with Greek yogurt or sour cream. (Any remaining mixture makes an excellent salad dressing or baked potato topping).

Add one small ladle of enchilada sauce to bottom of a Pyrex pan. Dip a tortilla into the enchilada mixture until it is a little wet and pliable, then place 1/4 cup pulled chicken, dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, handful of cheese. Roll tortillas like a crepe. Cover with cheese. Repeat until pan is full. Then cover with enchilada sauce and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy!

GourGanics HAPPY SUMMER Mahi Mahi Mango Fish Tacos

I love a good fish taco. You can go out for tacos right here in Fairfield, CT. If you are local, I suggest the Mahi Mahi fish tacos at Bodega.  I tried my first fish taco in California about 16 years ago and I was hooked. Pun intended. I loved crispy crunch of a deep-fried fish taco. I wanted to replicate the experience as a home cook but frying is messy and not too healthy. So, I began hunting for a recipe that I could modify and make into the best baked fish taco known to humankind. YUM.

To my surprise, I found that the subtle texture and taste of a baked fish such as Mahi Mahi tastes even better than a fried version. And I mean WAY better. Here’s a new recipe I simply LOVE. I used a little SPICY GourGanics in my marinade and then topped it with some MILD GourGanics USDA Organic Salsa & Simmer Sauce. For crunch, we have some iceberg lettuce. I needed something that would replicate the CRAZY CRUNCH experience I enjoyed in a fried fish taco and I found this really did the trick. The medley of the subtle marinade, plus the sweetness of fresh mango intermingle with the bright burst of GourGanics USDA Organic Salsa in a way that leaves even yours truly at a loss for words.

Here’s what you need:

2-4 Mahi Mahi Fillets

2 tablespoons GourGanics Spicy

Juice of one Organic lime

1/4 cup white wine

Dash of olive oil

1 fresh USDA ORGANIC mango, chopped into small bite-sized chunks

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 pack corn tortillas

1/2 jar GourGanics Mild

Here’s what to do:

Place the fillets in a glass dish with the lime juice, wine, and salsa. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Then rub a little butter or a dash of oil on the bottom of a baking pan and place fish fillets in the dish. Pour the salsa marinade over. Cover with parchment paper or foil and bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

When the fish is almost cooked through, place your corn tortillas in the oven on a cookie sheet and allow to warm for about 3 minutes, so they will be warm and ready for taco assembly.

Pull the fish out of the oven and using two forks, gently flake the fish apart into bite-sized pieces.

Now to assemble your tacos:

First open a beer and have a swig. Then, use a small amount of chopped iceberg lettuce as a bed in your warmed corn tortillas, add fish,  chunks of fresh mango and one teaspoon of GOURGANICS USDA ORGANIC Mild salsa. Serve and enjoy with a crowd of 4.

Happy Summer. Happy Salsa!

GourGanics Spicy Vegetarian Spanakopadillas

What a crazy idea we came up with here in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Traditional Greek spanakopita meets the traditional quesadilla. The result is a non-traditional creation that spinach lovers, cheese lovers, and tortilla lovers will adore. The two cultures unite and take over in this crazy MEXIGREEK fusion dish that tastes nothing short of AMAZING!

Here’s what you need:

6 teaspoons organic olive oil

1 9 oz bag organic baby spinach

1/2 finely chopped organic onion

4 teaspoons GourGanics USDA organics spicy salsa

1 large organic egg

pinch organic nutmeg

2 tablespoons organic fresh parsley (minced)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (organic if possible)

4 (8inch) organic flour tortillas

3/4 cup shredded organic mozzarella

Here’s what to do:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop.  Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add onions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salsa, spinach,  then parsley and nutmeg. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).

Stir the cheeses and beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a tortilla with butter and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp.

Using a knife, cut the tortillas into triangles.  Place a small spoonful of spinach filling and cover with another crisp tortilla. Bake at 350 Degrees for 15 minutes and serve hot.