Enchiladas with a Twist

I love Mexican food. Here in the small town, there is one place I love to go to just for their burritos and enchiladas.  That being said, I am practical in the kitchen. I hate having to throw out left overs. I had made lasagna and tacos earlier in the week. I decided to combine the two. The  original recipe came from Sandra Lee. She does everything store bought and just combines it all to make a dish. I was using left overs to make the same dish. Family thought it came out pretty good. My kids had no complaints, which is great since its a fight getting them to try new food.

I am posting the original recipe from Sandra Lee, in case you don't have left overs in the fridge and want to make this. I was also able to make extras and freeze them for future dinner meals. That way I can just pull them out for lunches or quick dinners.

12 white corn tortilla
1.25 lb lean ground beef
1 container (8oz) sliced mushrooms finely chopped
1packet onion soup mix
1 tbsp parsley chopped
1.25 cup ricotta cheese
1 can(4.5oz) black olives chopped
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar (26oz) pasta sauce
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
 Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13in baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside
In a large skillet brown ground beef, stirring frequently to break into small pieces. Stir in onion soup mix and mushroom pieces. Cook for 4 min. Remove from heat, stir in 1tbsp parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, stir together ricotta, olives and cream cheese. Stir in beef mixture until well combined. Spread 1 cup of pasta sauce in bottom of dish. Spoon meat and cheese mixture evenly down the center of tortilla.
Carefully roll up tortillas and place on sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in dish for 35-45 minutes until enchiladas are tender. Garnish with additional parsley if desired. 

I grated lemon zest into my ricotta and added mozzarella cheese to it. I seasoned my meat with Italian seasoning. Those were some of my changes.
Happy Eating

Beer Bread

Doing my usual house cleaning I came a cross a quick bread recipe. I did some experimenting with it and came up with a way to package it and sell it. This will be one of the items I am putting my Etsy site.  Depending on the beer you use is how the taste changes. Ales give it a sweeter taste, darker beers give it a more earthy taste and I have yet to try using the fruity beers like the hard apple cider to see what the out come is.

This is the original recipe, not the one I modified for packaging and sale.
3 cup All purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1- 12oz bottle of beer, room temperature
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp herbs (optional) suggestion: parsley, sage, rosemary o thyme

Pre heat oven to 350.
In a large bowl combine ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Don't over mix.
 Scoop in to a greased loaf pan 4.5"x8.5"
Bake for 1 hour until a tooth pick comes clean.

Serve warm .

Fast and easy Peanut butter cookies

I was organizing my recipes today and I came across this recipe. Benefit its gluten free. I know that that is the new trend coming out these days. Bonus is that they have chocolate in them.

Being a cookie house hold we are always up for trying new cookies.

1/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg white
1 cup chunky  peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate mini chips

Preheat oven to 375
Place egg white and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until frothy. Add peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and chocolate chips, stir to combine.
Divide dough into 20 equal portions. About 1 tbps. each. Place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet covered with parchment. With a fork press the top of each cookie one way then the other to form a criss cross pattern.
Bake at 375  for 10 minutes.

Happy Baking and Enjoy

Spice Rubs

Along with the last post, I thought I would post some of the Rubs I use on vegetables, pork and fish.
I like my food a little spicy. You can substitute theses spices for something less mild. Depending on the meat or fish is if I leave it sit for 4 or more hours in the fridge or if I use it right away.

Cajun Spice- enough for 8 fish filets
2tsp paprika
2tsp ground black powder
1 1/2 tps garlic powder
1tsp red pepper flakes
1tsp dried thyme
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Vegetable Seasoning- enough to season 8 servings of vegetables
1tsp dried basil
1tsp dried chervil or tarragon
1tsp dried chives
1tsp dried marjoram
1tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried sage or rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Poultry Rub- makes 3tbsp enough to season a 4lb whole chicken or 8 pieces
1tsp kosher salt
1tsp ground black pepper
2tsp smoked paprika
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne

Healthy Benefits of Spicing your food

In my years of working as a Private chef, I have come across clients that tell me not to put any kind of spices on their food to include salt and pepper. No spices? The first time I heard that I thought they were crazy and was just outraged. Now I know that they just do not know any better. It was something that their parents did and they just followed suit. Spices do so much more than what people think they do. For example Salt, will enhance the flavors of food bringing out the natural flavor more.  If you put smoked salt on chocolate it gives the chocolate a richer flavor. Its just a little bit. Your not dumping the whole salt shaker on the food.. I have known salt a holics that will salt all of their food before even putting one bite in their mouth.
It took me two year to teach my mom that  you need to taste your food before you salt it. She still put a lot of salt on her food but she learned. I also taught her the benefits of adding other spices to your food to help the flavors.

Some spices have health effects for the better. Its not a guarantee, I'm not a doctor I'm a chef. But listed below are the spices and what they may be able to help with.
Antioxidants are big these days in the health trends here are a few spices that have antioxidant properties.
turmeric
rosemary
oregano
basil
cloves
cinnamon
black pepper
paprika
ginger
garlic
To help lower blood sugar for diabetics:
cinnamon
garlic
ginger
basil
oregano
nutmeg
bay leaf
allspice
curry
Antibacterial properties
Garlic
Allspice
thyme
cinnamon
cumin
cloves
lemon grass

Looking at all of these they repeat. I think Asian food is on to something. Well food for thought.

Happy Eating.

Summer Salad

I hate waiting in doctor's offices. They always take so long to call you to do the basics the you have to sit and wait some more until the doctor comes in. Well during such visit I found a cooking magazine. Something that I didn't think I would find in a doctors office. I have been making a list of reciepes from this magazine that I want to try and tweak to my own liking.

This recipe looked like something that I want to put on that list and make. Its another meat less dish. But it is also healthy for your.

Summer Veggie Salad
4 - 4 in Portobello mushroom caps or you can use baby bellas
2 (1/2 in thick) red onion , slices
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 lg red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 med zucchini halved length wise then rough chop
1lg yellow squash, halved length wise
Cooking Spray
2tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme.
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2oz Manchego cheese, shaved
1 oz pine nuts toasted

Pre heat grill to med high heat
Coat vegetables with cooking spray
Arrange on grill. Make sure to spray the grill before placing the vegetables on it.
Grill 5 minutes on each side, or until tender
Combine oil and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Cut kernels from ears and add to oil mixture. Cut remaining vegetables into bite size pieces then add to oil mixture. Toss gently to combine and top with cheese and pine nuts

If you wanted to add a little more body to it you could get Quinoa. Cook according to package directions the chop up green onions and dill and mix them into the quinoa.

Enjoy and Happy Eating

Meatless Dishes

I have been on a kick lately to try and eat healthier. My house hold is a meat and potatoes kind of place. I have found a two recipes that I am going to try and I will up date this blog as I post pictures of them .

Eating dishes with no meat can be just as filling as dishes with meat in them . This recipe is a spin from one of our favorite dips. Spinach Artichoke dip. It makes it a lot simpler and just as tasty.

Spinach Artichoke Rigatoni
3 cups large tube noodles or Rigatoni
1 pkg (10oz) frozen spinach
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, rinse, drain and quartered
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Cook the noodles as package directs. Warm up spinach and set aside.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pan. Stir in artichokes, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, spinach, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Transfer to a greased 2 qt baking dish that is broiler safe.  Top with remaining cheese and broil 4-6 away from heat source for 2 minutes until cheese is melted.


The other is fairly simple its a Portobello mushroom on a burger bun with grilled tomato, a little olive oil, mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning. Making it a Pizza burger with out the meat.
I love Portobello mushrooms they have a nice meaty flavor and are earthy. They make a great substitute for meat.  

Enjoy and happy eating