Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

It's 4:30am and I don't think I got a lick of sleep last night between not getting comfortable, Mark snoring extremely loud, and the baby waking for her bottle. So the coffee pot is on and I'm going to take some time to watch some bad movie starring Ricki Lake and blog!

I often crave Mexican Food and the standard American style tacos don't always cut it for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the quick taco night with all the fixin's, but this recipe is just as quick and easy. I was entertaining some lovely ladies when I first tried this recipe a few months back. It is now one of my favorites! Unfortuntately, the recipe I found is no longer online so I can't give credit to the person that orginally gave me the idea. I adapted it to my own flavors from the original. I guessed at the recipe when I last made it, so exact measurents aren't perfect (but who likes to follow specific rules anyway!) It's cooking, enjoy being creative!



Easy Cheesy Enchiladas
* 12 Tortillas (love you Ali)
* 1 Roasted Chicken pulled apart and diced (approx 2 cups)
* 4 oz cream cheese (I use light cream cheese)
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
* 2 tsp. cumin
* 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper (add more or less, see below)
* 1/4 cup green chile salsa (any type of salsa will do)
* 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a prepacked mexican blend)
* Salt, for added flavor
* 1 can of green (or red) enchilada sauce

Start by mixing together the cream cheese and sour cream until soft and blended in a large bowl. Stir in the salsa and cilantro. Once well blended, add in the remainder of the ingredients. I always taste the mix before filling the taco shells. The cream cheese and sour cream will reduce the amount of heat from the cayenne. If you taste it and it doesn't have enough kick for you, add more until it has the heat that you like. I sometimes will add in some hot sauce for extra kick.

In the bottom of a large glass pan (9 X 13) pour a thin layer of the enchilada sauce. This will help to make sure the enchiladas don't dry out. Place a generous amount of mixture onto the tortilla and roll up, place seam side down in the pan. Add more enchilada sauce on top and a sprinkle with a thin layer of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to slightly brown.

Next recipe is a vegetarian recipe!

Beef Stew

It's 9pm on a Sunday night and literally the first time I have sat down with peace and quiet for days! Mark and Brianna are both sound asleep in bed. I promised in my last post that I was going to cook something with barley. I have never cooked with barley before, so this called for a new recipe. However, with an 11 month old daughter who has recently learned how to throw a temper tantrum, it has been was not the best week for researching something new. Instead, I adapted one of my older recipes.

It was 6am Tuesday morning and I was up and ready to get my day started. The baby thankfully had an early morning bottle and snuggled back into bed for some sleep. I quickly cleaned the bathroom (I have found that if I take 15 minutes here and there to do cleaning, I end up having a somewhat clean house). I then hopped in the shower, got dressed, and headed to the kitchen to start some coffee. With a caffeine buzz started and the clock just rounding 6:30am, I decided I would start dinner! Yep, 6:30am and dinner was started. I dug out the crockpot again and got to cookin!



Beef Stew
This recipe will serve about 12 people. The beauty of stew is that you can freeze it.
- 3 lbs of stew meat (I used a chuck roast, cubed)
- 1 pkg of celery, chopped (about 8-10 stalks, or 2 cups)
- 1 pkg pre-sliced carrots (to save me chopping time! also about 2 cups)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 64 oz of beef broth
- 1.5 cups of good red wine (whatever you have on hand)
- 2 cups of barely
- Seasonings: I use whatever I have in the cupboard but that would include
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
* 1 tsp (or a pinch) of cinnamon, adds great flavor
* 2 tsp Rosemary, add more or less to your liking
* 2 tsp Thyme

Other things you can add but I didn't have on hand
- Potatoes (I used barely instead of adding potatoes)
- Zucchini
- peas

To the crockpot throw in your vegetables first and add meat on top. Add spices. I tend not to measure on spices. Don't be afraid to experiment and use more or less to what looks right. I find it hard to over season a beef stew. Add the wine and broth until the meat is almost covered. Turn on low/warm and let cook all day. I added my barley just 1 hour before serving or you can add right away.

I tend to leave my meat in big chunks and then flake it apart in the last hour or two of it cooking. It will be so tender and juicy that it will just fall right apart.

The entire family was in heaven as we walked in the door from work and smelt the beautiful aroma of the stew. I even shared some beef stew with Brianna. The meat and vegetables are so tender that they are easy for her to eat.

Stay tuned for my Enchilada recipe. My bedtime is approaching (yes, I do go to bed at 10am!) :) For those of you who have read and tried my recipes it makes my day when I hear you have tried them!!! Good night everyone.

Pulled Barbecue Pork

Another week has flown by and I haven't posted any of the delicious things that we have made for dinner! This post is a simple one. A crockpot delicacy, if you will. I needed something quick and easy tonight. The crockpot is one of my favorite cooking tools! It makes life so easy (especially when the rest of life is going a million miles a minute.) Let's face it, although we would all like to cook a nice gourmet meal every night, reality is that few of us have the time or the energy. With a 11 month old daughter, extra time is non-existent for me! So tonight is a simple 2 step meal.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- Pork Loin (I used 2lbs)
- Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce (1 small container, about 2 cups)

Directions:
Place pork loin in crockpot and place on high until pork falls apart (4-5hours). I like to add a splash (1/3 cup) of beef stock or water to help the pork stay moist. Pull meet apart with a fork. Once pork has fallen apart add barbecue sauce to taste. I like to use the Sweet Baby Rays as it is my favorite, but use any flavor that you like.

Serve on a fresh bun.

I bought some barley at the store today. I haven't ever cooked with barley, so I am hoping to add a new recipe to the menu and have something exciting to blog about next week!

Shepherds Pie

Shepards Pie
serves 4

- 6-8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
- Small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb of ground turkey
- 3.5 cups(approx)of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, beans, peas, broccoli, etc)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Worcestershire for flavoring (3 tablespoons)
- White Cheddar Cheese about 2 cups grated (can use any cheese you like)
- Salt & Pepper

I'm posting the first blog of my life. This new age thing of blogging has finally entered my life. One of my 2010 New Year resolutions was to create a hobby. Cooking is a favorite of mine, but I don't get the opportunity to share it with more people than those sitting at the dinner table. So here I am, ready to blog and ready to eat!!

So to begin, let's talk about underwear. Underwear? Yes, underwear. Since Racheal Ray has EVOO and all her other weird sayings, I am coining the term Underwear. Side note: Racheal Ray is NOT one of my favorite shows to watch. I have to turn the channel before I hear about more noodles going into the jacuzzi! Okay, so back to underwear. Underwear is the Onion and Garlic. It is 9 times out of 10 how I start every meal. I love the fragrance when they start cooking down in a little bit of olive oil.

Shepherds Pie is one of my favorite recipes to make because it's quick and easy. It is a hearty meal for a cold day like today (-20 are you kidding me!) Start by getting a pot of water boiling and the potatoes cooking until they are ready to be mashed. While the potatoes are cooking, get the underwear going. In a saute pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. I tend to add enough Worcestershire sauce that turns the turkey into the color of ground beef. My family enjoys the flavor, but add more or less to what your taste buds like. Now add the frozen vegetables. I like to add enough vegetables that make the ratio of meat to vegetables close to equal. Cook vegetables and meat on low until vegetables are almost completely softened. Place mixture in a small rectangular casserole dish. I like to use my Le Creuset cookware for most of my cooking.

Once the potatoes are ready for mashing, drain, and mash. I like to use a splash of milk and butter to mash my potatoes for extra flavor. Add the cheese and mix into potatoes until melted. After potatoes are done, put on top of the meat mixture and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. For the last 5 minutes, place under the boiler to make an extra crispy top.

I would love to hear from anyone who tries this! It is one of our family favorites. Enjoy and I hope this becomes one of your family's Delicious Memories!! :)