Super Yummy Super Easy Beef Enchiladas

I tend to be snobby about food without being one of those yuppie foodie types that thrive on tiny portions and strange ingredients.  I grew up on basic mid-western meat and potato recipes and alot of Hamburger Helper. We did tacos and enchiladas too and we grilled burgers in the backyard.  I mean, I did grow up in Southern California.  However, it was still super basic stuff without alot of creativity.  If we had Chinese Food, it was take out from a restaurant.  We never attempted Indian food either.  Mostly it was Mexican, basic Italian food like spaghetti with sauce from a dry mix, and standard American food.  I spent several years breaking myself out of that habit after moving away from home.  Andrew and I moved in with the girl that had been my best friend since Junior High.  She introduced me to Curry Chicken and Broccoli Casserole and Shepard's Pie.  They may sound common to alot of you, but we never had anything with curry in it when I was growing up and very rarely did we make one dish meals that weren't soups.

When I first glanced at this recipe, I started to turn my nose up at it, but the little part of me that can read a recipes and know without a doubt if it is worth the effort stopped me and made me reconsider.  It doesn't sound appealing on the surface.  It sounds like more of the quasi-nutritional, cheap meals that I grew up on.  However, the more I learn, experiment with food, and broaden my palate, the more I can look at recipes like this and believe that I can keep it simple and yet improve the quality of the ingredients.  I figure if something is tasty enough, then I will work hard at making it healthier and by healthier, I mean less processed of course.  :P  If I happen to make it healthier by way of less calories and fat, then all the better.  My goal is to actually cook real food with quality ingredients and keep it simple and delicious.

This recipe I found surfing the internet (a typical way you'll find that I "waste time").  I am so glad that my inner voice made me stop and try this recipe.  The flavor is incredible and its super super easy too.  So good, in fact, that I will spend the coming weeks and months trying to improve the quality of ingredients without losing the outstanding flavor. 

All that aside, its cheap, easy and feeds an army.  Kids will love it.  Non-discerning men will love it.  Its perfect for birthday parties and poker games and quick meals after soccer practices and music recitals.  I'm told that its even perfect for smaller families because its freezable.  I have some in the freezer now that I am leaving for my house-sitter while Andrew and I go back home to visit family.  I'll get a review from him, which will probably be one or two words (young men can be so difficult to make talk) and I will try the freezing thing again in the future.

Here are the ingredients for the Super Yummy Super Easy Beef Enchiladas:

1 lb ground beef

1 pkg taco seasoning

14.5 oz can cream of chicken soup

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup sour cream

1 pkg enchilada mix

8 oz can tomato sauce

10 burrito sized flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a small saucepan, follow the directions on the package of enchilada sauce. If you have a favorite enchilada sauce that is "already cooked" (an inside joke just for Andrew) then by all means, use that instead of the package mix and tomato sauce.  McCormick is the one I like best for now until I can talk my friends who own Enrique's in Long Beach, California to share their recipe for enchilada sauce.  Their cheese enchiladas are out of this world!  In the meantime, combine the sour cream, combine cream of chicken soup, taco seasoning and 2 c cheese in a medium/large bowl.

Cook the ground beef until crumbled and done.  Drain/discard grease.  Add the ground beef to the bowl and combine. 

Warm the tortillas in the microwave just long enough to be pliable, about 30 seconds.  Fill each tortilla with about  a 1/2 cup of beef/cheese mixture.  Fold each end over and roll into a burrito.  Place seam side down in two square or one 9x13 baking dishes coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Cover with the enchilada sauce and top with remaining cup of cheese.  

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Uncover the last 10 minutes.  Serve one with re-fried beans and/or Spanish rice.  I will post the freezing instructions later after I update the recipe and do some more testing.  For now, enjoy these incredible enchiladas exactly how they are.

Love and Laughter

Cinnamon Scones

Here is your bonus recipe for being such patient readers!

Cinnamon Scones

The problem with 99% of all the scones I have ever tried were that they were dry and crumbly.  This is *not* how a scone should be.  They should be moist enough not to *need* a glass of milk to go with it.  Of course, a glass of milk is also the perfect accompaniment.  These scones were really yummy and still moist.  

Combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut up a stick of butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture.  

Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients.  Mix carefully until all the dry ingredients are just moistened.  

In another small bowl, combine more sugar and cinnamon.  Toss over the dough and gently cut it into it until there is none left in the bottom of the bowl.  

Using an ice cream scoop, measure out about 12 scones (mine were a little big and only made 11).  Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in the center of your oven for about 12 minutes at 425F. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl (I re-used the one from the cinnamon sugar), combine about a cup of powdered sugar with a good pour of vanilla and stir.  Warm about 3 tablespoons of cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Stir it to the powdered sugar.  Add enough milk until your glaze falls off your spoon in a little stream.  Drizzle over the scones by carefully (and quickly) moving your spoon back and forth over the scones.

Serve warm with other breakfast items.  Coffee would have been so perfect this morning but, alas, I am the only coffee drinker in the house and its a waste for me to make a whole pot.

Cinnamon Scones

2 c AP (all purpose) flour

1 c oatmeal

1/2 c sugar, divided

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter

3/4 c milk

1 egg

1-2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp cream cheese

splash of milk

• 
  

Combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut up a stick of butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients.  Mix carefully until all the dry ingredients are just moistened.  In small bowl, combine more sugar and cinnamon.  Toss over the dough and gently cut it into it until there is none left in the bottom of the bowl.  Using an ice cream scoop, measure out about 12 scones (mine were a little big and only made 11).  Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in the center of your oven for about 12 minutes at 425F. Let cool for a couple of minutes.  In a small bowl, combine about a cup of powdered sugar with some vanilla and stir.  Warm about 3 tablespoons of cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Stir it to the powdered sugar.  Add enough milk so that your glaze falls off your spoon in a little stream.  Drizzle over the scones by carefully (and quickly) moving your spoon back and forth over the scones.  Serve warm with other breakfast items.  

Enjoy!

Love and Laughter

Real Simple Buttermilk Pancakes

Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ~ Ferris Bueller

The theme in my life lately has been big wonderful promises that seem too good to be true.  In time, like all things too good to be true, the truth emerges eventually.  Thankfully, things are still good and there are still blessings in my life.
A few years ago I decided to go back to school.  I wasn't mature enough for college when I was younger.  I gave it a try and quickly dropped most of my classes.  Why go to an Intro to Business class when I could go to the airport and watch the airplanes take off and land?  (I am a dreamer)  Andrew was starting his senior year in high school, so I started at the local community college.  I worked full time and took three classes each fall and spring semester.  I was able to cram five classes in each summer due to being laid off twice in two years.  It was either a tough break or a blessing in disguise, depending on how you looked at it.  I took advantage of the opportunity and completed my AA degree in two years with a 3.76 GPA.  I see it as a blessing to have been laid off now.
After completing my degree (and having run out of savings), I started work again six weeks later.  I knew I wanted to continue with my schooling and get a Bachelors but I needed a break from school.  It took less than one full semester for me to get bored and want to be in school again.  During the holiday season, I gathered what I needed and applied to the University of New Mexico.  I was accepted into the Psychology program and start this fall.
I was awarded a scholarship renewable for 4 semesters and a couple of smaller grants from the university and the state.  I called the school and was told the requirements for the scholarship would be to take and complete 12 units per semester.  ~sighs~  We'll make it work, I thought.  I can handle four classes.  Then I find out its actually 15 units.  What????  Ugh!  Could I work a full time 8a-5p M-F job and take five classes each semester?  I don't *need* the scholarship I suppose.  It sure would have made things alot easier though.
Orientation was this past week.  I'm officially registered... for five classes.  I don't know what I am thinking, but I am going to give it a try.  I have decided that if in the first three weeks I think I can handle five classes, I will take that scholarship money and put it into a savings account just in case it doesn't work out and I need to pay it back.  If it works, then winter break and the holidays are spent at home with family.  That is motivation for me!
What does any of this have to do with food?  Well, I have two recipes for you today (your bonus for reading all of that).  These recipes are cheap and comforting (everything I will need for the year to come) and not perfect (much like the blessings in my life).
Here is the first one:

Real Buttermilk Pancakes

In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Add the buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Mix well.

       

Add the dry ingredients and mix until it just comes together. Do not over-mix. It is a very thick batter. Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle the batter into the pan.

             

Cook over low-medium heat. Like the good little home cook that I am, I kept looking for the bubbles. None ever came. Just keep cooking over that low-medium heat for longer than you think it should take. Keep an eye on how brown the bottom gets. Flip and cook several more minutes.

     

I made these pancakes over several weekends trying to make the little bubbles show up. They were gummy and lacking that yummy tangy buttermilk flavor. Those first pancakes didn't bubble because they were so thick but oh my were they yummy! Andrew had his with maple syrup that first time and I had mine with powdered sugar. In yesterday's attempt, we had strawberry jam. I'm a huge fan of butter, but these pancakes seriously do not need the added butter. They are truly amazing.

Real Simple Buttermilk Pancakes

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup white sugar
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 egg
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Add the buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until it just comes together. Do not over-mix. It is a very thick batter. Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle the batter into the pan. Cook over low-medium heat. Like the good little home cook that I am, I kept looking for the bubbles. None ever came. Just keep cooking over that low-medium heat for longer than you think it should take. Keep an eye on how brown the bottom gets. Flip and cook several more minutes until done. Top with your favorite toppings. No need for extra butter.

There is another one coming a little later!

Love and Laughter

Date Night Pasta

This pasta is a go to recipe for me when it comes time to cook for a date for the first time.  Its very simple and will fill their stomach perfectly.  The sausage can be cooked ahead of time.  The sauce can be made while the water for the pasta comes to a boil and the pasta cooks (perfect for getting to know you chit chat).  It makes a beautiful plate and the flavor is perfection.  Served with a salad, some garlic bread and a bottle of good wine and you have yourself a dinner your date will never forget.

Sometimes I get ahead of myself.  When I started this recipe, I cooked the sausage before taking pictures.  So that is a bowl of already cooked and crumbled sausage.  Also, we've already gone over how to cook pasta before.  If you need a refresher, check out the Cheesy Chicken Penne Casserole Recipe from a couple of weeks ago.  Finally, chop the onion and mince the parsley.  Now, let's get cooking.

First, cook the sausage in a turn of olive oil.  If you are using the mild Italian sausage and adding your own heat, add the red pepper flakes to the sausage while its cooking.  Remove the sausage and set aside.  In the same pan, saute the onions.  If your sausage didn't yield enough to cook the onions in, add a turn or two of olive oil.  Halfway through, add the garlic.  Saute until the onions are soft and opaque.

Add the drained tomatoes, cream and salt.  Stir until combined and simmer about 8-10 minutes (add the pasta to the salted, boiling water at this time) until the sauce has thickened up.

Seriously, just looking at this sauce in pictures makes my mouth water. ~swallows~

Now, once everything is done, you have two choices.  You can add the pasta to the sauce (or vice versa) and mix well. Or, you can plate the pasta and ladle the sauce over the top.  This is my personal choice for this meal.  Top with parmesan cheese if you'd like.  Sometimes I feel like it, sometimes not.  This time I did not.  I did sprinkle with some minced parsley though.  

Feel free to serve with a salad, garlic bread and wine. I am perfectly happy with just the pasta and sauce.  Enjoy!

Bow Ties w/Creamy Tomato and Sausage Sauce

Serves  4

 12 oz pkg bow tie pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb hot Italian sausage

(or 1 lb sweet Italian sausage

and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes)

1/2 c diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp parsley

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.  Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown.  Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender.  Stir in tomatoes, cream and salt.  Simmer until mixture thickens, 8-10 minutes.  Stir cooked pasta into sauce and heat through.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serves 6

Love and Laughter!

Easy Asian Noodles

I simply adore simple, cheap and yummy food!  But then again, who doesn't?  When I found this recipe I was spending 12 days house/cat sitting in one of my best friend's home.  Andrew stayed home with our dog and cats and I took the opportunity to enjoy the solitude and to also look for recipes to feed one or two for the inevitable day when Andrew moves out on his own and I become the Crazy Cat Lady.  

I came upon this recipe on a college student recipe website.  Of course, I adapted it to fit my needs (its always about me) and tastes.  What could be cheaper than ramen noodles and cabbage?  Its really good.  I promise!  And perfect for one or two people.  I figure it makes enough to two meals or 4 side dishes.

Easy Asian Noodles

1/2 large onion, diced

1 lb skirt steak

2 teaspoons oil, divided (i used a light tasting olive oil)

2 big handfuls packaged coleslaw mix

2 packages ramen noodles (i had chicken flavor on hand when I first made it)

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Slice the steak across the grain into thin slices.  Heat 1 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions; stir fry 2 minutes.  Add steak (I used chicken this time.) and stir fry until done.  Remove steak mixture from skillet;  keep warm.

 

Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add coleslaw mix; stir fry for 30 seconds.  Remove slaw from skillet and keep warm.  

Remove noodles from packages; reserve 1 seasoning packet for another use.  Add water and remaining seasoning packet to skillet.  Bring to boil.  

Break noodles in half and add to water.  Cook noodles 2 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.  

 

Stir in steak mixture, slaw and soy sauce.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  Serve in a bowl with a lovely set of chopsticks picked up at the local international grocery store.

We made a double recipe (had to use two pans since I don't have a super big one for 4 packages of ramen noodles).  This left us with enough leftover to take to work/school for lunch the next day.

I have used chicken instead of steak with excellent results as well.  Andrew likes adding red pepper flakes when he makes it.  I'm not a big fan myself.  Not everything needs to be hot and spicy (I am spicy enough already).  Sometimes, just a good bowl of noodles hits the spot.  The only adjustment that I would make to this recipe now is maybe adding some edamame.  

Edamame is my new favorite veggie of the year.  I plan on exploring the versatility of this little gem of a veggie, from the plain to the unreal; in the weeks and months ahead!  Edamame:  Good for you and tasty too!

But I digress.  This is the perfect recipe to adapt to whatever your taste buds are screaming for today.

Love and Laughter

Cheesy Chicken Penne Casserole

Its an unusually cold weekend here in Albuquerque.  Yesterday was very windy with an odd fog-like event was going on in the afternoon.  Today has been breezy but still very chilly compared to the warm temps of the last week.  It was in the 80s!  Its almost 4pm right now and in the upper 50s!  So, I decided it was the perfect time to turn on the oven and make this yummy looking recipe.  Here are the ingredients:

There should be more on the counter.  Next time!

1 lb penne pasta 
olive oil
2 chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper
8 oz sliced baby portobello mushrooms
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
1/4 c minced garlic
6 cups milk (1% works just fine)
14 oz can diced tomatoes w/basil, oregano & garlic (drained)
2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or Parmesan)
(add seasonings like oregano & basil or italian seasonings and most definitely some salt)


The original recipe that I based this on didn't call for the extra seasonings that I have listed at the bottom.  Who knows what I was thinking that caused me to miss this in the first place.  I think I was hypnotized with the picture and the cheesy chicken.  I am weak, but I resolve to be stronger in choosing my recipes (and making better adjustments) next time.  Actually, there is little wrong with the recipe other than the lack of seasonings.  I really don't understand how anyone can eat such bland food.  I guess if you were having some sort of medical issue where you needed to eat bland foods this would be perfect as it is.  However, for me and everyone else with a mature palate, I will make this again in the future, add more flavor and then update this entry with the new additions.  Now, on to the instructions.


Fill a large soup pot 3/4 full of water.  While it comes to a boil, heat a pan with a couple of turns of olive oil.  Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally.  Salt and pepper both sides.  Cook them until they are done.  Set aside (and out of the way of the dog and cats... or maybe that's just my unruly brood).  When the water is boiling, add enough salt to flavor the water.  It should taste like (clean) sea water.  This is the one and only time you have to flavor the pasta itself.  It may seem like alot of salt, but nowhere near all of it will be absorbed.  Do not skimp on this step!  Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes.  Don't panic.  It will finish cooking in the oven.

 

Don't forget to season the chicken too!

The joys of living at high altitude:  water rarely boils.  Takes a little longer to cook, but it still works.

After the chicken is done, saute the mushrooms in the same pan in the juices from the chicken.  If needed, add either butter or olive oil to keep the mushrooms from sticking.  I like using what was left in the pan after the chicken.  The mushrooms will soak up all of that flavor and eventually start to release the water inside of them which will bring up all of that yummy brown goodness on the bottom of the pan.

When the pasta is done, drain it into a colander.  Keep it there until ready to use.  In the same pot, melt the butter.  Add flour and garlic.  I think next time I will split the garlic between sauteing with the mushrooms and adding with the flour.  That way there is an extra layer of flavor.  Anyway, whisk the flour butter mixture until it looks like this:

This is a roux.

Slowly add in milk while continuing to whisk.  Continue to whisking until the milk has thickened.  It won't be as thick as you would think it should be.  The pasta will soak up some of the milk as it finishes cooking in the oven.  You will know when it is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon like this:

This is called nappe.  This is a fancy French word that describes the consistency of a sauce when it coats the back of a spoon and holds the shape of a line after a finger is dragged through it.  Next, add the mushrooms, chicken, drained tomatoes and the Italian blend cheese.  Continue stirring until everything is combined and the cheese is melted.  You might want to change to a spoon at this point because the melty cheese gets caught up in the wires of the whisk creating a big clump.  Add the pasta and stir to combine.  Its occurring to me that some steamed asparagus tips might be a nice addition right now too.

Pour half to 3/4 into a 9x13 baking dish coated with a non-stick cooking spray.  Top with mozzarella cheese.  In fact, you could top it with Parmesan cheese for more flavor. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 F or until brown and toasty.

The rest I have poured into a smaller metal pan, covered it with plastic wrap and foil and put it in the freezer.  I read that this freezes well.  I will bring it out again on the next chilly day and try it out.  It should be baked at 400 F for an hour to an hour and a half, top with cheese and then bake for another 15 minutes until brown and toasty!

The texture was good but could have stood to be a little moister.  The flavor was good for being bland I suppose.  It really does need some herbs and seasoning.  I think it definitely needs salt, but then I like a good salty dish too.  Enjoy this with a good salad with some homemade bleu cheese dressing. 

Love and Laughter