Carne Picada de Enchiladas

Enchilada's are always a good choice.  There simple to make and you can roll them with you choice of meat or vegetables.  These are so creamy and cheesy they will go fast.  Recipe serves four

Enchilada Filling
1 LB Ground Meat (pork, beef or turkey)
1 Small Onion
1 Small Green Pepper
3 Garlic Cloves crushed
1/4 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup Chili Powder
1/2 TBS Salt
1/2 TBS Pepper
1 16 oz PKG Fiesta Blend shredded Cheese
12 Corn Tortillas

Brown meat in a large kettle and drain grease into a separate pan.  Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in grease drained from meat for 5 minutes stirring constantly.  Return sauteed vegetables to ground meat without grease.  Add tomato sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Simmer uncovered until all liquid is dissolved.

Heat 1 cup of oil in a small skillet.  Once oil is hot drop tortilla into skillet and quickly turn lightly heating both sides to soften the shell.   Place tortilla on flat services placing at least 2 tablespoon of ground meat on one edge topping with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese.  Roll tightly and place in a 9X13 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Continue process until all twelve tortillas are filled and packed tightly into dish.

Enchilada Sauce

1 TBS Flour
1 15 oz can Chicken Broth
2 8 oz cans Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin
2 Tsp Dried Cilantro
1 Tbs Oragno
1 Tsp Red Pepper
1 Tbs Garlic Salt
1 Tbs Lemon Pepper

Mix Flour in 1/4 cup of cold water and swiftly stir into heated chicken broth.  Add Tomato Sauce and spices.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Pour sauce into baking dish with Enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Curried Tomato Rice and BBQ Tofu

It’s amazing to watch my daughter come to her own as a creative cook.  She has become so inventive and her dishes are always as tasteful as they look.  You’ll want to try this one for sure.

 

 Cup Brown Rice

2 Cups Tomato Juice

1 Tsp salt,

1 Tsp pepper

2 Tsp curry powder

1 14oz Block Firm Tofu

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs Rice Vinegar

1 Cup Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce

Cook rice in tomato juice about 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.  Add Seasonings.

Remove as much water from Tofu as possible. Place in 375 degree oven baking 20 minutes on each side.  Remove Tofu from oven and cut into slices about 3 inches thick.  Heat Olive Oil and Rice Vinegar in Skillet adding sliced Tofu.  Coat each side with BBQ sauce and cook until completely seasoned.  Serve over rice

Red White & Blue Cheese Cake

How fun is this? Dazzle them with this Red White and Blue Cheese Cake.  No baking this one.  The crust and filling are made from scratch which give it even more amazing flavor.  Speed it up a little and buy a pre-made graham cracker crust, and strawberry preserves for the topping.  Makes one 9" pie.

Crust

One pkg (10 ct) graham crackers preferably cinnamon and honey
or add 1 Tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbs sugar to original graham crackers
1/2 cup butter

Finely crush graham crackers-in a blender works best.  Add sugar and cinnamon if needed.  Melt butter and thoroughly mix with crackers until completely coated.  Press mixture evenly into a 9" pie pan about 1/4 inch thickness.  Bake at 350 for ten minutes.

Red white and Blue Cheese Cake

Filling

2 8oz pkgs cream cheese
1 5oz can condensed sweetened milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tsp vanilla

Cream Cheese should be at room temperature to insure it blends evenly.  Add milk to cheese and whip until creamy.  Add lemon juice and vanilla.  Pour filling into cooled pie crust and refrigerate for several hours until completely set.

Topping

1 16oz container strawberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
10 to 12 whole blueberries
Ship Topping

Cook strawberries with water and sugar allowing to boil for five minutes.  On low temperature slowly add corn starch and water string constantly until thickened.  Transfer to a covered bowl refrigerating until completely cooled.  Once strawberries are the consistency of a thick jam spreads on cheese cake.

Layer top left hand corner of pie with blueberries and top with stripes of whip cream (Redi Whip works best)

Patriot Crumble

Patriot Crumble is a deliciously warm desert for any occasion. I use Raspberries and Black Berries, but any combination of your favorite berries will work. My fav tip: Buy berries in summer months when they are in season and less expensive. Freeze, or can them for use any time. This recipe makes one 9" pie and makes six slices. Goes really well with vanilla ice cream.

Patriot Crumble

4 Cups Frosted Flakes

2 Tbs Cinnamon

1 Cup Melted Butter

1 1/2 Cups Fresh Raspberries

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Corn Starch

1/4 Cup Cold Water

Crush corn flakes in a large bowl, but not too much. Melt butter in sauce pan . Add cinnamon and flakes stirring until flakes are completely coated and slightly brown. Coat one 9" pie pan with non-stick spray. Place 3/4 of the cornflake mixture in pie pan pressing into bottom and sides. Place in oven and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Boil water, sugar and cinnamon in a sauce pan. Mix corn starch and water in a cup and add to boiled water. Whisk swiftly until smooth. Toss Berries in pie base at the last minute so they won't become overcooked. Remove flakes from oven and add berries to crust. Sprinkle remaining flakes on top of berries and return to oven baking at 350 for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake

What do you do when your vegan friend has a birthday? Learn how to make a Vegan Chocolate Cake. I was running blind with this one, but it turned out really good (so I was told). It was very moist and had a great flavor. Since it is made with cocoa it had a rich chocolate flavor. I made a simple one layer version. Just double the recipe for a two layer cake.
CAKE

Vegan Chocolate Cake Ala mode

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cup water

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add oil and use fork or pasty cutter to blend well. Add vanilla and vinegar string well so vinegar is well distributed. Add water slowly until batter is perfect consistency for cake. You may not need to use the entire 1 1/2 cups. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until tooth pick when inserted into center comes out clean. Allow to cool on rack.

FROSTING

1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Powder Sugar

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil (Or Vegan Butter if you have it)

Mix all ingredients together with blender adding vegetable oil in small amounts until smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cake and serve with vegan ice cream.

Southwest Scramble Egg Skillet

Eggs aren't just for dinner anymore.  Sometimes the best suppers are made with eggs, and they can be one of the most nutritious.  This is a quick meal that serves four.  It is also a crowd please when guests are over.

Southwest Scrambled Egg Skillet

4 Corn Tortillas
1 Sleeve Smoked Sausage
1 Small Onion
1 Small Green Pepper
2 Large Garlic Cloves
2 Large Jalapeno Peppers (optional)
2 cups Shredded Fiesta Cheese
4 Large Eggs
4 Tablespoons Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
    Optional
 1 Package 12 Count Flour Tortillas
 1 Large Avocado Sliced                                                       Sour Cream and Salsa

Slice Corn Tortillas into 3" X 1" strips.  Place in skilled with hot oil and cook until brown and crisp.  Remove from heat and add add diced onion, green pepper, garlic and jalapeno.  Stir until blended and sauteed but not over cooked. Add diced smoke sausage and cook for five minutes returning tortilla strips.  Whip eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl blending thoroughly. Pour eggs in skillet over meat, vegetables and tortillas evenly distributing.  Once eggs start to bubble on top turn with a spatula until completely flipped.  Continue flipping until eggs are no longer runny.  Top with shredded fiesta cheese and allow to set until cheese is melted.

Serve as is with biscuits, or place in flour tortilla topped with your choice of avocado, sour cream and salsa.

Sausage and Egg Pie

Everyone likes pie for breakfast, right?  Here is one that makes a great start to any day.  I threw this together this morning not knowing what I would come up with.  My husband really enjoyed it.  Although I've used sausage any meat you prefer can be substituted.  I like to make my own crust, but to speed up the cooking time use one package of uncooked store bought biscuits.  Serves 4.

 

Sausage and Egg Pie   

1 Pkg Jumbo Biscuits
  1/2 Lb Uncooked Pork Sausage
   4 Eggs
   1/2 Cup Picante Salsa
   1 Tsp Salt
   1 Tsp Pepper
   1 Tsp Garlic Powder
   2 Cups Fiesta Blend Shredded Cheese
   1 Diced Jalapeno (optional)

Gently kneed together biscuit dough on flowered surface and roll to 1/2" thickness.  Place dough in a 9" pie dish that has been coated with a non cook spray.  Place in 350 oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.,

Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink.  Do not crumble sausage, but leave in nice size chunks.  Set aside and remove all but one tablespoon of grease from pan.  Whip eggs, picante sauce and seasonings together.  Pour egg mixture over sausage and return to stove.  Allow egg to set and gently turn inward using spatula scraping sides of pan.  Continue turning eggs until done.  Place egg and sausage in pie crust.  Top with cheese and Jalapeno (if desired).  Return to oven for 10 minutes allowing cheese to melt.