Blog Archives
Friday Recipe Exchange: Enchiladas
![DSC_5102 [1600x1200]](http://whats4dinnersolutions.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dsc_5102-1600x1200.jpg)
Quick note: I’ve been playing with the layout of the blog, so it may change several more times over the weekend. Please standby.
JeffreyW has been teasing with some impressive looking South of the Border treats lately, so I thought it would be a good night to focus on them. The featured recipe is an enchilada pie. It is kid friendly and a breeze to put together. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
JeffreyW makes a similar dish, called Enchiladas Montadas (recipe here), which is pictured above.
Also from JeffreyW, a quick and easy Chicken Enchiladas (click here), including his terrific photos.
From frequent visitor, Joshua De Mers (you may know his as Yutsano), his Pork Enchiladas (recipe here).
All of that should give you an idea how to create your own enchilada to satisfy your tastes. Hit the comments and share some of your favorite enchilada, nacho, burrito or other favorites. And if you need more inspiration, click here for a complete photo gallery of JeffreyW’s enchilada creations.
Finally, tonight’s featured recipe:
Enchilada Pie
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ large onion, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 20 oz. enchilada sauce
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 10 corn tortillas
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
skillet & 8×8 glass baking dish, lightly oiled
Add beef and onion to skillet and cook until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Add spices and sauces; let simmer while you prep tortillas. Tear tortillas into strips and use some to cover the bottom of a well-oiled casserole dish. Layer a portion of the beef mixture and cheese on top, then repeat (tortillas, beef, cheese) to fill up casserole; finish with layer of cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°
Thursday Recipe Exchange: Tomato Soups
Soooo…anything happening this week I should know about? 
It’s been a flurry of activity here. Saw Pitch Perfect and really liked it. I roasted my first turkey of the season, it turned out pretty good, I may post about that later this weekend. A friend had knee surgery so I went and did a bit of gardening for her. It was a beautiful, warm day to be in the garden and she has a fabulous yard. But all good things must come to an end, and the weather is about to turn and be quite chilly. This put me in the mood for tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, so I dug around and found two of my favorite tomato soup recipes that I haven’t made in a while, mostly because I’m been making batches of spinach tomato soup. I thought it was time to add some variety. Both of tonight’s recipes are almost as quick as opening up a can of soup, but much more satisfying.
First up is the Hearty Tomato Soup and Totally Awesome Grilled Cheese (recipe here). I use roasted tomatoes when I can for a more complex flavor. The featured recipe of Tomato Bell Pepper Soup was originally part of a menu that included Orange Glazed Salmon, but it’s just as good with a nice sandwich for a quick dinner.
How about you, when the weather turns cold, what do you start to crave? Do you make your own tomato soup and how do you jazz it up? What are your favorite, go-to soups on a cold fall day?
The photo above is JeffreyW making the simplest lunch look delicious.
And finally, tonight’s featured recipe:
Tomato & Red Bell Pepper Soup:
- 4 large, ripe tomatoes, halved (or equivalent canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 red onion, peeled quartered
- 1 large red bell pepper, halved & seeded
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
grilling basket & saucepan
Toss tomatoes, onions & bell pepper with oil, season with salt & pepper. Place vegetables in grilling basket, cut side down and grill for 6 to 8 minutes. Add vegetables, garlic, chicken broth, vinegar, sugar to blender and puree. Pour into saucepan, bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, add cream & basil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with bacon when served.
Gyros! (sorta)
Lacking lamb, but having a yen for gyros, I pressed a flatiron steak into service. Cavender makes a Greek seasoning mix that is pretty good – the beef was heavily dosed with it and it did a good job.
We haven’t had a frost so there is plenty of mint for flavor and garnishing. The Tzatziki sauce is the usual recipe with cucumber, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt all mixed into Greek yogurt. I can make a meal of just the pita and the sauce for a dip.
Tomato-Spinach Soup Revisited
The best part about the cool weather arriving is homemade soup season is upon us. I’m reposting this soup recipe from last winter, because that’s what I’m eating at lunch right this minute. I’ve been leaving the bread out, because I haven’t had any on hand, and it still tastes great. Yum!
Tomato-Spinach Soup
- 14 oz of diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, cleaned
- 2 thick slices of french bread or equivalent
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup green beans
- 1/4 of a small onion, chopped
- 1 cup water, as needed
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp dried basil, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan for garnish
blender, saucepan
In a blender, blend together bread, spinach and tomatoes, until smooth*. Add to saucepan with vegetables and spices. Bring to low boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with Parmesan. Makes 2 generous servings.
*Blending the spinach, tomatoes and bread together gives you a nice hearty tomato base for the soup. You can add some spinach leaves at the end if you like, letting them get limp but not overcooked.
Here’s the link to the original post about how this recipe came about: Spinach-Tomato Soup. Can’t believe it was only December it’s become a staple, all because I had spinach I needed to use up.
