Ground Beef Enchiladas

"My very youngest attempts at legit meals, probably starting around 10 years old or so, was conspiring items from cooked ground beef. Specifically 'taco flats' from a jr cookbook my dad gave me for my birthday around that time. That morphed into enchiladas and I'm not quite sure how they ended up being made the way they are - but always have been made this way. My dad has always been a fan of these (not a thumbs up easily awarded) and will eat as many as I make 'til they're gone! Many others I've served this meal share the same sentiment. Kids even like them if they're not too spicy!''

1 lb ground beef
1 onion (chopped)
1 can Las Palmas enchilada sauce (mild)
1 small can tomato sauce
seasonings
1 pkg Mexican blend cheese
1 small can olives (sliced)
1 can black beans
1/4 cup white cheese
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken stock
12 corn tortillas
sour cream (topping)

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Chop up a medium onion and add about 2/3 to the warmed pan. Cook until onions are tender and transparent. Add thawed ground beef. Add some seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin and any other spices you favor to give the meat a little flavor (don't overseason as there will be many more flavors added).

2. While meat is cooking put a can of enchilada sauce in a saucepan on low and add a can of tomato sauce or two depending on the level of spiciness you prefer. Allow to heat up slowly while other items are cooking. Stir occasionally.

3. In a small pan heat a nickel size amount of vegetable oil. Put in tortilla and flip to cover in oil. Heat to a soft cook on each side and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat for each of the dozen tortillas.

4. Take all enchilada ingredients (cooked meat, sauce, olives, tortillas, cheese) and organize as necessary to create an assembly line. Spray vegetable oil on pan (preferably glass or ceramic) to minimize sticking then ladle just enough sauce into the pan to cover the bottom. Dip the cooked tortilla into sauce to thoroughly coat, lay flat in pan, layer the fillings, then roll. Repeat until you've used up all the ingredients, preserving some of the cheese for topping. Ladle a small amount of sauce over the top of finished enchiladas and then sprinkle to cover with cheese. Cover with foil and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

5. In a medium-sized pan heat a small amount of olive oil and the remainder of the onion. Cook until tender and transparent. Then add rice, stirring frequently. While rice is coming to a brown, grab a 2-cup measuring cup and add a 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce/tomato sauce mixture then fill the rest with chicken stock. Can add some spices to the broth as well (salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.) Add to browned rice. Will be very hot. Stir to mix into rice then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.

6. Take a can or two of black beans (beans+liquid) and blend them in a blender until smooth (for a different texture). Pour into a small saucepan and add a grip of white cheese (whatever kind you have or prefer) to give them added flavor. Heat on low while rice is cooking and enchiladas are baking.

7. When rice is done enchiladas should be ready (cheese on top nicely melted and browning) to come out. Allow them to sit for a few minutes before dishing up with rice and beans!

Enjoy!

Source: My brain.

OOPS Chicken and Veggies

As basic as my cooking skills are, I tend to follow the OOPS strategy for meal success which would be adding Olive Oil, Pepper and Salt (seasoned) to give it a great simple flavor. I'm always in need of quick and simple options for meals that can be made on the fly, yet still be reasonably healthy, therefore the OOPS chicken and veggies meal was born! If I were more skilled there's probably great gravy to be made from what ends up in the chicken pan, but my butt will thank me for not learning that technique just yet!

Baked potato
Broccoli
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Frozen chicken tenderloins
Olive oil
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Spices (sage, thyme, etc.)
Lemon (if desired)
Balsamic vinegar (if desired)

1) Poke a couple holes in a washed baked potato and stick it in the microwave for about 12 minutes.

2) Cut veggies into bite sized pieces then grab a gallon ziploc bag and put them in the bag. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, then sprinkle on some seasoned salt and crushed black pepper, more or less to taste. You can also add any of your favorite spices to further season to your liking. Zip the bag closed and toss around until seasonings and oil have evenly coated the veggies.

3) Prepare a pan with a small amount of water at the bottom and add a veggie basket (see here), then transfer the coated veggies from the bag into the pan. Turn on high and cover so the water will boil and then steam.

4) Drop a few pieces of frozen chicken tenderloins into the empty ziploc and add a little more salt and pepper then toss around to season evenly. In a small pan heat a small amount of olive oil on medium-high heat then add chicken pieces one by one, taking care not to burn yourself when water meets oil. I then cover (not completely) and let them cook for about 5 minutes or so until the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Then turn over and brown the other side. Remove from pan and place onto paper towel to remove excess oil.

4) Check on your veggies and steam to desired tenderness. Add the baked potato now done in the microwave and give a squeeze of lemon over the meal or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over the veggies for an added pop of flavor.

5) Enjoy your quick meal!

Source: My brain.

Kona Inn Banana Bread

"I buy bananas a week in advance so they'll be ripe and ready for when I make this stellar banana nut bread. It's sweet and moist and nearly a cake. I first tasted this at the Turners and up and bought the Fannie Farmer Baking Book so I could own the recipe and make it myself. If I bring this into the office and leave the plate in the kitchen, the next time I come back it usually looks as pictured above and is merely crumbs by the afternoon. I'm told, 'I've got this one down.' I've made it my practice to bake in a bundt pan and serve on a pretty colored plate."

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 6 bananas)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Grease 2 8x4x3-inch loaf pans, or as I prefer, one standard bundt pan.

3) Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.

4) In another larger bowl, mix together the shortening, sugar, mashed bananas, eggs and walnuts. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir only until the batter is thoroughly blended.

5) Pour into the prepared pans and bake 50-60 minutes (usually 60 minutes for bundt pan), or until a skewer or straw inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs.

6)Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on a rack and let cool completely.

Source: Fannie Farmer Baking Book recipe for Kona Inn Banana Bread

Silky Blankies

Years ago, one of the mom's I babysit for was pregnant with #2 (Emma, now 8), and while I was there one afternoon watching her oldest (Ian, now 10) she spent the day making a silky blankie for her new arrival. My crafty brain took notes on how she put it together and shortly thereafter I made a trip to the fabric store and was trying to make them myself. I've made a number of them over the years for baby shower gifts and it warms my heart every time I see one that's ragged and used and made a favorite by a little one.


I'm always very particular about picking fabrics and tend to spend hours at Jenny's Fabrics combing the discount aisle to find just the right fabrics to pair together to make my creations. My recent journey to Jenny's resulted in a lot of pink favorites, so I'll be stocking up on baby girl gifts. Next time I'll hopefully find some winners that will be better suited for baby boys.



The finished silky blankie has a super soft satiny back and four patches of fuzzy flannel in the front. I like to make them on the larger size (full blanket is about 20" square) so that they can snuggle with them and love them into their pre-school years.


I went a little overboard with supplies this time, buying enough to probably make about 20 blankies in two different color schemes, so I made sure to get a few through the assembly line out the gate and justify the upfront expense. 6 down, 14 to go! Let's hope my sewing machine and I stay friends for most of 2011 and perhaps I'll have a sewing project to share each month!

Carrot Cake + Cream Cheese Icing

"Who knew a cake with a vegetable as the star ingredient would be enamored by so many? Trust me - it's a winner and a half. This carrot cake has long been a favored family recipe. It's rumored to have originated from The Broadway years ago and I've made it a goal to pass this recipe along as much as possible because it's a sure fire hit wherever it lands!"

3 c grated carrots (4 lg carrots)
2 c sugar (granulated)
2 c flour
4 eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 cups Wesson oil (can use apple sauce)
8 oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped walnuts (can add more)

Beat together sugar, eggs, cream cheese. Add carrots, flour, oil. Mix the soda, salt, cinnamon in separate bowl then add to mixture. Add vanilla and nuts. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 55 min @ 350 degrees (approximately 40 mins when split in two 9 x 13 pans.)

Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Icing...

1 lb powdered sugar
1/4 c butter (softened)
8oz pkg cream cheese
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and cream cheese, add sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread on cooled cake and between layers.

Source: Family archive, possibly originated from The Broadway.

Rainy Day Beef Stew

"I'm determined to make a good beef stew become part of my cooking repertoire and upon recommendation from someone who I deem a good cook, I embarked on following the recipe from The Joy Of Cooking to get some practice. Three attempts in and I'm still perfecting it, but this recipe seems to be a good base for making a great beef stew best enjoyed on a rainy evening like tonight."

Recipe variations are limitless, but we'll start from here:

Trim and pat dry and cut into 2 inch cubes:

2 lbs boneless beef stew meat (chuck, short-rib meat, bottom round)

Season with:
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herbs
(thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, and/or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (seasoned salt preferred)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Dredge in:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Shake off any excess flour. Heat in dutch over over medium-high heat:

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Add the meat in batches and brown on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pot or scorch the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot or add more if needed). Add:

1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 small rib celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped

Cover and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add:

2 bay leaves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herbs, same as above
1/2 teaspoon salt (seasoned salt preferred)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Add enough to cover the meat at least halfway:

2 to 3 cups beef or chicken stock or broth, dry red or white wine, or beer

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add:

2 to 3 carrots, cut into chunks
2 to 4 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 to 4 ribs of celery, cut into chunks

Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, skim off any fat from the surface, and remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Thicken sauce with cornstarch if necessary.

Source: The Joy Of Cooking, Beef Stew, page 479 of 75th Anniversary Editon

Hearty Meatball Soup

"They had Premium saltines on sale at Ralph's one day so I picked up a box. I happened to check out the recipe on the back a few days later and miraculously had all of the ingredients at home to make it and a beautiful new Martha Stewart Dutch oven begging to be used, so I ventured to make this hearty soup. Took it to work the next day, as I'm virtually incapable of cooking in volumes less than feeding an army, and the entire office ate it for lunch and loved it. It's kind of an Americanized version of Mexican Albondigas soup. Phil even suggested I make Homemade Soup Wednesdays a weekly routine!"

[this is the doubled recipe with added beans and veggies]

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onion, divided
6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, divided
40 PREMIUM saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cans (14 oz) broth (beef, chicken, veggie)
2 cans (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can kidney beans, washed and drained (optional)
1 can cannelini white beans, washed and drained (optional)
1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
*fresh chopped spinach can also be used
1-2 small zucchini, sliced thin (optional)
1-2 small yellow squash, sliced thin (optional)

1. Combine meat, 1/2 cup of the onion, 1/3 of the garlic, 1 tsp of the oregano in a large bowl. Add cracker crumbs and egg; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls; set aside.

2. Cook and stir remaining onion and the remaining garlic in hot oil in dutch oven or a large saucepan on medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender (nearly translucent). Add broth, tomatoes with their liquid, spinach and the remaining oregano; bring to a boil. Add meatballs one at time keeping soup at constant boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in veggies and beans; cover. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

3. Serve with additional PREMIUM saltine crackers. Enjoy!

Makes: 10-12 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-45 minutes

Source: PREMIUM saltine crackers back-of-the-box Quick & Easy recipe.

Cowboy Cookies

"I wanted to make cookies one night, and was thumbing through the All Recipes Cookie Lover's cookbook trying to find a recipe that called for ingredients that I had on had and their recipe for Cowboy Cookies fit the bill! Little did I know it would turn into the most favored cookie recipe I've ever made. I've probably made over a thousand of these cookies since (many times upon request) and they always appease the sweet tooth."

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease baking sheets. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on to the prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake in preheated over for 8 to 10 minutes (until bottoms are lightly brown and tops are dull rather than shiny - they firm up as they cool). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 5 dozen
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook time: 60 minutes total

Source: All Recipes Cookie Lover's Cookbook, page 9, Cowboy Cookies III

Snickerdoodles

"I'm a big fan of all things cinnamon sugar. Cinnamon sugar on buttered toast. Churros at Disneyland. Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Cinnamon Twists from Taco Bell. Cinnamon Sugar pizza with vanilla bean ice cream from Lazy Dog Cafe. With crispy edges and chewy centers, these Snickerdoodles are a crowd-pleasing cinnamon sugar cookie!"

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.

3. Mix together 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

4. Bake in the preheated over for 8 to 10 minutes or until set bu not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 5 dozen
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes total

Source: All Recipes Cookie Lover's cookbook pg 22 Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles.

Me, My Pans, And I

I'm getting over my fear of kitchen failure one successful recipe at a time and this blog shall note my successes as they come. For every entry that appears here, it's safe to assume a solid 5 recipes failed either due to a) my inability to translate a good recipe into good cooking or b)my testy palette not pleased with the final product.

So what you see is the cream of the crop - in my opinion. The fool-proof dishes that the novice of novices can even pull off and the ones that survived both me, likely my co-workers, and possibly my family and friends and got the two thumbs up worthy of making this blog. I'm a picky eater that sticks to the basics so you're likely going to see items made from chicken, beef, pork, basic veggies and a whole lot of sweets. I'm a lover of sweets. Beyond that - you're on your own.

I get giddy with the purchase of each Calphalon pan, Cuisinart accessory and little OXO gadget. Really, it's somewhat ridiculous. I buy numerous recipe books that other people recommend and then more than half of the time end up pulling recipes from the internet. Go figure. I'm on a mission to use these tools to their utmost potential and maybe, just maybe, someday I'll actually have conquered enough of a volume of recipes to be deemed...a good cook.

Let's begin in no particular order...