Spinach Enchiladas

These taste like a cross between stuffed shells and enchiladas. Got the recipe from allrecipes.com.

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
20 (5 in.) corn tortillas
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (I used a 14 oz. can of green enchilada sauce for mine.)

Preheat oven to 375*. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook about a minute but before the garlic is browned. Add spinach and cook about 3-5 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat. Stir in ricotta cheese, sour cream and one cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Warm up the tortillas in a frying pan on med/low heat until malleable. Put about 2-3 tablespoons of mixture in each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas when completed. Sprinkle the other cup of Monterey Jack cheese on top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and turning slightly brown at edges. Makes 10 servings of two enchiladas, or about 6 servings of about three enchiladas. I ate three. :) I also will likely add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the cheese mixture next time.
 

Southwest Macaroni

Okay, this isn't the best pic...I was so hungry that I was busy eating while the leftovers were cooling on the stove top so I could portion it out for lunches. I looks more aesthetically appealing when it's fresh and hasn't sat for 20 minutes!

3 cups uncooked macaroni shells
1 can chopped green chiles (4 oz.)
1 jar pimientos (2 oz.) They often come in 4 oz. jars so use half if this is the case.
1 cup canned milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I usually use 1 1/2 cups because I love cheese!)
1/2 cup sliced olives (about one small can)
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook macaroni shells in a sauce pan according to package directions and drain. Return pasta to saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients, cooking on med-low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened and is hot, about 5 minutes. makes about 6 (smallish) servings.

Slow Cooker Beans

I went to a pot luck for Independence Day with my family and my mom taught me this recipe. It's really good and so simple!

4 cans of various beans, drained. I chose black, red kidney, white kidney and garbanzos (chick peas)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, finely choped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (I run mine through a press)
10 strips of cooked bacon, cut up into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or more (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix up ingredients in the slow cooker. Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours. Makes about 8 cups, maybe more. Super easy!

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

So some of my friends and people from my church youth group need to eat gluten-free. This recipe compliments the previous cookie recipe (Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies) because that one requires an egg and an egg yolk. This recipe here requires an egg and an egg white. Perfect split of three eggs between the two!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
1 egg white
2 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Blue Diamond)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts, egg and egg white. In a bowl, mix almond flour with soda and salt. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Portion out dough with tablespoon-sized scoop two inches apart onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 11-13 minutes or until edges brown up a little. Let stand on cookie sheet 5 minutes; then remove to cooling rack. Store loosely covered. Makes about 3-4 dozen.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love to bake, but believe it or not, I didn't have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe! I have a fabulous peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, but until now, I didn't have a plain one. So here it is, and if I find another one that is better, I'll post it too!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup bread flour
2 tsp. corn starch
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars in a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and egg yolk one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla bean paste. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, corn starch, soda and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Do not over mix--only mix enough to combine. Stir in chocolate chips (I do this by hand). With a two-tablespoon sized scoop, portion out dough two inches apart on parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 10 min. and 30 seconds, or just until edges are starting to turn golden-brown. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Makes about 30 cookies (maybe a little more).

Egg Fried Rice

1/4 -½ cup vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, chopped spinach, etc.)

¼ cup sausage, chopped ham or other meat

1 ½ cup cooked and cooled rice

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp. cooking oil

2-4 green onions, finely sliced

Salt

Pepper

Soy sauce

Steam or cook the vegetables (not spinach). Set aside. Cook sausage, ham (if not fully cooked) or other meat. Beat the eggs together in a small bowl. Add a few sprinkles of salt to the eggs.

Heat oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add eggs and swirl around the base of the pan.  When the eggs are half cooked and a little runny still, add the rice and stir fry quickly, breaking up any clumps in the rice. Add meat and veggies. Continue to stir fry a few minutes. Add soy sauce to taste. Add green onions and stir fry until you can smell the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Churros

In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil together:
1 cup water
1/2 cup (one cube) butter
1/4 tsp. salt

Turn heat to low and add, stirring vigorously:
1 cup flour

Remove from heat. Beat 3 eggs in a small bowl and mix in with the flour mixture until all one texture of dough.

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a heavy, high sided pan on medium heat (about 360*).
Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a shallow dish or plate. Set aside.

Put dough into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. (I use an open star tip that's about 3/8" across.)

Using scissors in one hand and the pastry bag in the other, squeeze dough (I made mine about 5 inches long) into the pan of hot oil and cut off with scissors. Repeat to fry more in the pan. Let brown vary lightly and turn over. Drain on paper towels until cool enough to touch. Roll in cinnamon and sugar. Best served warm.
I didn't count, but I think it made about 3 dozen 4-5 inch churros.