A Couple of Great Recipes

Today, I made some great food, if I do say so myself.  And I thought, "There might be someone out there who would think this was yummy", so I'm sharing a couple of recipes from what I made.

I have been reading this book by Mariel Hemingway - that I mentioned earlier this week.  In it, she gives a recipe for a protein frapuccino that is super good.  I made a twist with it by adding chocolate and cinnamon, and thought you might like it as well:

Mexican Chocolate Frapuccino

1 Cup cold decaf coffee (I used leftover from the morning pot)
1 T chocolate powder (I used dark chocolate powder)
1 tsp cinnamon
1T agave nectar (You could use sugar, honey, stevia or other sweetener if you want)
1 heaping scoopful of protein powder (I used vanilla whey protein powder)
2 large handfuls of ice
1/4 C cream


I put all ingredients except cream in the blender.  Thanks to my mother, I have this incredible Vita-Mix blender that works amazingly well with everything.  After everything is blended, add the cream and blend for a few short bursts.  If you blend too long, the cream will get lumpy and begin to turn to butter - not so tasty.  Pour into a glass and enjoy your very inexpensive coffee treat - which has protein to boot!

I tried some Truffle Tater Tots at a restaurant recently - which of course they charged an arm and leg for.  I thought - wow, I could do this at home for a fraction of the cost.  True, the white truffle oil isn't cheap - I spent $10 for my bottle, but when the dish at the restaurant came in at $7 a pop, I will more than pay for the bottle with a few times cooking this dish.  I had not tried truffle oil yet, and must admit to being just a little frightened.  I don't care much for mushrooms, so truffles did not thrill me- except if they have chocolate inside...  I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the deep, smoky flavor.  It was mesmerizing, actually.  I found a good bottle (not great, I am sure) of the oil in my local grocery store.  I'm sure a simple search would bring up a much better bottle - perhaps at Whole Foods or a specialty shop.

White Truffle Potatoes

2 lbs russet or yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut in chunks
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Put potatoes in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt and garlic (either powder or minced).  Cover and put in oven.  Stir every 15 minutes until getting crispy and browned.  When done to your liking, sprinkle approximately 2 T of white truffle oil all over the potatoes.  Then, if you like, sprinkle parmesean cheese (we used Kasseri goat cheese) over the top.  Once the cheese has melted a bit, transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and serve.

Oh soooooo good.

Let me know what you think, if you make either of these.

Mama's 'Make Me Feel Better' Soup

We have had the stomach flu at our house for the past 2 weeks.  First one member got it, then another as the first healed, then the third.  I was able to skirt it so far by taking the homeopathic remedy for flu 'Inflluenzinum'.  Each time my boys were able to stomach anything, I made this soup (at their request).  Somehow, chicken noodle soup really does fix the sickest child!

Make Me Feel Better Soup




I list only general amounts of ingredients, as this soup is really a 'whatcha got in the pantry' sort of soup.

Over medium heat, saute a chopped onion in butter (or olive oil).  Add chopped celery and carrot, potato, parsnips, etc.  When onion is translucent, add chopped or ground chicken.  When the chicken is cooked, add stock or water to desired level.  

I wanted to make quite a bit of soup, so I added about 6 cups of water.  I added dried basil as well, and salt and pepper to taste.  Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.  When boiling, add noodles of your choice.  I added plain ramen noodles.  When the noodles are cooked, the soup is done.  

Bring to your patient with loving patience, then go take a few moments for yourself - it might be a long night!

Summer's Over Tostadas

Had to - just had to come up with a new recipe for the blog. (And oh, by the way - you're getting four with this post tonight!!) It's been weeks since I last gave you a mindful dose of cookin'. I was reading the article about Jennifer Aniston's cooks who made this super-yummy looking tostada and salad meal. I was really inspired to use kale in my tostadas, as I am always looking for new ways to get my kids to eat greens. What follows is my rendition, which is why I can name it. Please let me know if you make it, and tell me what you think.

By the way - many weeks ago, I asked for your recipes to put into a menu plan. I haven't forgotten, still have what you sent, and welcome more additions. This project asks for more time than I was able to give it this summer to complete it, but I'm almost done with a 2-week trial for your perusal. Feel free to send me more ideas!

Summer's Over Tostadas

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Brush olive oil over one side of 18 corn tortillas. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes on a cookie sheet (I had to do mine in batches) or until browned. You may want to turn them over, but you will not need to brush more oil on. Remove from over and let sit.

Topping:

2 cans black beans

3 scallions, minced

2 T feta cheese (optional)

1/2 C chopped greens (I used swiss chard because that is what I had on hand. You could use chard, kale, bok choy, or other leafy green)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 C monterey jack cheese, shredded

Put all ingredients except monterey jack cheese in a large bowl to mix. Spread 2T bean mix over each baked tortilla. Put back in over and bake until cheese melts and bean mixture is hot.

Top with salsa verde, guacamole, sour cream. Serve with Enchanted Salad.

Salsa Verde

12 tomatillos, husked and chopped

4 scallions, minced

1 large handful cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3T Apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

To make this salsa the easy way, put everything in the food processor and pulse until somewhat chopped and uniform in texture to your taste. Refrigerate after using. Makes about 1 cup. Use to top tostadas.

Enchanted Salad

3 Cups various salad greens, torn into bite-sized pieces (I used Organic microgreens)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 avocado, cut into small slices

1 blood orange, peeled, cut into large chunks

Mix all ingredients, putting avocado and orange pieces on top (they look pretty there!).

Dress with Cumin Dressing, below

Cumin dressing

1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T cumin

Mix all ingredients and pour over salad. So good. So, so good. Mmmmmm.

Ambrosia Delight

(in honor of my mother)

Fill a large drinking glass (16oz) with ice. Pour in 1/2 cup both pineapple and guava juice. Fill the glass with Seltzer (or Sprite) and mix with a spoon.

* Double check that the juice you use for this drink is only juice - no sugar, additives, etc. Sometimes the guava nectar is only fruit and gives the drink a nice, smooth texture. Ah yes, 'Ambrosia', my mother would say.

It's Too Hot To Cook, Mama!!

Are you ready for another recipe? This summer, the rain has given way to intense humidity and heat. Not much to you Westerners out there, but we have been getting up close to 90 degrees F with at least 70% humidity. That's just sticky weather. So, since it's too hot to cook, I have been trying to come up with some creative ideas to keep the stove off. Here's my recipe for

Mama's Too Hot To Cook Quinoa Salad:

All I did was make too much quinoa for dinner one night and had a ton left over. Quinoa is like rice when you cook it: 1:2 ratio grain to water. So I took 2 Cups of quinoa, rinsed it to get the bitter enzymes off of it, and put it in 4 cups of boiling chicken broth (you can use water or other broth if you like). As it was cooking, I added frozen organic peas and sliced zucchini. Cook on low heat until the water is absorbed - about 20 minutes or so (but keep an eye on it in case it needs more or less time). So that is all the cooking part, which hopefully you can do without sweltering up the kitchen like I do.

This is one of those improvisational recipes, where you throw in whatever you have around the kitchen. You could add grilled chicken. You could add cooked beans. For this dish pictured above, I chose to add things like sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, red onion and parsley. I think I threw in a couple of garden tomatoes as well.

For the dressing, I chose olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. I mixed that up in the food processor until smooth, checked for taste, and poured it over the top of the salad.

This salad received rave reviews, from friends and family alike. Definitely what I would call 'a keeper'.

********

Have you ever tried quinoa??

Quinoa plant

From Wikipedia:
Quinoa (keen-wa) was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[3] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

From Me:
What I love about quinoa is how easy it is to prepare. It cooks as quickly as white rice, tastes mild and a little crunchy, and is beautiful to look at with it's little collars that float to the top of the pot while cooking. You can find it in your local health food or specialty food stores as well as in some well-stocked supermarkets. Of course, it is also online as well. A little more pricy than rice, it is worth every cent with it's high protein count and great taste.

If you've never tried quinoa before, try it and let me know what you think!

Viva La Salsa!

One thing I love about summer is farmers markets. One thing I love about farmers markets is freshness. On thing I love about freshness is...

SALSA!

You know, it's really so simple to make, yet so many people are truly amazed at how incredible fresh salsa tastes. And what's great is you can alter it in so many ways. You could make it spicy, nose-dripping hot (sorry), or much milder. You could use fruits such as watermelon, papaya, mango or peach. You could use no tomatoes whatsoever and make a salsa verde of sorts. Tomatillos or not. Onions or not. Super garlicky or not. Truly an improvisationalist's dream in cooking!

Here's my basic recipe - but you have to promise me you'll play with it to come up with new versions (then share them here!).

Viva La Salsa!

Makes approximately 4 cups

6 plum tomatoes, quartered

6 tomatillos, de-husked and quartered

2 cloves garlic

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar

Salt to taste

hot pepper - do what tastes right to you: I use 1/2 small jalapeno pepper (no seeds) and it is pretty spicy. If you want the pepper taste but not the spice, try a lesser hot pepper, such as an Italian (or others). Always use caution opening and cleaning hot peppers as the oil becomes airborne and is quite easy to inhale. It also gets on your fingers (some folks use gloves) and can irritate your skin, or get into your eyes if you rub them. Wash your hands immediately after finishing with the pepper part of this recipe.

Put everything in the food processor. I typically do the tomatoes first, pulsing to get them just chopped but not too juicy. I do the same for the tomatillos. After pulsing, I put each of these ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Then comes the rest of the ingredients, including the pepper, if using. This time, you can let the processor run a bit longer, because this part can be more juicy. Put everything in the bowl and mix. Salt to taste. Add more vinegar/lemon if it needs more bitter, pungent flavors. In fact you could adjust any part of the recipe at this point to make it taste more to your liking.

Just don't expect it to stick around too long!

Enjoy!

One of Our Easiest Recipes

Have you ever tried making sun tea? I'm not much of an iced tea drinker myself. However, being that the constant and pelting rain turned to blistering hot and hazy humidity, I have been drinking anything I can get down my throat lately. With just enough agave syrup, and a glass full of ice, it's like nectar from the sun.

Basically, you don't really need the sun to make tea. If you steep bags in a jar of water, the liquid readily becomes tea. The sun does help to deepen the flavor, however, releasing more of the essential oils of bergamot, lavender, lemon, orange, or whatever you have added to your tea.

Some recent flavors we've attempted are:

Lemon chamomile

Lavender Lemon

Green lemonade (green tea and lemon zinger)

White peach (white tea and peach puree)

Some we are going to try soon:

White raspberry lime (white tea, raspberry puree and lime juice/rind)

Lemon spearmint

Chocolate mint (we have a chocolate mint plant in the yard)

To make sun tea:

Use a clean, quart or gallon sized jar. Fill it with water. Add tea bags to your liking. I usually add about 6-7 bags for a gallon jar, but we like it really strong. after the tea has brewed in the sun for around 4 hours, you can sweeten it to taste. You can also keep it unsweetened (of course!) and sweeten it per glass - or not at all. We keep ours refrigerated. This will keep for days, though I'd be surprised if it lasted that long!

Enjoy!

How to Make Good Enchiladas-Outstanding Enchiladas

I made some enchiladas for a convalescing friend today ( and some extras for us). I love love love enchiladas, and although they are time-consuming to make, they taste sooooo good - who cares? I thought I would share how I make them, since it is a bit different than typical cookbooks suggest. I learned this from the Beyond the Moon cookbook by Ginny Callan. (I think this cookbook is outrageously amazing, by the way. You have to be able to stomach alot of dairy and not counting fat calories, as she really uses quite a bit.) Here's how it goes:

Put a small frying pan on medium heat. Place one corn tortilla in pan.

Brush tortilla with melted butter:

Brush tortilla with salsa:

Heat tortilla for just a few moments, then turn and do it all over on the other side. The tortilla is done when it is soft - only about 15-20 seconds or so:

I tend to do the brushing of butter and salsa on the first side before I put the tortilla in the pan, brushed side down. That leaves the unbrushed side facing up, ready to be brushed before turning it over. This gets you a step ahead, and keeps the tortilla from sticking over the heat.

Fill with whatever you like - cheese, chicken, beef, pork, broccoli, beans, whatever. Put them in an oven-proof dish and cover with cheese and enchilada sauce. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or so, until bubbly. Here is what my friend will receive tomorrow:

Enjoy!! And don't forget the giveaway - deadline is this Thursday, 10 pm!

Cookin' Out!

I have been away in California for my niece's graduation.  What a wonderful time I had.  It is so good to reconnect with family, especially over such a great celebration.

We had a good ol' fashioned Bar-B-Que while I was there this past week, with my nephew making some pretty awesome hamburgers.  We also had the discussion of whether to call it a BBQ or cookout.  In the east, we call it a cookout, and I guess I became accustomed to the word as it seemed natural to me, but my family got a kick out of it - "Cookout?", they asked.  Ah well, semantics.

Chris' Amazing Hamburgers

My nephew, Chris, begins making the hamburgers by mixing the meat up with a few simple spices - salt and pepper, or whatever you have on hand.  He takes a patty-sized amount of the meat and rolls it into a ball, depresses the center and adds a large cube of cheese.  After closing the ball, he pats it into a patty and cooks it on the grill.  Serve with your favorite toppings, relishes, etc.

To that, we added grilled eggplant that my friend, Fiona and her son, Campbell, recently taught me to make.

End of the School Year Eggplant

Slice one eggplant about 1/2" thin, skin on.  Layer the pieces in a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and let sit for 1/2 hour (with something underneath to catch the water).  Rinse well and pat dry.

Heat grill to medium/medium high.

Mix 1 Tbs chopped garlic with 1/2 C olive oil.  Before placing the eggplant pieces on the grill, brush each piece with the garlic/olive oil mixture.  Grill on one side until grill marks form and eggplant is beginning to be soft.  You may need to brush with more olive oil to keep the eggplant soft.  Turn the eggplant and brush with the oil.  Continue to grill until soft.

Sprinkle all pieces with salt or seasoned salt once grilled.

Whatever you call it, cooking outdoors brings an altogether smoky and adventurous flavor to food.  I am looking forward to sharing more grilling stories and recipes with you this summer.  Having just picked up the Cook's Illustrated guide to grilling, I expect to have many more grilling experiences coming up.  Stay tuned!

My New Favorite Drink

I have been incorporating new, healthier foods into my diet lately.  Well, not really 'new' foods, but new to my diet foods, such as kale, chard, fruits, really green salads, etc.  I bought jicama at the store on friday with the hopes that I will put it in my salads this week - should be crunchy and interesting.  Every morning, as I have posted here, I start my day with a green drink using kale, chard, pineapple, tomato and agave nectar (sweetener).  I do however, sneak in a sweeter smoothie when I can.  I came up with my new favorite smoothie just a couple of weeks ago, and have now successfully kept all the ingredients in the house at all times, so I can make it any time I want.  It's really a Pina Colada, but I just call it heaven...

Mindful Mama's Smooth Smoothie

1 Cup coconut milk

1 Cup pineapple, cubed

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 T agave nectar

1t vanilla

1 large glass full of ice cubes

Put all in blender and blend until smooth.  Absolutely delicious!  

They say eating more raw foods is better on the budget.  I haven't found this to be the case just yet.  So far, I have spent much more than I typically budget for weekly groceries as I bulk up on nuts and organic fruits.  I am not so good at choosing foods that will make more than one meal possible, but I'm working on it.  I have been acquiring more raw 'cook' books, so I assume things will get easier as time moves on.

After drinking this smoothie at least 3 times a week, I have noticed my hair is silkier, my nails are much stronger and my skin is smooth and clear of any blemishes.  


The coconut milk in it is a terrific source of fats for your body - one that has received a very bad rap for too long.  The thing about fat is that we truly need it for survival.  Fats tell our bodies when we are satiated, give texture and flavor to foods, and provide us with necessary lubrication for our joints.  Fats make our skin glow and hair shine, and give us general health support.

Other great health benefits of coconut include:

1. goiter control (enlarged non-toxic thyroid) because of its organic iodine content.
2. Good body builder, so it is a food recommended for building up the body muscles of thin and emaciated individuals.
3. Constipation and for any build-up of gas in the stomach and intestinal tract.
4. Coconut milk has been found to help cases of sore throat as well as relieving stomach ulcers.
5. Coconut oil has been found to heal cuts, scratches, burns and sunburns.
6. The oil has also been recommended for facial massage and is reported to be good as a wrinkle remover.
7. Coconut oil is also good for the scalp and hair and makes hair dressing unnecessary.
Intake of at least 2 Tbsp. of Virgin coconut oil per day can lessen your Vitamin E requirement.
8. Coconut water is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems.

(from http://hubpages.com/hub/Health_Benefits_of_Coconut)

Pineapple is another thing altogether.  Apart from being amazingly sweet, one of the benefits of pineapple is that it helps to build healthy bones. Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese. The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.   While many people often take extra vitamin C or drink extra orange juice when they have a cold, few consider eating pineapple. The benefits of pineapple when you have a cold or cough are the same as the benefits of orange juice, but there is an additional benefit of pineapple. Bromelain, which is found in pineapples, has been found to help suppress coughs and loosen mucus.

from http://www.oohoi.com/natural%20remedy/everyday_food/Benefits-of-Pineapple.htm

Strawberries contain a range of nutrients, with vitamin C heading the group. They also contain significant levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which fight free radicals. These antioxidant properties are believed to be linked to what makes the strawberry bright red.  So what are these weird free radicals? Free radicals are elements that can damage cells, and they are thought to contribute to the formation of many kinds of cancer.  In addition to vitamin C, strawberries also provide an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
(fromhttp://www.chetday.com/benefitofstrawberry.htm)

I really don't feel bad about splurging on my new favorite drink - turns out it's really GOOD for me!!  Try it - let me know what you think!

Jeweled Pasta

Another night I didn't feel like cooking.  I've been eating more 'raw', fresh food lately, and honestly, I've been cleansing... um... just a bit much, so eating wasn't top on my to do list tonight.  However, I do have a family, and they do need to eat, so off to the kitchen to create a new dish to please everyone.

What I ended up with was something I call Jeweled Pasta.  I have been drinking as much kale and chard as my little taste buds will allow (in the form of green drinks), so I thought tonight I would do a bit of sauteing instead.  What came about was truly inspiration!

Jeweled Pasta

1 package pasta, any shape (I used gluten-free rotini)

1 bunch organic kale, cut in bite-sized pieces

4 leaves chard, cut in bite-sized pieces

1/2 tomato, sliced in 1" pieces

10 garlic cloves, sliced

olive oil

salt and fresh pepper to taste

This one's pretty easy:

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

Saute the garlic in the olive oil over medium to low heat.  The higher the heat, the more the chance of scorching the garlic, making it bitter.  Once the garlic turns lightly translucent, add the greens, stirring often.  As the greens begin to turn bright green, add the tomato, cover and take off the heat.  You do not want to overcook the greens - let them stay bright green.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and add more olive oil if necessary.  Pour greens over pasta and serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese, if you like.  Tasty!

I think we don't eat enough greens, typically, in our very SAD diet.  It's a shame, since greens hold the highest count of calcium in the plant world.  You also get plenty of vitamin K which is tough to get elsewhere.  Folic acid - a brain fuel chemical is available in greens as well.  And they're just beautiful as they grow, don't you think?  All that beauty AND brains too!  

Do you have a favorite way to fix them?  Please share it here for everyone to learn how to add these highly nutritious foods into our diets.

Crunchy, Sweet Goodness: Granola!

Being gluten-free has brought several challenges.  One of these is finding suitable breakfast foods without oats, wheat, barley or rye.  My family looooves granola.  We eat it with milk, kefir, yogurt, on ice cream, or just by itself as a snack.  Before finding out we were gluten intolerant, finding yummy granola for a decent price was tricky.  So I started making it at home, and became addicted to the amazing smell it gives off as it bakes.

Once you have the right ingredients, of which there are so many possibilities, granola is really quite simple to put together.  For us, all we need do is find the gluten-free oats, which are beginning to be carried in many local stores here, and we're in business.  To make your own version, use the basic recipe I give below, and add your favorite dried fruits, nuts, flavors, etc.  Be creative!

Basic Granola Recipe

4 C rolled oats, uncooked

1 C grain-based cereal, such as puffed rice, amaranth, or corn

3 T oil

2 T maple syrup

1t cinnamon

Mix all ingredients well and spread in thin layer on cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Let cool for 1/2 hour.  Granola will crisp as it cools.

To this basic mix, you can add such ingredients as:

Before baking-

Any mix of nuts or any single nut you enjoy

Other spices you like - nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves

Coconut, shaved or grated

After baking-

Chopped dried apricots, apples, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, pineapple

1 t vanilla, orange flavoring

The very best part of this recipe is the incredible aroma that comes from your kitchen as it bakes.  I once had a neighbor come over to ask what 'that addicting smell' was coming from our home.  How cool is that?  

Have you made granola?  What are your variations??

Mmmm. What shall we call it?

I love it when I make something up and it tastes good too!  I was at a loss tonight when looking through the cupboards for what to cook.  I had a package of gluten-free bread mix, some beans, chicken chili, coconut milk, and many greens leftover from Saturday when I cooked a Vietnamese dinner.  I also found 2 pieces of organic pepperoni, which had been a full package until my husband and oldest son attacked it.  I found cheese, olives and mushrooms, and I always have onions.  So I made a rolled up pizza-like thing that tasted amazing.  What shall we call it?  My guys said 'delicious'.

MindfulMama's Delicious

1 package gluten free bread mix, or any other bread mix, or 1 recipe for bread/pizza, prepared as usual.

2 C shredded cheese - mozzarella, monterey jack or other mild cheese

2 C assorted ingredients - I used sauteed onions and mushrooms, pepperoni and sliced black olives

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Whichever bread recipe or product you use, make it according to individual directions, then spread it out on a cookie sheet which has been covered with parchment paper.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Take the dough out of the oven, spread the entire top with toppings - cheese last.  Using the parchment paper to assist, begin to roll the dough up, encasing the toppings, beginning with the short end.  I was only able to make one full fold.  If you have less toppings or more dough, you could probably go a bit further than one turn.  Make sure you do not fold the parchment paper inside!  You can either keep the paper on the pan to continue cooking, or pull it out.  Keeping it on the pan will ease cleanup after, though.  So after folding the filled dough, put the opening side down on the pan and cover the top with olive oil and parmesan cheese.  Pop it back in the oven for around 10 minutes - or until browned.

Let sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.  Mmmmmm delicious.

Enchilada Suprema...Yummm!

My niece is going to be a fabulous cook. She and I made enchiladas recently, and she proved to have just the right amount of instincts to make an incredible meal. She came in to help me, and though I doubt she thought she would, ended up completing the meal with me. It’s not that the typical enchilada dish is tricky, or demands extreme focus. It’s more that the meal was made with love and curiosity – emotions I feel get passed on in the food we make, then eat. This is why we need to step away from dinner preparation when we are overtired and angry. Who wants to eat angry food?? (If you haven’t yet, check out the film ‘Like Water for Chocolate’). 

The enchiladas were filled with broccoli, spinach, onions and cheese. It seems, you can’t go wrong with what savory ingredients you put inside. With the right seasonings, just about anything would be great. Try these and let me know what you think – remember several weeks ago, I wrote about imitating restaurant food at home? Well, consider this recipe the ‘north of the border’ equivalent of a Mexican classic. And the cost? Just mere pennies on the dollar for restaurant-quality food, with no hidden ingredients.

Enchilada Suprema

12 corn tortillas
Salsa for brushing
Oil or butter for pan

Broccoli, steamed and chopped
1 bag washed Spinach, or 1 fresh bunch washed well
1 Cup Onion, chopped
2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
2 Cups Enchilada Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste



Heat small frying pan over low heat. Brush one tortilla with salsa, then heat in pan. Do not leave too long as it will begin to fall apart – just leave long enough to become pliable. Follow this direction for all 12 tortillas. Separately, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add spinach and continue sautéing until spinach is limp. Set aside. Mix spinach and onion mixture with broccoli. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

To Fill: Spread ½ Cup Enchilada Sauce in bottom of casserole dish. Lay out one warmed tortilla on your work surface. Spread ¼ Cup vegetable mixture down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle a small handful of shredded cheese on top of the vegetables. Roll the tortilla up, from one end to the other, and place, seam down in a casserole dish. Continue with the remaining tortillas and filling. When complete, pour the remaining Enchilada Sauce over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining Cheese on top of the Sauce.

Cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven when bubbly and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Enchilada Sauce, and Sour Cream, if desired.

Try other fillings:

Smoked mozzarella with black beans and apple
Butternut squash, roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and cinnamon
Potato, red bean and queso fresco (Mexican cheese)
Ricotta, pesto and mozzarella
Sweet potato, black bean and onion
Chicken, parsley, arugula and monterey jack
Pulled pork, onion and apple

With any of these fillings, you may have to adjust your Sauce choice accordingly. You may not want the tomato-y sauce for anything with apple, for example, but you may choose to make a white sauce or butter sauce instead. What other fillings can you come up with??