Flour Tortillas - by Stace

This is Bobbie's recipe (I will let her add origins, memories etc.). We have been using it for a while now as a super-easy way to make homemade tortillas. Boddhi cannot eat the store bought ones (and nor should we) because of the hydrogenated oils --[by the way did you know that eating hydrogenated oils and processed fats inhibits your body from absorbing good fats that your brain needs to function?].

This recipe is so quick -- you can have yummy homemade tortillas cooking in a matter of minutes. Dude and I have also used this recipe to make chimichangas. We just par cook the tortillas, then add the ingredients, seal the dough and fry (yummy!).

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients together, then add the oil and water. Knead until they come together. Then pull off small bits of dough and roll into balls. Use a rolling pin to roll out the tortillas on a floured surface. Heat on each side in an hot skillet (I prefer iron) and enjoy! This recipe makes 6 tortillas.

posted by stace

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas by Bob

Inspired by Stacey's recent veggie post I decided to try something veggie myself. Since we are broke, and I also want to buy meats from local farmers I have been trying to convince Jovan we should cut back on meat. This hasn't been easy, but the best way to do it is just cook the meal!! He really liked it but did say "just a little chicken added and it would be perfect." With a sly grin on his face.

Here it goes:

1 pkg dry black beans (seasoned to taste)
1 can of corn (or fresh/frozen corn)
1 block cheddar cheese (i only used half but the more cheese the better)
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno
1 tomato
2 cloves garlic
corn tortillas
enchillada sauce

Cook the black beans early, and season them to taste. I added salt, pepper, cumin, bean seasoning and taco seasoning. Also threw in a couple of whole garlic cloves crushed. When black beans are about done add the corn. In a separate pan saute onion, green pepper, jalapeno, tomato and garlic in a pan. Add this to your black beans.
Begin cooking corn tortillas (as Steph says in a previous post it helps to but a couple of drops of water on them). Fill each tortilla with cheese and them bean mixture and line the bottom of a pan. Sprinkle cheese on top and add enchilada sauce. I used a green enchilada sauce from a jar. It had fewer unidentifiable ingredients in it that the canned ones. Bake on 350 until cheese is melted.
It was yummy :) Jovan clearly liked it since he at about 8 enchiladas. I had two and was stuffed!

Tamale Pie - by Steph

A friend brought this to me as a frozen dinner when I had the twins. All our friends pulled together and brought meals to eat and some for the freezer. We so enjoyed trying new things and having good food when we were too busy and exhausted to make it.


1lb ground beef - cook and drain

1 15 oz can ranch style beans

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes

1 box jiffy cornbread mix


combine meat and beans and tomatoes, simmer to reduce extra liquid. Pour into 8by11 pan.

Mix package of cornbread according to the directions. Spoon over the top of bean and meat mixture. bake 400degree 20 minutes or so.


posted by Steph

Chicken Tortilla Soup - by Stace

My husband and I invented this recipe at our first house in Fort Worth. We enjoyed cooking it together while listening to music and drinking wine. As our girls have gotten older, we have included them in the cooking; they enjoy "doing it themselves." This is a kid favorite that our girls request often. I hope to be able to make it with my grandchildren someday, sharing the stories of warmth and togetherness it brought to our blended family -- one of our first original traditions :)

Ingredients:
1 pound of trimmed chicken breasts
3 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 box of organic chicken broth (32 oz)
4 T butter
1 can crushed organic tomatoes
1 can black refried beans
1 can whole black beans
1 or 2 cans Hatch red enchilada sauce
2 bags (32 oz) frozen corn
1 bag corn tortillas
16 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
1 large avocado

Directions:

• Sauté onion and jalepeno in saucepan (with olive oil)
• Add chicken and cook until tender. Set aside to cool
• While chicken is cooking, pour 1 box (32 oz) of broth into saucepan
• Let broth get hot, then add butter
• After butter melts, add crushed tomatoes
• Allow to simmer for a few minutes
• Add beans and Hatch sauce
• Add onion and jalepeno (from chicken pot)
• Add chicken (simmer 20 minutes)
• Add corn (simmer 30 minutes)
• Cut tortillas into strips and fry in oil
• Salt strips and place in bottom of soup bowls
• Top soup with Monterey jack cheese and avocado slices

Notes: You can use a whole chicken if you like. Boil it, set it aside to cool. Then remove skin and tear apart for soup. My husband has a thing about touching chicken while it is on the bone, so we usually use boneless, skinless chicken breast (so we don't gross him out).

01/26/2011 -- More Notes - I made this soup again last night, and I used a slightly different process. It was the best soup yet! I started with boiling a chicken (added sloppy slices of onion and carrot along with salt) in one pot. Then I melted butter in my dutch oven, added diced jalepenos and Serrano peppers (because we ran out of home grown habanero and that is what the grocery store had available). I let those cook for a minute or two, releasing the oils. Then I added fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. Next I took the broth right from the pot of chicken and added it to the dutch oven. I then added my other ingredients one by one. The soup was smoky and spicy -- just the way I like it, so I thought I would share...

posted by Stace

Mexican Casserole - by Steph

Brown rice cooked
refried beans
sour cream
cottage cheese(optional)
cheddar cheese
corn tortillas
enchilada sauce

layer brown rice, beans, sour cream, cottage cheese, enchilada sauce (liberally), tortillas until you fill the pan. Cover with a heavy load of cheddar cheese. Put in over 350 or so until warmed through.

Cottage cheese is not my favorite. But in this recipe it is sooo good. It adds extra protein for a vegetarian meal. Everyone in our house likes this. That is nearly impossible.

posted by Steph

Chicken Enchilladas - by Steph

This is a made up recipe and can be modified in all sorts of ways.

cut up breasts of chicken in bite size pieces.
onions
bell peppers
jalapenos or jalapeno cheese.
cream of mushroom soup
white cheese( mont jack or other)
cheddar cheese
Garlic
Enchillada sauce(optional)
Corn tortillas


Saute onions, peppers and chicken. stir in mushroom soup add Tony's or other seasoning, cheese cheese cheese.
I just taste it and change until I like it.

Corn tortillas bought at the store are usually dry and not so good. So, I put a small amount of water ( just drops) in the bottom of a hot non stick skillet. Then put one corn tortilla and heat through. This kind of moistens them. You may have to add more water when turning them over. Spoon a strip of chicken mixture in the middle of each warmed tortilla and roll up. I usually put them in a cake pan lined up. Then I cover them with the same chicken/cheese mixture, sprinkle on a bit more cheese and put stripes of enchilada sauce. Not all over just drizzled. I usually pop in the oven to melt cheese. These also freeze nicely in individual dishes for taking to work etc.

posted by: Steph