Avocado Enchiladas with Cilantro Lime Rice

The Avocado Enchiladas came from the September 2008 issue of Fitness Magazine (pg 132) and the Cilantro Lime Rice came from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart (2008)

Avocado Enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce

1tsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 TBS sugar
4 TBSP ground cumin
3 TBSP dried oregano
1-1 1/2 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of vegetable broth
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

The original recipe called for beer. I tried to find a substitute but ended up adding the following ingredients to taste

Chilli seasoning packet
Onion powder
more balsamic vinegar

Avocado Filling

8 ripe avocados
1 cup cilantro leaves
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 red onion
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
Juice of 1-2 limes
corn tortillas
cheese (Monterey or Pepper Jack)

Saute onions and add garlic, cumin, sugar and oregano. Add tomatoes and broth, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the vinegar.

Chop the avocados and toss with cilantro and the rest of the ingredients.

Spread1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of the casserole pan. Dip the tortillas in the sauce, add the avocado filling, roll and place in the pan, seam side down. Pour sauce over and cover.

The original recipe added the cheese at the beginning of baking but I like to add it towards the end.

Ovens vary but bake for about 25 min at 400 F



Cilantro Lime Rice

This recipe is simple, easy and is so much more flavorful than what they have at Chipotle!!
What I do like about Chipotle's rice is that the grains don't stick together. To get that effect I used parboiled rice. No extra effort necessary. Boil according to directions and voila - perfectly separated grains of rice.

1 cup long grain white rice (parboiled)
coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 TBSP olive oil
2TBSP fresh squeezed lime juice
1 garlic clove

Boil the rice according to package directions.

In a blender combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic and 2 TBSP of water and blend until smooth. Stir into cooked rice and fluff with fork.

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Craze

Deciding which new recipes to try was a daunting task. But I settled on a few. The salad was a simple addition to the meal. BBQ grillers are credited to my friend Donna's potluck favorite dish. I had to see if her claims of a simple dish were true. I am happy to report it is a simple quick potluck dish addition. I used Food Network to round off my meal with a Zucchini Gratin and Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Both lived up to their 5 star reviews. However, the hit of the night was the Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Everyone went Strawberry Crazy and requested a piece to take home with them.

Mixed Greens Salad

Ingredients:

Mixed greens

Tomato

Cucumber

Spicy Mango Salad Dressing

Directions:

Slice tomato and cucumber. Toss greens, tomato, cucumber and dressing in a salad bowl. Serve immediately.

Donna's BBQ Grillers

Ingredients:

Morningstar grillers

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 onion

Kraft's Honey BBQ sauce

Directions:

Cut onion and bell peppers into slices. Saute bell peppers and onion. Add BBQ sauce to skillet. Heat until warm.

Make grillers according to box directions. Place grillers in a serving dish. Top the dish with BBQ sauce mixture.

Serve immediately.

Zucchini Gratin

Courtesy of: Barefoot Contessa (Barefoot in Paris)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping

1 pound yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large)*

2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 zucchini)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup hot milk

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (substituted with Panko Italian bread crumbs)

3/4 cup grated Gruyere (substituted with Asiago cheese)

*Followed reviews and only used half the number of recommended onions.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) saute pan and cook the onions over the low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish. (Tip: Cook the onions and zucchini in a separate deep skillet. Another saucepan I created the white sauce with some butter, the flour and milk. Add the nutmeg and some pepper in saucepan. Pour the vegetable mix into buttered casserole making sure not to add the juice. Add the creamy milk mixture on top and mix in.)

Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen (Food Network Show - Paula's Home Cooking)

Ingredients:

2 cups of crushed pretzels (Rold Gold recommended)

3/4 cup of melted butter

3 tablespoons butter, plus 3/4 cup sugar

1 (8 0z.) package of cream cheese

1 (8 0z.) container of whipped topping

2 (3 oz.) packages of strawberry gelatin dessert mix

2 cups boiling water

2 (1o oz.) packages of frozen strawberries*

1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, undrained

whipped topping or whipped cream to garnish

*If you choose to use fresh strawberries, add about 10 ice cubes to the gelatin after dissolving the mixture and refrigerate for about 10 min before adding the strawberries.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For crust, mix the pretzels, butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13 inch-pan and bake for 7 minutes. (Tip: Spread a little sugar over the pretzels prior to baking to ensure a nice crust is formed.) Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. (Tip: Spread cream cheese all the way to the edge of the pan.) Refrigerate until well chilled. (Tip: The cream cheese layer should form a tight seal for the pretzel crust. There were several warnings to make sure this layer was compacted to avoid creating a soggy crust. Allow it to refrigerate for several hours even overnight if possible.)

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping.

Dick Cavett

8oz. Cheese (shredded, sharp cheddar)
8oz. Cream cheese (softened)
1 ½ cup sour cream
½ cup green onions
1 cup turkey ham, chopped (optional)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small can of green chiles
Dash of garlic powder

Mix cheeses and sour cream. Add other ingredients. Hollow out the loaf of bread. Put sauce in bread. Wrap the loaf in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.
*Excess bread can be cut into bite size pieces and toasted for dipping

Tomato Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers
2-3 medium sized Roma tomatoes
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of garlic powder
2 TB of olive oil
2-4 TB of balsamic vinegar

Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into small pieces, place in bowl, add all remaining ingredients and stir.
Refrigerate for an hour while all flavors come together. Add more of above ingredients to suit your taste.

Jimmy’s Favorite Garlic Bread

Garlic Butter, recipe follows
1 loaf sourdough bread, cut in 1/2
Basil leaves
8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Liberally apply garlic butter to bread halves. Bake in oven until light golden brown. Remove and top with basil, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan.
Cut into 2-inch slices.
Garlic butter:
2 heads garlic
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Pinch paprika
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the tops off the garlic heads, place in a piece of foil, drizzle olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, or until soft.
Squeeze roasted garlic out into medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and thoroughly mix together, divide in half, and refrigerate.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2 bags of chick-strips (Morning Star)
2 sticks of butter
½ of an onion (chopped)
½ of a green pepper (chopped)
4 oz. mushrooms (chopped)
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable broth
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup Italian blend cheese
5-6oz. medium egg noodles (cooked)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Fry the two bags of chick-strips in oil and season with spices (Italian seasoning, basil, garlic). Sauté butter, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms. Add flour and blend in well. Slowly add in milk and vegetable broth. Then add in cheddar and Italian cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Combine noodles, chick-strips, and sauce into a casserole pan. Mix well. Sprinkle on a heavy layer of Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45mins.