The Case of the Disappearing Blog

I am slowly moving everything over to my other blog so that we (I) can be one big happy family in one spot. If the recipe that you've been saving has disappeared... take a look for it at Sherry's Stuff.

Bean Enchiladas

Here's another recipe I hijacked from Annie's Eats [click here for her recipe]. As usual, I made a few tweeks and adjustments to suit my household. I used 1 can black beans and 1 can refried beans [just because I had a can of each already in the pantry]. I also didn't use cilantro because it wasn't available in the store, and used Colby Jack cheese for both the filling and on top of the enchiladas.

For the bean filling:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can refried beans
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup salsa
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tbsp. lime juice

For the enchiladas:
3 cups bean filling (above)
8-10 medium flour tortillas
shredded Mexican cheese (about 2 cups)
1 can enchilada sauce

To make the black bean filling, place the beans in a medium sized mixing bowl. In a medium sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Mix beans, corn, salsa, cumin, and chili powder into the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in cheese and lime juice. Stir until cheese is melted.

Grease a 9×13” baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°. To make the enchiladas, spoon some of the bean mixture down the center of a tortilla. Top with some cheese, fold sides over the filling and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake 2-3 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

[click here for printable version]

Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad

This turned out to be a great salad alternative to the Greek version that I usually make. I made mine slightly heavy on the cukes, medium on the tomatoes and very light on the onion so that The Diva would eat it. I'm not so sure about the addition of mint to this, I may play around with some cilantro when The Spawn's herb garden grows in. I also used red wine vinegar.

3 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices [I diced mine]
3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white vinegar (sometimes we use varying kinds of gourmet vinegars for a variety of tastes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, sugar, mint, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Add cucumber slices, tomato wedges, and onion slices. Toss gently to coat. Cover the vegetable mixture and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of: Sonya
[click here for printable version]

Meatball with Pesto Sliders

Okay, seriously, if you haven't been to Annie's Eats you're missing out. It's one of my favorite cooking blogs. It's the perfect combination of meals and sweets. So really, it's no surprise that I stole this recipe from her. I made one major tweek, that was using pesto from a jar. I have a favorite brand that outshines any pesto I have ever been able to make, it's cheaper, and it also cut down on my time in the kitchen by at least 20 minutes (including cleanup). Not that I don't love being in the kitchen but I'm a busy woman. I also froze about 3/4 of this batch for easy suppers and lunches.

For the sauce:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
Water (optional)

For the meatballs:
½ cup breadcrumbs, divided (I like panko)
¼ cup milk
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. dried basil

For the pesto:
1 jar pesto (I like Classico Traditional Basil Pesto but McCormick makes a pretty decent envelope mix)
[for the recipe with pesto instructions, click here]

For the sliders:
About 2 dozen white dinner rolls (I used jr. wheat rolls because that's what we like)
Spray olive oil
Sliced provolone cheese (about 12 slices, depending on size)

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion to the pot and sauté until tender, 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and sugar. Add water to thin the sauce out to your desired consistency. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 2 hours.

To make the meatballs, combine ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs with the milk in a medium mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Add the remaining breadcrumbs, ground beef, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and basil to the bowl. Mix well until thoroughly combined. Form into meatballs, about 1¼ inches in diameter. Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce about 45 minutes before the sauce is finished. Cover and let simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 35-45 minutes.

To make the pesto, open the jar!

To assemble the sliders, preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Slice the dinner rolls in half and lay open on a baking sheet. Spray the rolls lightly with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, just until lightly toasted. Slice a cooked meatball in half and place both halves on the bottom portion of a roll, flat side down. Spoon a small amount of sauce over the meatball. Top with sliced provolone. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Bake again, 5 minutes more, just until the cheese is melted. Spoon a small amount of additional sauce over the provolone, and finish small spoonful of the pesto on top. Serve immediately.

[click here for printable version]

President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

Here's another attempt at homemade mac-n-cheese. Probably my last. This one turned out better than the crockpot one, but it just isn't the same as the stuff out of a box. Call me weird, but I like the stuff in the blue box. I also added some cubed ham to make it a complete meal.

1/2 lb. macaroni
1 t. butter
1 egg, beaten
1 t salt
1 t dry mustard
3 c grated cheese, sharp
1 c milk

Boil macaroni in water until tender and drain thouroughly. Stir in butter and egg. Mix mustard and salt with 1 T hot water and add to milk. Add cheese leaving enough to sprinkle on top.

Pour into buttered casserole, add milk, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is crusty.

Recipe courtesy of: Sonya
[click here for printable version]

Spicy Pineapple Rice

First, let me explain the picture... I decided that this rice would be the perfect compliment to the Chinese Chicken rollups that I make (and I was so.right!) but I didn't remember to take a picture of the rice until after I started the rollup... so that's why the rice is on a tortilla and lettuce...

I made a few adjustments to this recipe because I don't really like coconut and I didn't want it too spicy for the kids, but I left the recipe as the original here.

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons minced garlic, from a jar is fine
1 cup basmati rice or jasmine rice or white rice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut
crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup drained pineapple chunks

In a medium saucepan, sautee shallot and garlic in the olive oil until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add curry powder.

Pour in rice and stir constantly until rice is opaque and begins to brown.

Pour in Pineapple Juice, Water and coconut and bring to a boil.

Add Crushed Red Pepper and reduce heat to low. Simmer 25 minutes or until rice is a desired doneness.

Add pineapple chunks.

Fluff with fork and serve.

Recipe courtesy of: Sonya
[click here for printable version]

Double Dark Chocolate Cookies

These cookies came about for a few reasons. First, I was eating these little devils [Pepperidge Farm Captiva Chocolate Brownie] like they were the new crack-cocaine. Second, I was feeling the urge to bake cookies from scratch which I haven't done in forever. Third, it was my birthday and The Spawn gave me this:

Tell me you wouldn't take it as a sign too? Anyways, these cookies didn't turn out as desired. Too cookie like and the candy coating on the dark chocolate pieces made it too sweet for me. I'm going to play around more with a brownie recipe, dutch process cocoa and Ghiradelli [spelling] chocolate. Stay.Tuned.


8 ounces unsalted butter, 2 sticks
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour (I started with less and added more until a good "cookie" consistancy)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut butter into pieces and allow to soften.

In medium bowl, mix together cups flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder; set aside.

In separate bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter with both sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, to creamed mixture. Beat in vanilla extract.

Slowly add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, beating well with electric mixer after each addition.

Stir in chocolate pieces using wooden spoon.

Drop 1-1/2-inch balls of dough onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake 9 minutes on middle oven rack.

Let cookies cool for several minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack (they will be too soft when first removed from oven).