Sweet Potato Enchiladas with an Avocado Mole

I'm resurrecting an old favorite on this old blog because I re-made this tonight and remembered just how delicious this is. They are creamy and full of unique satisfying flavors. This recipe is actually incredibly healthy when it comes to most enchilada recipes I've seen; but it doesn't taste like a healthy recipe which is important criteria in my book. The whole time we were eating this for the first time my husband was like "Does this have cream in it? Does this have chicken in it? How much cheese did you use? It tastes like there is a rich mole on this! This recipe is a keeper! Best new recipe yet!" High praise from my picky Love Muffin. While this recipe doesn't have an expensive protein or unhealthy cream in it, it totally satisfies. I love meatless meals that my husband approves of. Plus it comes together in a snap, I love easy meals that my stomach approves of! 

Ingredients:

6 whole wheat tortillas 

1 can black beans, rinsed 

1 large onion 

1 garlic clove 

1 avacado

3 Roma tomatoes 

2 tsp chili powder 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon water

2 tsp oregano 

1 medium sweet potato, skinned & shred (should make about 1.5-2 cups) 

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper 

Heat oven to 450. 

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, avacado, chili powder, half the onion, 1 tablespoon veggie oil, water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon veggie oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the other 1/2 of the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes until soft. Add the black beans, sweet potato, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Cook stiring frequently until the sweet potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray. Fill your tortillas with the bean mixture and roll into enchilada shapes and fill pan. Cover rolled tortillas with blender sauce. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy! 

Notes: Husband suggests you grill your tomatoes and onion on the BBQ to get them nice and charred to add a smokiness to your mole. I say, that's a lot of extra work, but maybe worth a try. He also thinks adding an anaheim chili to the mole and omitting the water would be a nice way to keep the sauce thin enough but add some extra flavor instead. 

Anyway, meatless meal that satisfies your craving for a stick to your ribs dish. Unique and flavorful combinations that your family won't soon forget. Easy on the waistline and pocketbook, a cinch to pull together, what's not to love? These are one of my favorite ways to eat enchiladas ever, you've gotta try them. You won't regret it. 

Carmelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Arugula

I usually feel like I am shirking my home maker duties when I serve quesadillas for dinner. They are simple, boring, and easy. Well this quesadilla recipe is none of those things. When my husband tasted this, his reaction was like "wow, this is a keeper!" and I totally agree. The onions in these quesadillas are packed full with this deep rich flavor. You get the subtle bite of the arugula, the thick herby mushrooms, the melty cheese. It's even vegetarian! So so good, you won't believe your mouth. 

The downside? You'll need to dirty 2 pans, and caramelized onions aren't quick. But these babies are worth it. Total cook time is about 20 minutes.  
Serves 2 adults + 1 toddler :) 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 pkg baby portabellos, thinly sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh stripped thyme
salt & pepper
10 corn tortillas
1 cup melty white cheese
2 cups arugula 

In one pan, some heat some olive oil and begin to caramelize your onions on medium heat. (Don't forget to add salt and pepper to your onions.) 

In another pan, melt your butter and a bit of olive oil and begin to cook your mushrooms. (Don't forget to salt and pepper your mushrooms.) 

Stir both pans occasionally, let everything reduce and get golden. 

To your onions add your sugar and vinegar. Let the liquid reduce down and get absorbed by the onions. Remove from pan. 

To your mushrooms add your garlic and thyme. When the garlic is fragrant and a bit soft, remove the mushrooms from the pan. 

Make sure both your pans still have a good coating of oil. Place your tortillas down, cover with a layer of onions, mushrooms, cheese, arugula, and another layer of tortilla. Cook until the tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip and do the same on the other side. 

Cut into quarters and serve immediately. You will seriously be blown away by the amazing unforgettable flavors of these quesadillas! I am already dreaming of what I can whip up with these flavorful onions next!

Ranch burgers with hand cut sweet potato fries

Tonight I made ranch burgers. They were delicious. I am always so disappointed in home made burgers because they just don't live up to what you can get in restaurants. But this burger makes the cut when it comes to satisfaction at home. 

Mix 1 pound ground beef (I used 80% lean) with a packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix. Form into 4 patties 

Grill on a George Forman grill until outside is properly browned. 

While the burger is cooking melt a small pat of butter in a skillet and toast the inside of your hamburger buns. 

As soon as your hamburgers are cooked, top with sharp cheddar cheese so it can melt while the meat is super hot. 

Add fresh tomatoes, arugula, and your toasted bun and you have an amazing burger. 

As far as the fries go, I had some fresh local sweet potatoes I wanted to use. Wash and peel your sweet potatoes. Cut width wise into skinny disks, then cut length wise into fries. Coat with a fair amount of olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 450 then if they need a little added crispness, broil for an added 5 minutes. Enjoy! 

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

I recently got this wonderful organic broccoli. So naturally I decided to make it into a fattening unhealthy Mac and Cheese. Mac and I are in a long term no good for you relationship. I love him so much, I want him everyday, but deep down I know he's no good for me. But on the days I give in, Wowzas. 

I made this gorgeous baked macaroni and cheese, but my husband dove into it before I remembered to take a photograph. So all I got was a shot of a few noodles on my kids high chair. If you want professional blog photos, I am not your gal. 

Boil 8 oz of macaroni noodles in salted water until al dente. You could use rotini or penne noodles as well. Just something that clings to the sauce. 

Boil or steam 1 head of broccoli that has been chopped into bite sized peices.

While that boils make a bechamel sauce. That is a fancy name for a white sauce. This recipe will make 2 cups of bechamel. 

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. 

Whisk in tablespoon by tablespoon a total of 4 tablespoons of flour. 

Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 2 cups milk. 

Return to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking until thickened (about 2 minutes.) 

Add salt and pepper to taste

Add 1/4 tsp nutmeg 

Add 1/4 tsp sweet paprika 

Then add 2 bay leaves and stir

Then add 1/2 a finely diced onion and stir

Set sauce aside until broccoli and noodles are done boiling. 

Preheat oven to 375

Grate 2 cups of cheddar cheese set aside

Remove the bay leaves from the sauce and mix with the noodles and broccoli with the sauce and cheese. 

Salt and pepper as needed.

Dump mixture in greased 9x13 pan 

Top with 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Then spray top with olive oil spray so it will get nice and golden. 

Bake until bread crumbs are browned, about 30 minutes. 

This is the hard part, you can't eat it for 5 minutes after so it can set up and cool! 

This macaroni is the bomb dot com. It's not good for you by any means but hey, at least we added broccoli, right? 

Eggs In a Basket

Got up early today and made some "eggs in a basket" for breakfast before church. These were pretty labor intensive for how typical the flavors were. If I were to make them again I'd try them with more exotic twist so my mouth wouldn't be so bored. Sorry Sunny. At least they were pretty.

Ingredients
3 large russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
6 slices prosciutto, about 2 1/2 ounces, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 eggs
3/4 cup shredded provolone
Directions
Special equipment: jumbo sized 6-cup muffin tin

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, push chunks of the potato through the chute to grate. Once all the potatoes are grated, put them into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the moisture. Add the potatoes to a large bowl, stir in the melted butter and season well with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spray the muffin tin lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together the prosciutto with maple syrup and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the eggs with grated cheese and put the maple prosciutto on another sheet tray. Broil both until cheese melts, and prosciutto crisps slightly, about 1 minute.

Top the eggs with crispy prosciutto and serve immediately.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eggs-in-baskets-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback