Okay I am done being silly. This week I got a lot of beautiful veggies from my CSA, including some very nice zucchini and a bunch of cilantro. Then when I was thumbing through my latest issue of Cuisine at Home I found a yummy looking recipe for zucchini enchiladas that I thought would be perfect for my Try it Tuesday menu. I am going to start our fiesta this evening with chips and guacamole and ask Frank to make up some of his famous margaritas. But first we are going to finish painting so that the nursery doesn't take on a Mexican theme LOL.
Since I was in a Mexican frame of mind, I ended up taking a siesta this afternoon. When Frank got home I got up and "helped" him finish the nursery. He put on a second coat of paint and I put the wall plates back on and vacuumed. Frank cleaned the carpet while I started dinner.
I know it sounds very fancy that I would make guac and chips just for the two of us but don't get too excited. This is how I serve guac and chips when we don't have company.
You might notice I didn't even bother taking one of those coasters for my margarita LOL.
While Frank was making those margaritas for us to enjoy, I was getting dinner ready to go in the oven. Unless you are lucky enough to have an outdoor or basement oven you might want to make these early in the day and reheat them in the microwave at dinnertime.
I adapted this recipe from Cuisine at Home, Issue #106. There are some further changes I will make if/when I make these again. I will share those with you after the recipe.
This was a perfect recipe, because other than the Chorizo, the ingredients are staples in my fridge and pantry.
Dinner is served.
Zucchini Enchiladas
adapted from Cuisine at Home, Issue 106
10 oz. Mexican Chorizo
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles with juices
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can red enchilada sauce
2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 c. shredded mexican blend cheese
Preheat oven to 425*.
Brown chorizo in a large saute pan over med high heat until brown. Drain chorizo in a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
Deglaze pan with onions and garlic until softened and translucent. Add spices and saute for a minute or two to release flavors. Add beans, chiles and chorizo. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread 1/3 can of the Enchilada sauce into bottom of baking pan large enough to hold zucchini halves. Place the zucchini on top of the sauce and spoon chorizo mixture into the zucchini shells. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes longer. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Print Recipe
Frank enjoyed these as written. That being said if/when I make them again I will use ground beef or pork instead of the chorizo. The chorizo was much to greasy for my taste. Frank also crumbled some of the corn chips on top of his which was a good idea because otherwise, while these had good flavor, they had no texture.
Let me know what you think if you try this recipe.
I don't know why I thought that Frank was already retired. What does he do?
ReplyDeleteHe retired from our department in 01 and went right back to work as a Labor Rep for the Police Officers Labor Council. He is ready for real retirement now. Michigan recently became a right to work state and that has made his job very difficult and frustrating.
ReplyDeletePoor Frank - that can't be any fun. I'd be ready for real retirement too if I had margaritas and the pool and the guac! Fiesta! Do you have a brand of red enchilada sauce that you like? I tried the Old El Paso and didn't love it, but would never make my own from scratch!
ReplyDeleteI don't normally buy enchilada sauce but I used the El Paso this time also.
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