Vegetable Enchilada Casserole #SundayFunday

Fresh vegetables, roasted and then layered with corn tortillas, salsa, and cheese for a hearty, meatless casserole that will please even the most stubborn carnivores.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Fresh Ideas Using Vegetables this week....

Mexican Foods and Wines always provide for a Perfect Fiesta #WinePW

I received two bottles of Mexican Wine from Tozi Imports for tasting purposes.  I am happy to share my honest thoughts and opinions with you today.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Come and explore Mexican wines with the Wine Pairing Weekend group.......

Beef Barbacoa Tacos #MultiCookerMonday

 Beef slowly braised in the slow cooker, flavored with orange, chili sauce and vinager.  Shredded and served taco style on corn tortillas.  OH MY YUM!

It is Multi-Cooker Monday.......................

Drunken Shrimp #FishFridayFoodies

 Start your Holiday gathering with a little nibble to get the appetite started.  Shrimp, wrapped in bacon, seared and set upon a dollop of guacamole before being drizzled with a tequila reduction is sure to whet everyone's appetite and leave them begging for just one more bite.

Welcome to the December 2020 edition of Fish Friday Foodies........

Mexican Shrimp Casserole #FishFridayFoodies

 This casserole is chock full of all the Mexican flavors that your family loves and goes together quickly and easily for a great Fish Friday or Mexican Monday meal.

The Fish Friday Foodies are visiting Mexico today........

More Cayman Brac Memories and a Taco Salad

Good Monday Morning.  I got all my laundry caught up and my groceries bought yesterday after my week long vacation while Frank mowed down the jungle that was our yard before the rains come back today.

We did find time to relax in the evening and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Taco Salad and Margaritas for dinner.

All your favorite taco flavors combined into a Salad.  Seasoned ground beef, romaine lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, avocados, and cheese all topped with a sour cream dressing.  Delicious!

This salad is easy to make and is perfect for a main course meal or you can double the recipe and bring it along to your summer pot lucks to feed a crowd.

Mexican Casserole #CincodeMayo

I love making meals from planned leftovers.  In this delicious casserole your Sunday Roast Chicken is turned into the perfect meal for Mexican Monday, Taco Tuesday or, in this case, Cinco de Mayo.

Join in the fun as we share recipes to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style......

Veggie Enchiladas #EattheWorld

Flour tortillas filled with delicious vegetables, rolled and smothered in cheese.  The perfect way to enjoy a Meatless Mexican Monday or for the final Friday's of Lent.

Stop in and learn why I'm feeling confident enough to share this not very authentic enchilada recipe as we visit Mexico in our Eat the World group.....

Grilled Tacos

Happy Mexican Monday.  Hopefully you have your meal already planned for this evening.  We are having a pasta dish that I will be sharing with you next week.  Should you not have your meal planned yet this recipe is quick, easy and your family will love it.

I find that having themes for my Meal Plan is very helpful so we celebrate Meatless Monday or Mexican Monday, Taco Tuesday or Toddler Tuesday, Fish Fridays, Soup or Stew Saturdays and Sunday Suppers.

Sometimes, like the recipe I'm sharing today, the dish fits several different categories.  This is perfect for Mexican Monday but I served it up to my granddaughter on Toddler Tuesday which is also Taco Tuesday.

This is a little amped up from your regular tacos.  I had served up a fiesta of chicken enchiladas, hard shell tacos, green rice, and refried beans for our neighbors on a Saturday night.  This dinner was made repurposing the leftovers of taco meat, flour tortillas and cheese.  I served it up with the rice and beans on the side but it makes a completed meal all by itself when you add some lettuce and tomatoes to the plate.

Grilled Tacos

1 lb ground beef

3/4 c. water

1/4 c. taco seasoning

6 flour tortillas

shredded Mexican blend cheese

sliced lettuce and diced tomato for serving

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over med high heat.  Drain if necessary. Add the water and taco seasoning. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes until water is absorbed.

Heat a griddle or cast iron pan over high heat.  Lay a tortilla onto the griddle. Place 1/6 of the beef onto half of the tortilla.  Sprinkle the beef with a handful of cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and grill until the tortilla starts to brown in spots and the cheese starts to melt.  Flip and cook on the other side.  Remove to a baking sheet in a warm oven until all the tacos are done grilling.

Serve garnished with lettuce and tomatoes. Print Recipe

Guajillo Chilaquiles and Mexican Flavored Acorn Squash Soup #Fabulous Fall Bounty

Welcome to Day 4 of our 5 day event called Fabulous Fall Bounty.  This event, hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, has been so much fun and there have been tons of great recipe ideas for the Holiday season that is nipping at our heels.

Camilla had arranged for sponsors to assist us in creating recipes for this Fabulous Fall Bounty event.  Melissa's Produce provided all the bloggers with a huge box of seasonal produce.  Le Creuset provided us each with this gorgeous platter.  Silpat sent us each a baking mat.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for any of the posts in this event and all ideas, thoughts and opinions are completely mine and completely honest.

I'm pretty excited about today because not only was I able to use products from each of our sponsors but I am able to share two recipes with you that together made a perfect Meatless Monday meal.

I had gotten this wonderful bag of dried Guajillo chiles from Melissa's.  I did what I always do when given Mexican ingredients.  I turned to my well used copy of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen and looked up Guajillo in the index.  There were some great recipes that I will be trying including one for a Grilled Steak with a Spicy Guajillo Sauce. Stay tuned for that.

I finally decided to make Guajillo Chilaquiles for a Meatless Monday meal.  I was concerned that the Chilaquiles by themselves would not be substantial enough to constitute a meal so I decided to roast up the Acorn Squash and Celery Root along with some sweet onion and carrots and create a Mexican inspired soup.

I simply made a simple roasted and pureed soup, added some chili powder and cumin for flavoring and garnished it with roasted, salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for some texture.   It was amazingly tasty.

Frank made up some of his Fantastic Margaritas and it was a wonderful casual dinner perfect for Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday.

Don't forget to stop by and see all the other Fabulous Fall creations following my recipes.

Guajillo Chilaquiles

adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

16 med. large dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 t. dried oregano

black pepper, to taste

dash of cumin

5 1/3 c. chicken stock, divided

1 1/2 T. olive oil

salt, to taste

sugar, to taste

1 pkg. Totada or Taco corn shells, broken into pieces

1/4 c. Crema or sour cream thinned with a bit of milk

1/4 c. Mexican crumbling cheese or Feta cheese

1/2 of an Avocado, peeled and sliced

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Cook for about 15 minutes, until soft and blackened in spots, set aside to cool.

While garlic is roasting, use other side of skillet to toast the chiles.  Open the chiles and lay them flat onto the skillet, pressing down with a spatula.  Cook until they crackle and send up a wisp of smoke, turn and press down to toast the other side.  Set aside, in a small bowl, until all chiles are toasted.  Cover with boiling water and allow to rehydrate for half an hour.

Drain and discard the water from the chiles and place them in the bowl of a food processor.  Peel the roasted garlic and add to the chiles along with the oregano, pepper, and 2/3 cup of the stock. Blend to a smooth puree, stirring and scraping often.  Press through a medium sieve strainer, removing any leathery skin from the chiles.  

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over med-high heat.  When hot enough that a drop of the puree sizzles when dropped into it, add the remaining puree.  Cook and stir until puree thickens into a paste, about 5 minutes.  Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and simmer, partially covered, until it resembles a thick tomato sauce, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and season with salt and sugar.

Add remaining chicken broth to the pot and heat to a boil.  Add the broken corn shells. Stir and cook for a few minutes until they are softened but still retain shape.  

Spoon onto a platter. Drizzle with the crema, sprinkle with the cheese and garnish with the avocado slices.  Print Recipe

Mexican Flavored Acorn Squash Soup

1 acorn squash, quartered and seeded

1 celery root bulb, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 of a sweet onion, halved with root intact

1 large or 2 small carrots, scraped and chunked

1 T. garlic infused olive oil (or regular olive oil and a garlic clove roasted with veggies)

salt and pepper to taste

4 c. chicken stock

1 t. chili powder

1/4 t. cumin

Roasted, salted pepitas for garnish

Toss the squash, celery root, onion and carrots in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place onto a baking sheet that has been lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender and browned.

Remove from oven and place into a food processor or heavy duty blender.  Add the chicken stock and puree until smooth, adding more liquid (stock, water or cream) if necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Season with chili powder and cumin.  Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Reheat and serve garnished with pepitas.  Print Recipe

More Fabulous Fall Bounty Recipes

An InLinkz Link-up

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Enchiladas #FoodBloggers4FL

While we were in the middle of sending out an SOS for our Texan neighbors suffering the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, that witch Irma started beating up on our friends in Florida and the Caribbean!!

So we immediately knew that we also wanted to send out our support to them as well.  We decided to blog a recipe inspired by those areas impacted, Florida, Southeast United States and the Caribbean.

We again are providing you, our readers, with the names and websites of reputable charities to which you can donate if you are in a position to help.

• Volunteer Florida
• Miami Diaper Bank
• Harry Chapin Food Bank
• South Florida Wildlife Center
• Catholic Charities USA
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management
• The SOS Foundation

As many of you know, my husband and I are scuba divers.  We spend nearly every vacation in the Keys or on Caribbean Islands.  We love the people that we have met and spent time with over the years and our hearts bleed for them.  

I am holding them all in my thoughts and prayers and I hope that this small effort by our group results in some relief for them.

Our friend, Kate of Kate's Recipe Box, provided us with some websites for recipes, including the Florida Department of Agriculture, from which I adapted this recipe.

These enchiladas are chock full of sweet corn, bell peppers and black beans.  Flavored with onions, garlic and cumin they are savory and delicious.  The addition of my homemade salsa added a little bit of kick.

The recipe called for this to make 10 enchiladas but I had enough filling to make 15 of them.  I made a large casserole full for dinner one night and lunch the following day and a smaller casserole to put in the freezer for another time.

Place the some filling and cheese into each of the tortillas and roll them up so that the seam side is on the bottom.  Pour over some enchilada sauce (you will need extra sauce for the second pan) and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Place them in a preheated oven for about half an hour, until it is hot, bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.  These made a perfect Meatless Monday meal.  While I put these together, Frank made up some of his Fantastic Margaritas.  We said an extra blessing upon all of those affected by these horrible storms along with grace and then toasted to their health and quick recovery.

The whole idea behind this event is to give as much exposure as possible to this cause so please stop by and take a look at what the others have cooked up.  Sharing on any social media platforms using the #FoodBloggers4FL label would be very much appreciated.  Thanks.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Enchiladas

adapted from Florida Dept of Agriculture

1 T. olive oil, infused with garlic

1 small onion, diced

Kernels from 1 ear of sweet corn

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 t. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup salsa of choice

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

corn tortillas

2-3 c. Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1 (14 oz) can red enchilada sauce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med high heat.  Add the onions, corn, bell pepper and black beans.  Cook and stir for a few minutes.  Add salsa and season with cumin, salt and pepper.  Cook for a minute or two more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Divide the filling between 10-15 tortillas and sprinkle filling with 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place, seam side down, in a baking pan that has been treated with cooking spray.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for half an hour, until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.  Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.  Print Recipe

More Florida Inspired Recipes

An InLinkz Link-up

Simple Chilaquiles; inspired by The Lacuna

This recipe came about due to several different events that happened over the past few months.  First and foremost, my friend Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, posted this recipe using an herb called epazote for our Soup Saturday Swappers group.  I mentioned to Cam that my recipe had also called for epazote but that I had been unable to locate any.  The next thing I knew I got a package from Cam containing a package of epazote.  Cam is like that.....she is always surprising me with her thoughtfulness.

Then, my friend, Linda, gave me The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver to read.  This novel takes place in both the US and Mexico and follows the life of Harrison Shepherd.  Shepherd was born in the early 20th Century to an American father and a Mexican mother.  His parents split when Harrison is 9 years of age and his mother takes him to Mexico where he spends the next 20 years of his life.

Shepherd's parents leave much to be desired and he stays mostly to himself finding comfort from servants of his mother's household, the sea in which he spends much time and his writing of which he is very ashamed.  He loves to cook and spends much time in the kitchen learning new techniques and learning patience.  This helps him to land a job as a plaster maker for the artist, Diego Rivera, which in turn places him in the esteemed position of head cook of Rivera's household.

This story spans the life of Rivera, Kahlo, Trotskey and others all told as seen through the eyes of young Shepherd.  Time spent with these historical figures helps Shepherd to discover a love of history, especially those of the Aztec Indians.

As an adult, Shepherd leaves Mexico and returns to the USA where he becomes an acclaimed author of historical fiction revolving around the Aztecs and Mexico.  Unfortunately, he gets caught up in the politics of the Cold War and has the audacity to believe that our Constitution was written to protect all people, regardless of race, creed or color.  These beliefs, combined with his history of employment by known Communists in Mexico, brand Shepherd a traitor to our country.

It is a powerful story.  One that had me shaking my head at the way history repeats itself, not only in our Country but in all Countries.  We people are a slow, dense animal, it seems.

This novel was filled with delicious foods prepared by Shepherd for Kahlo during her hey days when entertaining was constant.  I, of course, was inspired to create a Mexican recipe.

The third thing that made me choose this recipe was the cookbook from which it is taken. Whenever I get a hankering for Mexican, I head to my bookshelf and grab Mexican Kitchen by Rick Bayless.  I knew I wanted to use epazote in my recipe so I looked for it in the index and found a lesson on it. This is one of the things I love about this cookbook, not only is it filled with wonderful recipes but it reads like a history lesson.

Here is, in part, what Rick has to say about Epazote:

"If this is your first time using epazote, think that you are holding an herb with the aggressiveness of fresh rosemary, the pungent assertiveness of cilantro and the tenacity of anise."

He finishes by saying:

"In my opinion, dried epazote is right for medicinal tea, not for cooking."

Sorry, Rick, but dried is what I had and dried is what I used in this recipe from your American Home.

This recipe is found under the recipe for Rick's Salsa de Chile Chipotle y Jitomate aka Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chipotle Sauce.  I am including my adaptation for this sauce along with the adaptation for the Chilaquiles.

For the sauce I used canned chipotles en adobo and I used a lot less than Rick calls for because Frank is ultra spice sensitive and I wanted him to enjoy these as well.

I adapted the Chilaquiles by seasoning with the dried epazote and using spinach leaves for the greens in the dish.

We served them up pool side on a platter along with Margaritas.  Thanks to Cam, Linda, Barbara Kingsolver and Rick Bayless for the inspiration to make this wonderful snack.  This recipe served 10-12 as an appetizer and could be served as a main course of 4 generous servings.

I am linking up with Foodies Read 2017.  Stop by and see what the others are being inspired to create from the books they are reading.

Simple Chilaquiles
adapted from Mexican Kitchen by Rick Bayless

2 Chipotle Chiles (from canned chipotles en adobo), removed from sauce
1 T. minced garlic
3 large tomatoes
2 t. dried epazote
1 T. olive oil
salt to taste
2 c. broth of choice ( I combined beef and chicken broth)
8 oz. ground corn tosatada or taco shells, broken into tortilla chip size pieces
2 large handfuls of spinach
1 pkg. Queso Blanco (Mexican Crumbly Cheese)

Place the tomatoes on a grill or under a broiler for about 6 minutes per side, until they soften and the skin blisters and blackens in spots.  Set aside to cool.

Place the chipotle peppers and garlic in a heavy duty blender or food processor.  Peel the skins from the tomatoes and place the tomatoes and any collected juices into the blender or food processor. Pulse to a course puree.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over med high heat.  Add the puree and the epazote.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens and epazote softens.  It should be the consistency of tomato sauce.  Taste and season with salt as needed.

Add the broth, spinach and crushed chips. Simmer and stir until the chips are softened but not mushy and the mixture is slightly saucy.  Pour onto a platter and sprinkle generously with the cheese. Print Recipe.

Scallops with Garlic and Cilantro #MexicanRecipes

Welcome to the final day of our Cinco de Mayo celebration hosted by Sue of Palatable Pastime. Since today is Fish Friday, I decided to share a Mexican Seafood Recipe.

Poaching the scallops in a spicy butter sauce produces a tender, juicy dish that is hard to resist.

The best part is that this dish comes together very quickly.  In a matter of minutes it can be on the table.  I served mine with Green Rice and it made a beautiful and elegant presentation.  You don't have to take the time to make your own rice though.  I have found those individual serving cups of brown rice that microwave in 1 minute are a wonderful way to shorten prep time. Using those, this meal would be on the table in about 10 minutes. Perfect for a Friday night when you come home and are anxious to start your weekend.

I hope you have enjoyed this week of Mexican Recipes as much as I.  You will find everyone's final dish following this easy peasy and scrumptious recipe.  Happy Weekend!!

Scallops with Garlic and Cilantro

recipe from Mexican by Jane Milton

20 sea scallops (I used a package of frozen)

2 zucchini, quartered and cut into strips

6 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. hot chili sauce

Juice of 1 lime

small bunch of cilantro, leaves only, chopped

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over med high heat.  Add the zucchini and cook until softened 3-4 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the garlic to the pan along with the chili sauce.  Add the scallops to the pan and cook stirring constantly for a minute or two until scallops are just cooked through.  Stir in the lime juice, cilantro. and zucchini.  Serve immediately. Print Recipe

Fiesta Finale

• Pico de Gallo from Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Spanish Rice from the Tip Garden
• Fried Ice Cream Bars from Cooking With Carlee
• Paloma Cocktail from Caroline's Cooking
• Graham Cracker Fried Ice Cream from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Blackberry Margaritas from Books n' Cooks
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies from Family Around the Table

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media. Are you a food blogger interested in posting within our blogging community? Find out more by joining us online: Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends.

Almond Orange Cookies #MexicanRecipes #FilltheCookieJar

I am combining two events again today.  It is day 4 of our Cinco de Mayo party where we are sharing a week's worth of Mexican Recipes in an event hosted by Sue of Palatable Pastime.  It is also the first Thursday of the month.  Our friend, Cynthia of Feeding Big, hosts a party each month inviting us to Fill the Cookie Jar and share a cookie recipe with our readers.

Our theme for this month's Fill the Cookie Jar is Mother's Day.  My mother was not Mexican.  She was Swedish and Czechoslovakian.  I needed to share a Mexican Recipe.  What is a blogger to do??

I decided to not worry so much about the origin of the cookies and concentrate on the ingredients. My Mom loved nuts and her favorite nut was almonds.  If you wanted to put a smile on my mother's face you would buy her a Hershey's Chocolate Bar with Almonds. It also put a smile on our face because she would break off the pieces containing almonds and then distribute the plain chocolate amongst us kids.

So when I was flipping through a cookbook by Jane Milton, titled simply "Mexican", and came across these Almond Orange Cookies, I knew that my Mom would have loved them.  My decision was made.  The perfect recipe for both events.

My Bonita Senorita was my sous chef for these amazing cookies.   I know that Grandma Great was smiling down from Heaven as Melody and I whipped up this batch of light fluffy cookies.

I adapted this recipe by making them drop cookies instead of rolled and cut.  I used crisco instead  of lard and almond flour instead of grinding my own almonds.  They are slightly sweet with most of the sweetness coming from the sprinkle of cinnamon sugar covering them.

You will find many more Mexican Recipes and Cookie Recipes following mine for these light, fluffy cookies that are the perfect ending to your Cinco de Mayo gathering.

Almond Orange Cookies

adapted from Mexican by Jane Milton

1 c. vegetable shortening

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

zest and juice of one orange

1 3/4 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 3/4 c. almond flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. cinnamon

In large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Beat in the orange zest and juice.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and almond flour.  Gradually, add the dry ingredients into the batter on low speed.  When incorporated, increase speed and mix until a dough is formed.

Using a small cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon, drop the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 8-10 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown.  Remove to a cooling rack, placed over parchment.

Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon and sift over the warm cookies.  Print Recipe

More Mexican Recipes

• Almond Orange Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mexican Chocolate Bizcochitos from Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Steak Tacos w/Sweet Chili Slaw from the Frugal Pantry
• Chicken Tamale Casserole from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Salsa di Hongas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media. Are you a food blogger interested in posting within our blogging community? Find out more by joining us online: Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends.

More Cookie Recipes

• Jumbo Dark Chocolate Cookies by Cookaholic Wife 
• Mexican Chocolate Bizcochitos by Palatable Pastime 
• Sea Salt Caramel Chip Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal 
• Healthy Oatmeal Coffee Cookies by This and That 
• Black Pepper Shortbread by Feeding Big 
• Almond Orange Cookie by A Day In The Life on The Farm
• Galaxy and Nebula Cookies by Amy's Cooking  Adventures