I knew my sister was going to be working late today. I know what it is like to slog all day at a job and then have to come home and cook a meal for people. I decided I was going to put together a casserole and bring it over to them so that she could just bang it into the oven.
I had bookmarked a casserole I had seen over on Smart School House for Tortilla Chip Enchiladas. Lazy enchiladas with tortilla chips. No faffing about. I liked that idea.
I've got a lot of work on at the moment as well, albeit from home.
My father usually eats supper at my sister's place every night. He's not one for spicy food, so the menu usually has to be pretty tame.
Now that the lockdown restrictions have eased a tiny bit he has been meeting his lady friends for Fish & Chips on Wednesday nights. I knew that with just Cindy and Dan being there I could pull out the stops a tiny bit.
What I really liked about the basic recipe was that it was pretty much a store cupboard recipe. It used things I almost always have in my larder and refrigerator. You could also either use beef or chicken in it.
I happened to have some cooked pot roast in the refrigerator, which I knew would be perfect for this. Simply shredded it would work well with everything else.
I also had a bag of plain lightly salted tortilla chips which were put to good use. Red enchilada sauce. Tomato Salsa, cheese . . .
The only thing I didn't have basically was the canned green chilies. They are not readily available locally in my small town, although you can get them a bit further afield. I could get fresh jalapeno chilies however.
You want the skins to really blister. Once they were done, I folded them up in the tinfoil I was roasting them on and let them sweat for about 5 minutes.
After that it was simply a matter of using a knife to slip the skins off and scrape out the seeds. I did extra so I could have them in the freezer.
Just roll the up tightly like a cigar (skinned and seeded) and wrap tightly in some plastic cling film, like a little sausage. Pop into a zip lock baggie and then whenever I need a few green chilies I have them. Just slice off coins with a sharp knife and chop.
When you are a single person, living alone, you have to plan ahead. It just made sense for me to do this. I used to do it in the UK because you couldn't get tinned green chilies at all there. With a little bit of effort, I now have some ready and at my beck and call.
The casserole itself was really very easy to make. Just shred the beef and mix it together with some ground cumin, the enchilada sauce, the salsa, green chilies and cheese. Oh, and the broken tortillas.
Don't break up the tortilla chips too much. You want them to be smaller than in the bag, but you don't want them to be ground. I also broke my rule of thumb and used already grated cheese today.
I figured in a casserole such as this, it wouldn't matter all that much. I used a Tex Mex blend which contained cheddar and spicy jack cheeses. Perfect.
One thing about using ground spices such as cumin. If you toast them first in a hot skillet you can really bring out the flavors, enhancing them nicely. About 30 seconds or so in a really hot skillet does the trick.
It really doesn't take very long at all to stir everything together. Then it is merely a matter of scraping it into your buttered dish, tipping it with more cheese, covering it and baking it. Easy peasy.
I also did a very tiny one for myself to enjoy. The instructions and amounts I have given here are for that smaller one, which makes 2 servings, or one if you are extra hungry.
I wasn't. Extra hungry that is. I will enjoy the other half tomorrow.
One thing which I did differently was to uncover the casserole near to the end of the bake time, sprinkle a few more tortilla chips on top for some crunch and a bit more cheese.
I don't know of any casserole on earth that doesn't become better for having had something crisp and crunchy sprinkled on top. Its almost a rule of thumb for me, to sprinkle a bit of crunch on top. I haven't had any complaints yet.
Cut into squares it went down a real treat. I added a dollop of sour cream on top and some chopped spring onions. Oh, and a thin slice of the roasted green chili.
Doesn't that look tasty? Doesn't that look appealing? Truth be told, in looking at those photos I may not be able to wait until tomorrow to eat the other half! I am such a glutton!
I hope Cindy and Dan enjoyed their as much as I did mine. All you need on the side is perhaps a salad, maybe some guacamole. If you are really hungry, some Mexican rice.
This was really, really good. Loved also that it was quick and easy to make. If you love Tex Mex flavors and are looking for a simple, easy and quick supper, that is also delicious, you need look no further. This fits the bill on all counts!
Cooked Beef? Chicken? Pork even . . . its a great way to use up any of those! I promise! Failing that just use ground beef, chicken or turkey and fry it first. 👍👍
Tortilla Chip Enchiladas
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
You can make these tasty store cupboard enchiladas with either leftover shredded chicken or beef. They are quite simply delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 grams) shredded cooked beef or chicken
- 1 1/2 cups (40 grams) broken tortilla chips
- 1 1/2 cups (350 grams) grated Tex-mex cheese blend
- 14 ounces (395 grams) red enchilada sauce
- 2 TBS chopped roasted green chilies
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup (60 gams) medium tomato salsa
You will also need:
- 3 TBS crushed chips
- 1 TBS grated cheese
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- sour cream to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. butter a 7 by 4 inch casserole dish and set aside.
- Shred your beef or chicken in a bowl. Add the green chilies, salsa and cumin and mix thoroughly. Add the broken tortilla chips and enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese, mixing everything gently together. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese, making sure you cover the tortilla mixture completely.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and top with the remaining crushed chips and cheese. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until the cheese on top has melted.
- Divide in half and serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped spring onion.
Kitchen Decor Trends
The kitchen is often a room people overlook
when they’re updating their home’s décor, but we know better right? If you’re
like me, the Kitchen is probably your favourite room in your home and it’s
likely the room you’re in the most, so for people like us, kitchen décor is
incredibly important.
The world of interior design changes so often,
it can be hard to know what styles are ‘in’ when the time comes to update your
kitchen’s décor, so to put you on the right path, the team at DotcomBlinds.com
helped out with this article to point out what trends you should be following
with your re-decoration!
Colour Pop Cabinets
If you feel like your kitchen could do with a
bit more colour and life in it, then you’ll almost certainly fall in love with
colour pop cabinets. Colour pop has become a popular trend in part because of
how easy it is to incorporate into existing décor but also due to the fact it
can make any kitchen look far more vibrant!
To colour pop your kitchen cabinets, all you
need to do is paint your cabinet doors with a bright, striking colour. You can
paint the entirety of the doors, use the colour as an accent colour or be
unique and paint on a pattern. However you go about this, you’ll easily turn
kitchen cabinets from drab to fab!
Seaside Themes
It’s the middle of Summertime, so of course
seaside themes are a big trend at the moment for kitchen décor as designers
look to capitalise on the nostalgia of Seaside staycations and the delightful
weather. Don’t worry, this trend will still look great during the Winter and
give you a mental throwback to good weather!
There are lots of ways you can incorporate
seaside themes into your kitchen style like incorporating design pieces made
from driftwood, using lots of blue and yellow in your colour scheme, but for
many people Beach Hut stripes are where it’s at, as they can make a room look
bigger and more welcoming, you can use these stripes in your kitchen with
wallpaper, splashbacks or if you have a big window you can find some stripey wide
blinds!
Dark & Moody
For those of you that prefer a moody or sexy
kitchen a la Nigella Lawson, this is the trend for you! Traditionally kitchens
have been coloured in White and Light Wood, which makes kitchens feel more open
and ideal for families. But if you want a more sophisticated and adult take on
the kitchen, it’s time things get a bit moody!
It's easy to transition from a bright kitchen
to a dark and moody kitchen as it’s a case of replace light with dark. To do
this you can simply paint or wallpaper over white walls in a luscious black and
swap light wood features like laminate flooring or cabinets for dark wood
features to create a luxurious feeling kitchen perfect for entertaining!
Chicken Diavolo Pasta. Prepare yourself to be blown away! This chicken dish I am sharing today with its creamy Diavolo sauce is amazingly delicious.
I found the original recipe on Pinterest from a blog called Sum of Yum and I thought it looked delicious. I immediately put it into my must cook folder.
Yesterday was the day I cooked it and I downsized it to feed only two people, or one with leftovers. If you want the full recipe by all means check it on Sum of Yum.
Next to potatoes, pasta is one of my favorite things to cook and eat. For years and years I had to hold back my desire to cook and eat it because I had a husband who was not fond at all of it.
Not a problem anymore. I can now indulge in it to my hearts desire! Yay! That is one of the positives I choose to take from my recent experiences.
Diavolo refers to the hot and spicy flavors of this dish. Diavolo in Italian means "devil." I suppose you could also call this Deviled Chicken Pasta.
Admittedly there is a bit of spice and fire in this dish, but there is also plenty of yum. Yes creamy, sinful deliciousness!
One thing which I really liked about the recipe is that it used simple, wholesome ingredients. Ingredients I usually always have in my kitchen.
Pasta, sun dried tomatoes, baby spinach, chicken, garlic, cream, and cheese. I have also always kept a healthy assortment of spices and seasonings.
Not in huge quantities because that would be a waste, but if I need something, generally speaking, I can put my hands on it.
I had some fresh baby spinach left from the other day and was keen to use it up. This recipe was perfect for that!
I used a chicken breast I had frozen earlier this year when I had bought a whole chicken on offer and cut it into pieces. Each piece was wrapped individually, ready to take out of the freezer as and when I needed it.
Buying whole chickens when they are on offer is a great economy. The more people that handle your food, the more it adds to the cost.
By paying about 10 dollars for a whole chicken and cutting it up myself, I created quite a few meal options, whether I am cooking for myself, or for others in addition to myself.
That is one way to make expensive meat go a lot further. I think so at any rate. This simple action has always worked well for me! And its not really that hard a thing to do if you have good sharp knives.
One thing also that works with this recipe is to prep all of your ingredients before you begin. Skin, bone and chop your chicken (on a separate board to the other ingredients) and pop it into a small bowl ready to go.
Destem and chop your spinach. Why destem? Well, its simple really . . . the stems can be much tougher than the leaves and really don't look that appealing.
Chop your sundried tomatoes. Measure out your cream and cheese, also placing them in separate containers. Mince your garlic.
Put some salted water on to boil for the pasta and measure that out as well.
This is called Mise en Place in the culinary world and it is something every good Chef does. Not only does it help to prevent you from leaving something integral from out of the recipe, but it also makes the cooking process go a lot quicker and smoother!
This is a simple sauce to make. Cream, cheese, garlic, some cayenne and crushed red chilies (for heat, butter and of course the chicken, spinach and tomatoes.
You begin by heating a bit of olive oil (I always use light, not best extra virgin) for cooking. You add the cayenne to that and allow it to flavor the oil.
How much you add depends on how much heat you want to add. I don't like things overly spicy and so I only use about 1/4 tsp of it, maybe even a bit less, but I would certainly not use more than that.
You add your chicken to this spicy oil and flash fry it over a medium heat. You don't want to dry it out, but it is nice if you can get it a bit brown in a few places.
And yes, it does splatter, but to me that's never been a problem that a good dish cloth can't fix or sort out. I have never been afraid of making a mess or cleaning it up.
I think that is one of the secrets to being a good cook. Never be afraid to make a mess, or let things splatter. There is so much flavor that develops in the process of splattering!
You want to sear in your chicken juices, not stew them. You also don't want to dry out your chicken by over cooking it, and as we all know, chicken breast can dry out very quickly and easily.
Once you have your chicken lightly browned you can turn down the temperature and add your butter and garlic. You don't want to brown the garlic.
Browned garlic can be somewhat bitter unless it is roasted, and frying isn't roasting. Also there's cream in this dish, so butter? meh . . . why not!
Once you've done that you add the cream and hot pepper flakes to the dish and your sauce is well on its way. Your pasta should be on the boil by now.
Farfalle, or bow tie pasta as it is also known, is perfect for this. It it the right size and shape to cup the sauce and yet doesn't interfere with the integrity of it.
The shape works well with the cubes of chicken and the other ingredients. I have always had a special fondness for farfalle as well.
You get those nice wings of pasta at the outer edge and then the slightly chewy really al dente bits at the center pinches. Those little nooks, crannies and pocket in the folds to hold in all those delicious flavors, Yum!!
The spinach and the sun dried tomatoes basically just get wilted and heated through. This dish is the color of the Italian flag! Red, green and white!
Cream, Parmesan cheese, that's it. Your dish is complete. Grate your own cheese if at all possible and use a good brand. It does make a huge difference.
Quick, easy, colorful and delicious! This tasty one pan dish has all the elements of success going for it! if you are a vegetarian you could use cubes of Tofu instead of chicken and I dare say you could also use tuna in this is you are a pescatarian!
Kind of a tuna skillet casserole dish. Oh my but that sounds yummy don't you think?
Dishes like this make fabulous mid-week meals any time of the year. Designed to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly and yet in the most delicious way possible! Enjoy!!
Chicken Diavolo Pasta
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min
This spicy chicken pasta is easy to make and delicious. If you have everything ready to go before you begin it also goes together very quickly. Its a bit spicy as written but if you like it to be more so you can adjust the cayenne or pepper flakes.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170grams) farfalle (bow tie pasta)
- 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces, can use two smaller ones)
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ( adjust as needed)
- 1/4 crushed red pepper flakes (adjust as needed)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS butter
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy (double) cream
- 3/4 cup (135grams) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (60 grams) fresh baby spinach, destemmed and chopped
- 3 ounces (60g) sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the chicken and then cut it into bite sized pieces. Place into a small bowl. Chop the spinach and the sun-dried tomatoes. Place a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the cayenne pepper and heat. Drop in the chicken, stirring to coat it with the pepper oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until cooked through and light golden brown in places.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions, while you continue with the sauce.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook to melt the butter, without browning the garlic. Add the cream and crushed pepper flakes and simmer for five minutes.
- Drain the pasta and rinse with hot water.
- Add the cheese to the pan whisking to combine and then stir in the sundried tomatoes, spinach and cooked pasta. Stir through and heat.
- Serve immediately with or without additional cheese for sprinkling over top.
Spaghetti and Meatballs is not something which I grew up with. In my early childhood years the closest we ever got to spaghetti was when my mother opened us a can of Heinz spaghetti in tomato sauce.
Sometimes we would have that for supper on Saturday night with pan fried hotdogs and we thought it was a real treat! It was about as foreign as you could get in our house!
Then somewhere along the way she discovered what she called "Italian Spaghetti." A pound of hamburger browned in a pot with a can of Catelli sauce poured over top. She was pretty proud of that and my dad loved it.
I was not so keen, but that was because of the hamburger. My sister wasn't keen about the sauce at all. She would eat her spaghetti plain with butter and cheese. Mom would save a tablespoon of the sauce out for me and I would have my spaghetti with that and cheese.
To this day I have no recollection at all of my mother sitting down to eat with us. Not ever. I will have to ask my sister if she does. I do once we were adults, just not from when we were children.
I first discovered spaghetti with meatballs when I was a young Bride living out in Calgary. There was a place called The Old Spaghetti Factory. Going there for a meal out was a real treat for us. We would get all dressed up and get a baby sitter for the kids.
They had like a bottomless bread basket. They would keep bringing you bread as long as you wanted it and it was great bread. You also got a salad and dessert thrown in.
I can't remember what the main courses were on offer, but we always got the spaghetti and meatballs. It all felt very elegant to me.
When I was child spaghetti and meatballs was only something we sang about in a song where we lost our meatball when somebody sneezed. As an adult it was finally a delicious reality.
I made sure my children grew up knowing the delicious reality that was spaghetti and meatballs. The recipe I used then was one which I found in an old cookbook of my mother's, entitled Martha Logan's meat cookbook.
I had it handwritten and copied out into my big blue binder. It was my standard for years and years. Gradually I got more inventive with it and finally it became my own.
Nowadays spaghetti and meatballs is not something I indulge in very often at all. When I was in the UK, my husband did not like pasta of any kind, and here in Canada there is only me to feed.
I have neither the desire nor the inclination to cook meals that I will be having to eat for days and days to use them up. Smaller is the way to go these days.
I will save the big batch cooking for when I eventually have company to visit. I am sure that will happen one day, and hopefully in the not too distant future. We will see what happens. Fingers crossed.
Eileen and Tim want to come and stay overnight and I think they are coming for Thanksgiving this year. Tim's family is going to Ontario to be with his brother, so Eileen and Tim will be on their own.
Who knows some of my family may make it over from across the Bay of Fundy or the Northumberland Straight. Hope springs eternal.
But you're not here to read about my hopes and dreams, you are here to read about Spaghetti and Meatballs and my downsizing the recipe.
This recipe makes 12 perfectly tiny, cherry tomato sized meatballs, along with a thick and healthy pan of sauce. Just perfect for feeding two or one with leftovers. (I don't mind indulging in leftovers once.)
The meatballs themselves are a mix of pork and beef. Do buy the best and leanest your money can buy. These days I like to grind my own.
If you do that you can grind the pork and beef together and its already perfectly mixed. All you need to do then is to add the bread and seasonings.
I brown them all over in a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet. Simple. You can shake the skillet from time to time to roll them over, or you can use a pair of tongs. I favor the skillet shake myself.
The sauce is a simple one. There is not a lot in it. Good canned tomatoes. Garlic. Grated onion, some seasonings.
Buy the best tomatoes your money can buy. If you find them too acidic you can add a pinch of sugar, but just a pinch. I add some butter to increase the richness in the sauce. The seasonings are also simple.
This is the bare-bones recipe. I don't yet have things like wine, etc. in my house for cooking with, so there is none of that, but you can certainly add a splash of wine to this if you wish to, instead of the water I suggest in the recipe.
As simple as this is, it is also incredibly delicious and satisfying. Served with some Parmesan cheese grated on top.
I made some garlic bread with a stale roll to have on the side and if I didn't need to go grocery shopping I would have had a salad as well. Next time . . .
Spaghetti with Meatballs (small batch)
Yield: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Simple, really. Delicious too. Adapted from a recipe in the cookbook entitled Martha Logan's Meat Cookbook.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 thick slice soft white bread, crusts removed
- 2 TBS milk
- 1/4 pound (4 ounces) lean ground beef
- 1/4 pound (4 ounces) ground pork
- 1 TBS chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 TBS grated onion
- 2 TBS light olive oil to fry
For the sauce:
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) chopped tomatoes in juice, undrained
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 TBS grated onion
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water or stock
- 1 TBS butter
You will also need:
- 6 ounces (175g) dry spaghetti
- 1 TBS butter
- grated Parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
- First make the meatballs. Tear the bread into a bowl and add the milk. Squish it with your fingers until the bread totally soaks up the milk. Add the grated onion, parsley and seasoning. Add both ground meats and mix everything together with your hands. Knead it all together thoroughly. Shape into 12 balls the size of plum tomato.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over. Drain on some paper kitchen toweling while you make the sauce.
- Heat the oil for the sauce in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook until it smells quite fragrant. Tip in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning and grated onion. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. mashing the tomatoes gently with a fork. Stir in the butter. Add the water and meatballs. Simmer everything together for 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- While the sauce is about halfway cooked, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in lightly salted boiling water. Cook just to al dente. When the pasta is done, scoop it out into the skillet with the meatballs and sauce, adding the remaining butter. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- Serve the hot pasta in heated bowls along with some Parmesan cheese for sprinkling.
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