For your enjoyment

LOLcats....in place of an actual post. :)

Recipe of the Week: Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa de Mancha Manteles

I'm very excited, I recently bought The Tassajara Recipe Book. Tassajara is the name of a Zen Mountain Center in Northern California. All of the recipes are vegetarian and pretty healthy as well. Everything is really great for the soul.

Of course, I had to try the new cookbook out right away! So I decided to make dinner for my beau last weekend. Here is what I made for the tasty meal.

Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa de Mancha Manteles

The Salsa

8 New Mexico chilies - I could not find these so I didn't use them

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup almonds

2 Tbsp sesame seeds - the recipe calls for both these and the almonds to be roasted, but I did not roast them

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Small clove of Garlic, minced

1 oz Dark Chocolate (that's right, don't be afraid)

a pinch or two of Cinnamon

1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

Salt

Tomato Paste (optional) - I used this because there wouldn't have been much of a salsa without the chilies

Grind the almonds and sesame seeds.

Heat oil, add garlic and cook briefly. Add raisins and the blended almonds and sesame seeds. Add chocolate, cinnamon and sugar. Season to taste with vinegar and salt.

Add tomato paste and some water.

Cheese Enchiladas

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

Olive Oil

8 oz Jack Cheese, grated

1/2 cup pitted Olives (optional) - I did not use these

2 oz canned Green Chilies, minced

Corn Tortillas

Garnish:

Sour Cream

Cilantro

Saute the onion in olive oil, set aside to cool. Add the cheese and chilies.

Line a 9" x 13" pan with 1/2 cup of the salsa from above. Heat tortillas to make them pliable. Dip both sides in some of the sauce on a plate. Add the cheese mixture to the tortilla and roll. Place in the baking dish. Do this until the pan is full. (The recipes calls for 12 tortillas, but I only fit 6).

Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. I sprinkled some cheese on top before baking it.

Garnish with Sour Cream and Cilantro.

I also made the Excellent Apple Salad and Green Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic. Perhaps I'll post those recipes another time. Or you could just go and buy the book yourself.

Recipe of the Week: The quest for the perfect burrito

Burritos are great! I'm always trying to create the perfect burrito. Really, perfect depends on what I am feeling at that particular time. It's very hard to beat the Seven Layers of Heaven Burrito, which has thus far stood the test of time. So, here's another attempt at burrito deliciousness. Actually, this was more like a burrito bowl, because the whole grain tortilla wraps, while healthy, are crap when it comes to staying in one piece. But, the photos are pre-eating and it appears that the burrito is in-tact, which it would be if I had used regular tortilla shells.

1 Chicken Italian Sausage (with pieces of peppers already in it, totally tasty!)

Refried Black Beans

Green Chilies (from the can)

1/2 Small Zucchini, sliced

1 Small Bunch of Broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 Avocado, Sliced

Handful of Shredded Cheese of your choice, I used a Cheddar-Jack combo

A few slices of an Onion

1 Tortilla Shell

Optional: Sour Cream

Slice sausage and saute in a skillet. Simultaneously blanch broccoli and zucchini.

While these things are cooking, heat up a serving of refried black beans and mix in green chilies.


Warm tortilla and spread bean mixture on it. Add the ingredients in the following order:

Sausage

Zucchini & Broccoli

Onions

Avocado

And voila! There's your burrito.

Also, here are some random pics that make me happy.

Pretty flowers to brighten up the apartment.

My ladies breaking it down. They've got such great moves that they coudn't be caught on camera!

Menu Plan Monday: Week of June 22, 2009

It's actually Monday! I can post an honest Menu Plan Monday this week! Woo hoo!

Monday

Breakfast: Chai Latte, Nuts & Raisins

Lunch: Tuna Pita

Dinner: Huevos Rancheros

Tuesday

Breakfast: Bagel with Cream Cheese

Lunch: Salad

Dinner: Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Wednesday

Breakfast: Yogurt & Almonds

Lunch: PB&J and crackers

Dinner: Tuna Salad & Crackers

Thursday

Breakfast: PB Toast & Banana

Lunch: Turky & Avocado Sandwich

Dinner: PB & J Sandwich

Friday

Breakfast: Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich

Lunch: Salad

Dinner: Sushi

Menu Plan Monday...er...Tuesday: Week of June 15, 2009

I really meant to post this last night. But sometimes it seems like I just don't have enough time in the day. After my workout I HAD to watch the second half of The Reader (I feel asleep watching it the night before. It's what I do - falling asleep during movies. No matter how good.) It's a good thing though, to write this post after a few days into the week, to see how much I have diverted from the menu. It happens. Chaos is a part of life, and no matter how hard I seem to try, I cannot avoid the changes (okay, sometimes I try harder than others :). Essentially, I eat all of the meals on the list, but not always when I plan to.

So here's the plan for week. Monday and Tuesday are truly accurate. The rest is variable.

Monday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Almonds
Lunch: PB & J Sandwich and Salsa Sun Chips (they taste a little like Doritos, but better!)
Dinner: Sushi leftover from Sunday's dinner - I made Tuna/Avocado and Avocado Rolls

Tuesday
Breakfast: Blueberry Waffle with Peanut Butter
Lunch: Salad with Tuna and Avocado
Dinner: Burrito

Wednesday
Breakfast: Yogurt & Banana
Lunch: Burrito
Dinner: PB & J Sandwich

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: PB & J Sandwich
Dinner: Pasta with Zucchini, Onion and Garlic

Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt
Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich
Dinner: Out with friends

I am famous!

Recently, I wrote an article for my zen center's newsletter. It was about my inability to stop drinking soda and how I used my zen practice around that. The newsletter has since been published and you can see the article, as well as the rest of the newsletter, here. Mine is entitled, A Tall, Cool Glass of RAIN, which I give my friend Ian the credit for. He also took the photo of the fizzing glass of soda.

Recipe of the Week: Lentil and Rice Casserole

I got to use my crock pot again! And this was a simple but tasty dish. I found the recipe online, of course. Where else do you find recipes? Again, I took it to a potluck at my zen center. I forgot to add the cheese, but it was still pretty good. The first time I made it I remembered the cheese and it was better.

Lentil and Rice Casserole

3 tsp powdered chicken bouillon (I used vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)

2-1/2 cups very hot water

3/4 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1 cup white or brown rice

1 small to medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp dried sweet basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp minced garlic

Two handfuls or so of shredded cheddar cheese.

Combine everything but the cheese in a crock pot and cook on low for 3.5 hours. Add cheese and cook for an additional 30 minutes.