Tasty Tuesdays: Creamy Spinach Enchiladas

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

I'm excited to share this recipe with you because I loved it!  There is hardly any prep required and they are very simple to put together.  The original recipe is from the January 2012 issue of Real Simple Magazine.  Click here for the recipe.

Ingredients:

- (1) 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed

- 1-1/2 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

- (2) 4.5-ounce cans chopped green chilies

- 1 cup heavy cream {could substitute 1/2 cup skim milk for half of cream}

- salt and black pepper

- (8) 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed

- 1/4 small red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1.  Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, mix together the spinach, corn, 1 cup of the Cheddar, and 1 can of the chilies. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, the remaining can of chilies, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

2.  Dividing evenly, roll up the spinach mixture in the tortillas.  Place seam-side down in a shallow baking dish. Top with the cream sauce and the remaining ½ cup of Cheddar. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.

3.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the cabbage with oil, lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the enchiladas and enjoy!

Fresh out of the oven:

Corn tortillas are prone to cracking.  I should have warmed them a little before filling them because I did experience cracking with a few as you can see in the photo above.

Also, I baked 5 enchiladas in the dish shown in the photo above, and 3 in a small dish that I put in the freezer for  later.

I served with a dollop of sour cream and it added the perfect amount of coolness to the spice of the chilies.

A glass of Mexican beer was the obvious beverage of choice...

This recipe was a definite keeper - I know I'll be making it again!

What did you cook this week?

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Tasty Tuesdays: Lime Glazed Shortbread

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

This recipe is one I have been holding onto for a few months now.  I ripped the recipe out of the December 2011 issue of Shape Magazine.



Ingredients for cookies:

- 2 cups white whole- wheat flour

- 1⁄2 tsp baking soda

- 1⁄4 tsp salt

- 1⁄2 cup turbinado sugar

- 1⁄3 cup olive oil

- 1 large egg, lightly beaten

- 2 Tbs honey

- 2 tsp finely grated lime zest

Ingredients for glaze:

- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

- 2 to 3 tsp of fresh lime juice

- 1/2 tsp lime zest

1.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, beat sugar, olive oil, egg, and honey with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in lime zest and flour mixture until combined (it will be somewhat sticky). On a floured work surface, form dough into a log about 8 inches long and 1 1⁄2 inches in diameter; wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm.

3.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with parchment paper or silicone liners)

4. Slice the chilled dough into 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds, place on prepared baking sheet, and bake for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 5 minutes on sheet; transfer to a wire rack placed over wax paper and cool completely.

5.  In a small bowl, mix together confectioners sugar, lime juice, and lime zest.  Add more juice if necessary to thin glaze.  Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set for 15 minutes.

I enjoyed these cookies.  I don't know if it's my imagination, but I thought they tasted even better the next day.  They have a nice mild flavor and aren't too sweet.  I loved the glaze - it tastes just like lime aid, yum.

What did you cook this week?

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Tasty Tuesdays: Gorgonzola, Spinach, & Toasted Walnut Rigatoni

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

I hope your week is off to a great start.  We are finally enjoying warm weather again here in Michigan - it feels great!  I made this recipe two weeks ago.  The same weekend I made the spinach tart.  Both recipes called for spinach & heavy cream.  A strange coincidence that I did not plan out!

The original recipe is from Fine Cooking and can be found here.  I originally saw the recipe pinned on Pinterest and was lead to the blog Bev Cooks.

Ingredients:

- 8 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves (10 lightly packed cups)

- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

- 12 oz. dried rigatoni or similar pasta like penne (3-1/2 cups)

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1/2 cupcrumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese

- 3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chopped chives

- salt & pepper

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center position.  Toast walnuts on rimmed baking sheet for 6-8 minutes.  remove from oven and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Put the spinach in a colander and set in sink.

3.  Cook the penne according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta in the colander over the spinach (this wilt wilt the spinach perfectly).

4.  Put the cream, Gorgonzola, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and a pinch of salt in a skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta and spinach, and 2 Tbs. each of the walnuts and chives. Cook, stirring constantly, until some of the sauce is absorbed by the pasta, about 2 minutes. If necessary, add some of the cooking water to moisten the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbs. walnuts and 1 Tbs. chives, and serve.

A pretty easy recipe, right?  I really liked how quick it was to cook.

I'm a big fan of Gorgonzola, but was pleased to find that the flavor was not overwhelming in this dish.  Definitely an easy pasta dish that I would make again.

What did you cook this week?

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Tasty Tuesdays: Spinach Tart

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

I am back with a recipe to share - and it's a good one!  This spinach tart was simple to make, with very few ingredients, but it tasted amazing, like I had spent much more time on it.

Ingredients:

- 9 inch tart pan lined with pie dough {I used my standby recipe from Smitten Kitchen; I cut the ingredients in half because there is not pie top}

- 9 oz baby spinach leaves

- 4 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 2 heaping cups grated sharp cheddar

- 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks

- 2/3 cup heavy cream

- 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

- salt & pepper



1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out pie dough {I made mine the night before and kept it chilling in the fridge}.  Place dough in tart pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

2.  Add two tablespoons of olive oil and spinach to saute pan and cook spinach until wilted.  Remove from pan; drain and chop; set aside.  Add remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to same pan and add onions; cook until soft.  Set aside.

3.  Mix together: cream, eggs and egg yolks, cheese, mustard, and dash of salt and pepper.

4.  Spread spinach and onions over bottom of pie crust.  Pour egg mixture over top.

All ready to go into the oven:

5.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden.  Turn off heat and leave in oven for additional 5 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven:

I really enjoyed this tart.  It's just perfect for a weekend brunch. 

I tore this recipe out of People Magazine {of all places!}.  It is Paul McCartney's recipe and is adapted from his cookbook, Meat Free Monday Cookbook.  I did not change the ingredients or amounts, but did adapt the cooking preparation slightly.

What did you cook this week?

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Screen Porch: Ready for Summer!

I spent some time today getting my outdoor furniture out of storage and ready for summer.  I always love getting the furniture back out on my screen porch - it looks so barren and empty during the winter.

I made a few new pillows this year.  I was tired of the orange pillows I had out on the porch last year and decided to add more green.  You know how I love green.

{ Pillow on the left is Waverly Sun N Shade Quilted Meridian Ebony.  Pillow on the right is Waverly Sun N Shade Quilted Rise and Shine Ebony }

The empty porch:



Any MSU fans out there?  See my Spartan flag?  I'm flying it proudly.

And all filled up:



The white geranium is from last year.  I brought it inside in the Fall and kept it a sunny spot in my bedroom.  It did really well all Winter and started blooming about a month ago.  I just put it outside this week.

My little turtles.  Did I ever mention that I love turtles?

Now, I just need the weather to warm up a little bit so I can enjoy it!

{ See my 2010 screen porch here.  See my 2011 screen porch here.  You'll find information on furniture and rug there. }

I've linked this post up to It All Started With Paint

Tasty Tuesdays: The Too Busy To Cook Edition

{ view from Empire State Building, NYC }

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

I've become a lousy blogger.  Have you noticed? I haven't been posting much, haven't been able to visit my favorite blogs very often, and haven't cooked much lately either.  The lack of cooking I blame on a few busy weeks.  I took a whirlwind trip to New York City for work and then this past weekend went to Chicago to visit my sister.  I did spend quite a bit of time eating in Chi town, just not cooking.

Friday night we had drinks and small plates for dinner at Sable Kitchen & Bar located in Hotel Palomar in River North.  Sable is one of my sister's favorite spots for happy hour.  She watched the hotel and restaurant be built from the ground up from her office!  We enjoyed the mushroom flat bread with truffle oil, mussels, and cheese curds.  Delicious!

 Saturday night we had a wonderful meal at Riccardo Trattoria.  Loved this place!  We enjoyed everything we ate.  It is small and books up quickly, so make a reservation and treat yourself to a wonderful meal.  We tried to get in for my birthday in February, but it was already full.  I'm glad we made it there - it's a new Chicago favorite for us!

Finally, brunch on Sunday morning.  We went to Dunlay's on Clark for their famous Bloody Marys and ended up enjoying their food just as much.  Pictured above is the egg sandwich my sister ordered along with the house potatoes.  They were amazing - loaded with cream, and cheese, and herbs.

{ Dunlays famous Bloody Mary with beer backer }

I will be back next week with a recipe...I promise!

What did you cook this week?

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