Orzo. Basil, Mint and Tomato Salad!

Orzo Pasta Salad With Tomatoes, Basil & Mint

1 C Orzo Pasta

4 C Chicken, or Vegetable broth or water

1/2 Purple onion

1 Pint Cherry Tomatos

1/2 C Chopped Basil

1/2 C Chopped Mint

1 Can Garbanzo Beans

Red Wine Vinegarette

Cook Pasta in Salted water, or Broth, drain well

Slice tomatoes in half.

Dice purple onion.

Mix all ingredients together in bowl, add drained Garbanzo beans and toss with Red wine Vinegarette.

Red Wine Vinegarette

1 C Red Wine Vinegar or Pomagranite Vinegar

1/2 C Olive Oil

2t honey

1/4 c lemon juice
2 t salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Whisk all ingredients and toss with salad! Serve at room Temperature. Great for picnics!

The whisk below is great to make the vinegarette! Click on the whisk for more information!
This recipe is adapted from a cook book by Giada Di Lorentis!

Check out this cute Rainbow whisk and the wonderful bowl below! The bowl makes a perfect back drop for this colorful salad!

Silicone Rainbow Whisks, Balloon Whisk, 10" (Google Affiliate "Elixyr White Bowl" (Google Affiliate Ad)

Watermelon, basil and tomato salad

Watermelon, Basil and Tomato Salad.

1 watermelon. Preferably seedless. Cubed.

1 small crate of cherry tomatoes or about 5 large tomatoes, red, yellow or orange.

A large bunch of Basil

1 C White Balsamic Vinegar, or Dark balsamic Vinegar

1/4 C Sugar. This will make a reduction.

Simmer vinegar and sugar for about 7-10 minutes until a bit reduced and thickened. 

Toss watermelon, tomatoes and basil together. Serve with
The vinegarette reduction.

 You can also skewer this salad, alternating watermelon, basil and tomatoes. Makes a beautiful presentation.

Great for a late summer salad as watermelon and tomatoes are in abundance at this time! Enjoy!

This is adapted from Giada DiLorentis.

Red Chile Enchaladas, New Mexico Style

NM Red Chile Enchaladas

This recipe is a family favorite of my Husband, Ron Petree

It comes from his Mother Evelyn Petree of Capitan, NM

1 lb Ground beef, or beef substitute

1 Onion, Chopped

2 Jars Red Chile Sauce, or 1 Quart Home Made Sauce, or frozen red chile sauce (Add a t of fresh lemon juice to the frozen)

Corn Tortiallas

1 C Chicken Broth or Veg Broth

1/2 C Veg oil

1 lb Grated Cheddar Cheese, or vegan cheese product

Eggs for Frying

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 tomato diced

Lettuce shredded, about 3-4 leaves

Have ready, minced onion, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese for layering and garnish. 

Brown ground beef,  (or beef substitute) add 1/2 the onions until cooked through. Add chile sauce, and cook down somewhat, adding broth as needed, until a smooth sauce is formed. Fry Tortiallas  in oil, one at a time for only 10 seconds each over medium heat, turning after 5 seconds. Usually a serving on a plate can be 1-3 tortillas  depending on preference. Place tortilla on paper towels to drain. Arrange Enchaladas on plate by layering a tortilla, sauce, onion, and cheese. Finishing with cheese, add a fried egg or two to the top of the stack. Garnish with onion, lettuce, tomato. Beautiful and colorful! Enjoy! Happy Cooking! This takes about 1 hour start to finish. I freeze left over sauce to make very quick dinner next time!
My Husband and his family love to eat these with saltines....I like to dip the saltines in the sauce! Yummy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash soup

Today is September 1st.

The beginning of the beginning of Fall!

Fall is my favorite time of the year in New Mexico..... for many reasons. First off, there is little or no wind. 
The skies

are blue and clear. The aroma of roasting chili not far away.

The growers markets are in full swing, and the crisp cool fall 

air is on the way!

1 large butternut squash, cooked, baked or steamed

until soft. 2T butter or olive oil

1C milk or half and half,

or broth or water for thinning.

1 Shallot minced, and sautéed

Sage for garnish ( I like to fry the sage leaves for 

just a minute in a little olive oil to crisp them)

To add some extra flavor to this wonderful soup, try carmelizing

the squash somewhat in a hot oven on a cookie sheet, just browning the edges..

In a stock pan, melt butter or use olive oil.

Sauté onions,

Place squash in blender, or you can also get out your

Immersion blender for this one!

Blend until smooth adding cream or milk last.

Do not boil cream. If using broth or water to thin,

you can boil just a little bit. So not place hot liquid in
blender, it will explode!!!! Serve warm with croutons and sage on top!
Happy Cooking! Happy Fall!

Quick Green Chili Enchaladas

Green Chili Enchaladas

(Quick Method)

This recipe is from my sweet Husband Ron.

1 Tub Frozen Bueno Chopped Green Chili

2 Cans Cambells Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 Cans Cambells Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Onion Chopped

12 Corn Tortillas

1/2 C Corn Oil

16 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Rotisserie Chicken, (Meat removed from bones and chopped)
1T Chopped Garlic

Sauté onion in 2 T oil in a small fry type pan, remove onion from pan and place in large stock pot or large pan, over medium heat, add thawed green chili, soups and chicken. stir all ingredients together.

Add the rest of the oil to the small fry pan and turn heat to medium. Fry tortillas one at a time for only less that 30 sec each side, place on paper towel to drain. Spray a large casserole pan with Pam to coat.

Place a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread a thin layer. Place tortillas on top of sauce, then more sauce, cheese, tortillas,sauce, cheese etc, ending with sauce and cheese.

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes! Yummy! If you are feeding kids, make sure you get the mild green chili. It can be omitted. Also you can use low fat versions of the soups and cheese. There are vegan varieties of soups and there is also a TVP type of Chicken substitute from Morningstar Farms!

Or saute vegetables of choice to place in the sauce, i.e.: Squash, white beans for protein, carrots, potatoes, eggplant, peas, green beans! Total time is about 15min prep time and 30 min cooking.

Check out this beautiful Stock Pot from Le Creuset at Sur La Table! Its only 54.00!!! This fry pan from Chefs Table is only 20.00! Its from Cuisinart! I prefer pans without coatings, this one is my personal favorite! Happy Cooking!

Le Creuset Cherry Enameled Steel Stockpot, 8 qt. (Google Affiliate Ad)Cuisinart Chef's Classic Fry Pans - 8" - Cuisinart Chef's Classic (Google Affiliate Ad)

Idea for the day

Idea of the Day

08/30/12

While editing my recipe of the day for my Butternut Squash Risotto, I had actually 2 ideas that came from this recipe. When you are using a large squash, you can either cube and freeze what you do not use, but another idea is if you have a baby, or even an older adult that you are taking care of, you can run the steamed squash thru a baby food mill. Very easy, freeze small portions in small plastic (safe) ware, for later use!

My second idea is about the actual preparing the squash. Butternut squash are kind of awkward to handle. These simple tips can make it a little easier.

There are several schools of thought in handling a BNS. (Butternut Squash). First, I like to cut the neck off the round body. Then, cut the body in half and scoop out the seeds. Next either you can cut the neck in half as well, use a peeler and peel the hard skin away, or to make it even easier, you can roast the squash unpeeled in a shallow pan of water, until it is somewhat golden brown for more flavor. Then simply cube the flesh and remove. If you cube the squash raw, please be very careful! It is very easy to cut yourself! Video to come soon!

You can find these mills online very reasonable priced! If you enjoyed my blog today, please click on the baby food mills for more information!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto

Fall reminds me of squash. Now is the time you will 

Find an abundance of them at your local markets. Take advantage of their beautiful colors and luscious favors. Butternut squash, pumpkin and many other squash of these types freeze well. That way you can have squash all winter. Frozen butternut squash makes excellent soup on a cold winter day. (recipe later)

This recipe is not vegan, however, just a few minor changes

Can make it so. Simply by eliminating the chicken, bacon,and chicken

Stock, substituting mushroom stock, or vegetable stock. I would add sautéed mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and either edamame or chick peas for the protein if you are making it vegan.

3 cups broth boiling in a pot on back burner of stove top

2 T olive oil

1 shallot minced

1/3 c white wine

1 rotisserie chicken cubed

5 slices of bacon  cooked and chopped

1 c Romano cheese 

1 C Butternut Squash, Cubed

12 oz. Arborio Rice

Brown bacon, remove from pan. Drain grease. Add olive oil and sauté shallots.

Add risotto and sauté for just a few minutes, add white wine and stir until absorbed. Begin to add hot stock, by ladles, until absorbed. This takes about 15 minutes. Watch risotto very carefully, turn down heat to low. Risotto will turn somewhat transparent when done, soft to the taste, or al dente depending on preference. Stir in. Bacon, chicken, squash and cheese. Cover and let stand, adding more liquid as needed. Reserve a little bacon and cheese for garnish.

Enjoy!Serve with a steamed vegetable or small salad!