Chicken Enchilada with Lime Cilantro Rice

Tonight we had Chicken Enchiladas. I decided to try something new. I found this recipe with good reviews. It was okay. I won't make it that way again. I will stick with my own made up version. (Chicken from a can, 1 can cream of chicken, sour cream--maybe 3/4 cup, 1 can green chilies, then season to taste with garlic salt, pepper, cumin (a must in my book) and chili powder.)

Then I made the Rice recipe found here (scroll down). We love the combination of these two flavors together. (for best results, don't leave your rice sitting in your rice cooker for a long time--like 2 hours--time it better than me and you'll be happier with it.)

My weekly menu said that I was to serve this asparagus with the stuffed onions the other day, but I forgot to consult my menu. . . . So when I found it in the fridge today, I made it tonight even though it wasn't the best mix of flavors. We love this asparagus recipe. It calls for white asparagus, which is good, but it is just as good with green. And of course I never have the right kind of crumbs. I just blend up a slice of my white bread and call it good. Cut back on the butter and add some flax seed if you want.

Stuffed Onions

You may think I have a thing for stuffing vegetables. . . it's not really true, I've just been on a kick lately. Tonight we had this recipe. Pretty good, although I prefer stuffed peppers over stuffed onions. I also made this salad. We love it. I've made it numerous times with bok choy, Napa cabbage and regular cabbage. All are good, but I prefer it with Napa cabbage. Also, I cook the seasoning packet with the Ramen and omit the soy sauce in the dressing. Gives it a better flavor. I also use red onions instead of green. Tonight I didn't have any sesame seeds. . . it was okay, but they add a lot of flavor to this salad. Oh, and I cut way back on the butter, it doesn't need that much. We also had cantaloupe and homemade lemonade (with left over lemons from Sunday's fish).

Sausage and Pasta, Monday Night

Last night we had this:

(I got this recipe during my two week free membership at America's Test Kitchen--it has served me well!)

Creamy Skillet Penne with Sausage and Broccoli
1 lb. hot sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
8 oz. penne pasta (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz. broccoli florets
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP basil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Cook sausage in large nonstick skillet, breaking into pieces until no longer pink. Remove from pan onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Cook onion and bell pepper in sausage fat until softened (if there is a lot, I remove some). Add penne and cook, stirring often, until pasta is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broths and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer stirring occasionally until pasta begins to soften. (8-10 mins.)

Arrange broccoli on top of pasta and continue to cook, covered until broccoli is bright green and tender and pasta is al dente. (about 8 minutes) Remove from heat and add cheese, basil and vinegar. (Yum!)

Everyone loves this (a rare thing at my house. . . ).

FHE treat: Casco 2nds

Sunday's Meal--Pecan Crusted Tilapia (yum!)

This is from a Betty Crocker cook book:

Pecan-Crusted Fish Fillets

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

2 tsp grated lemon peel (we like a little more)

1 egg

1 TBSP milk

1 lb. fish--we always use Tilapia

salt and pepper

butter

Mix pecans, bread crumbs and lemon peel on a plate. Combine milk and egg, whisk until blended. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Dip fish in egg mixture then press into pecan mixture. Cook in buttered fry pan until pecans are lightly toasted. Tent foil over fish to speed cooking time if needed (or use a lid if your skillet has a lid!). It is done when fish flakes easily with fork.

We also had rice, corn on the cob, rolls and fresh strawberries with this meal.