Thanks giving is here. I've done my share of cooking. Enchilada is my main dish and I have done a few other easy dishes. Here are the dishes and tips that might be helpful to you...
Pumpkin pie: I used the winter squash I grew from my own garden. The key ingredient (besides the squash) is Condensed milk. This will give the pumpkin pie the right consistency. I also used freshly ground nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon for my spices. Bake the pie at 425 degree for 15 minutes, and reduce to 325 degree and bake for another 45 minutes.
Cheese Cake: I put cream cheese, sugar in my Cuisinart food processor, process until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time while continuing blending, add flour for thickening add a dash of freshly grounded nutmeg and vanilla. Keep blending until the mixture is very smooth. Pour all in a preformed pie crust. Bake at 325 degree oven for 1 hr. or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
To make a smooth top, blend together sour cream, powdered sugar and a little cream cheese, make a thick slurry, pour on top of the cheese cake and bake for another 15 minutes.
Enchilada: This is not a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but it's my contribution to a family get together. I first cooked up 3 lb. beef (cheap cuts) with: California chili powder, New Mexico chili powder, a dash of dried mustered, onion powder, garlic powder, a cube of tomato flavored chicken bouillon, a few (4-5) whole cloves, some chopped onions and tomatoes and 1/2 C. of vegetable oil. Cover dish with foil, bake at 325 degrees for 2.5 hours or until meat is tender. Cool the meat.
#Prepare tortillas. I use corn tortillas. Cook tortillas on a frying pan with a little oil until they become soft and pliable. Fill each corn tortilla with beef roll it up and place in a baking dish.
#Making the enchilada sauce: Pour 1 T oil in a frying pan, add chopped jalapeno pepper, chopped tomato and garlic. Cook until they turn soft. Add water, Mexican oregano, cumin and salt to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil. Use a submersible blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
Pour sauce over the prepared tortilla. Cover it with cheese (I use a blend of cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
What's next...oh
Brown rice salad: This is a really fast and easy recipe and everyone loves it! Cook the brown rice in a rice cooker. (Put in 1.5 times as much water as you would white rice, the rice cooker will know when to stop cooking). After the rice is done, add olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped onion, chopped green onion, chopped parsley, chopped garlic and finely chopped almonds, salt and pepper to taste. You may add other fillers to the salad.
Cheesy Bread Sticks: I always make these delicious cheesy bread sticks and serve them with my Basil Tomato Butter (see below).In a cup, add 1 C. water, 1 t. dry yeast, 1/2 C. flour. Stir to blend. Let it stand overnight. Day 2: in the mixture, add 1 T. dry yeast, 1 C. warm water, 1 t. salt and a dash of sugar, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Let the dough stand until doubled. Roll the dough on a floured board. Brush the flattened dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Sprinkle with a generous amount of shredded Parmesan cheese. Cut it into strips with a pizza cutter. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
Tomato Basil Butter:
2 C. fresh basil, 1 can of 6-oz. tomato paste, 1 stick of butter (room temperature), 4 cloves of garlic, salt to taste. Finely chop basil, garlic, and salt. In a bowl, mix tomato paste, butter and finely chopped garlic and basil mixture. Blend with a rubber spatula until smooth. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Great for fresh baked bread, sandwiches. Especially good for making leftover turkey sandwich.
