Chicken and kale enchiladas

I adapted this recipe from Barbells and Bellinis--in fact, I adapted it so much, I needed to rewrite it entirely. I made it with ingredients I had on hand. No guarantee I'll ever be able to repeat! My recipe made an 8x8 pan of enchiladas.

For the filling...

Saute kale (I had about 2 cups) in olive oil. Toss with 1-1/4 cup Mexican chicken (a staple in my freezer). Saute half of a large onion (again in olive oil) and add to the mix. Stir in about 1/2 cup cheese (your pick).

Meanwhile, for the top...

Saute 5 chopped roma tomatoes in (you guessed it) olive oil. Season with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and a generous amount of chili powder. Let the liquid cook down on a lower temperature while you roll the enchiladas.

Spread the bottom of an 8x8 pan with salsa verde (another staple I keep on hand). Divide the filling among six tortillas. Roll and place seam side down in the dish. I place a small saucepan lid on the top if they try to unroll.

Smother the enchiladas with sauce. I placed the tomato sauce that I concocted over half the pan and salsa verde over the other half, so that each enchilada is half red, half green.

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese, and bake another 5-10 minutes. I used queso fresca and mozzarella--you can pick whatever cheese you like. I was very hungry, so I clipped the initial baking time by about ten minutes.

Feeds 4 people (1-1/2 enchiladas apiece). Goes well with salad and Spanish rice.

Stuffed peppers with sausage

In all my cooking years, I have stuffed peppers with hamburger (etc.), and I've always eaten them with ketchup. Or basted them with some kind of Italian sauce. These peppers are yummy just the way they pop out of the oven. And I don't precook the peppers. Whoopee, simplicity!

1 c. cooked rice or quinoa
2 large green bell peppers
1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
8 oz. sausage, browned (I usually keep cooked sausage in the freezer, for just this kind of recipe)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. crushed oregano
salt & pepper
1/4 c. shredded mozzarella

Cut off the tops of the peppers and clean out the seeds. Dice the pepper tops. Sauté onion and pepper tops in olive oil. I sometimes throw in some diced carrot. It's pretty, and I like carrot. Stir sausage and seasonings into skillet. Place peppers in a small casserole dish and stuff with skillet contents. I always have some filling leftover, so I scoop it into a ramekin or small oven-proof bowl and bake it along with the peppers. I like that kind of thing for a lunch when I'm home alone.

Bake peppers at 375 for 30 minutes. Top with mozzarella and bake an additional 10 minutes. Complete dinner in one dish!

Serves 2-ish.

Ham and Spinach Lasagna

This recipe does not have any tricky elements, although there are several steps and pans involved. It is one of my favorites because it is so unique. No, my kids don't eat it (I knew you would ask).

6 lasagna noodles
10-oz. package of frozen spinach
2 c. milk
2 T. cornstarch
1 T. dried minced onion (or a tsp. onion powder)
1-1/2 c. diced ham
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. mozzarella

Cook six lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

Heat spinach in microwave for 2 minutes to thaw.

Heat milk, cornstarch, and dried onion over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly (pretty much). Cook two minutes more.

Place 2 tablespoons sauce on bottom of 11x7 pan. Stir Italian seasoning and ham into remaining sauce. Place 3 noodles in bottom of 11x7 pan. Cover with 1/3 sauce, all of spinach, all of cottage cheese, and half of the mozzarella.

Next: three more noodles, remaining sauce and mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

You can freeze this after it is baked and just thaw and reheat later. Six servings.

Sweet Pepper Skillet

I love the concept of using what I have, which is where this recipe springs from. I often have a lot of sweet peppers about, and my family just doesn't munch them fast enough. Therefore, to use them up, I throw them in the skillet with other handy veggies and voilà, a dinner is born. Great for summer weather when you don't want to use the oven.

To make this skillet, I have quantified my ingredients per person. If you are cooking for two, use two of everything. If you are cooking for five, multiply by five. All recipes are just standards to depart from, right? But this one is like a lesson in how to make a good dinner. My mind immediately conjures up substitutions that would also make a lovely meal. Please share if you have any yummy alterations!

1 T. olive oil*
1 slice onion
1 clove garlic
1-2 small sweet peppers, any color, but a variety is nice
1/4 c. cooked chicken**
1/2 c. washed spinach
1/4 tsp. ground sage
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
dash pepper
salt to taste
1/2 c. cooked quinoa or rice

Heat oil. Sauté onion, garlic, and peppers until soft and a little brown. Toss in chicken and seasonings. Stir. Toss in spinach and stir until wilted. Serve with rice or quinoa (which I sometimes stir in at the end, just for simplicity).

*I would imagine you could use coconut oil, but I haven't tried yet.
**I keep cooked chicken in the freezer all the time, diced in 1 or 2 cup measurements, for just such a recipe as this.