The Best Baked Creamed Spinach

I have never had any of this left over after dinner... this recipe is delicious!

Ingredients:

2 lb of fresh spinach
1 ½ cups of milk (or, if you're without Cups I use two mug fulls of milk)
1 cup of cheese, grated (mozarella and parmesean work beautifully)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
A pinch of Salt, Pepper, and Nutmeg

(Optional- 1 clove minced garlic)

Preparation Instructions:

Trim and wash 2 lb of fresh spinach (a giant bag of spinach... the more the merrier)
Cook until the Spinach wilts
Allow to cool, then squeeze out excess water (really important for the recipe!)
In a saucepan, melt the butter; then add the flour.
Stir until the flour browns (3-4 minutes)
Add the milk; then bring to a boil, stirring constantly
Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Cook for about 5-6 minutes (stirring constantly)
Combine the sauce with the spinach and ½ of grated cheese.
Spoon into a baking dish, then top with the other ½ cup of grated cheddar.

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes- until the cheese turns brown

Molly's Vegan Stuffing

The secret is the mushrooms- which substitute for gizzards.

Ingredients:

• 10 cups 1/2 inch bread cubes from fresh bread (I used 2 day old baguettes)
  
• 2 Tbsp - 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery (3-4 stalks)
• 1 cup Mushrooms, quartered
  
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 - 3 cups vegetable stock OR 3 c. water + 2 veggie bouillon cubes

Stuffing Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a large shallow casserole dish
2. Toast bread cubes in a large baking sheet in the oven until golden brown. Set aside in a large bowl
3. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F
4. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and celery until soft
5. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the veggie mixture to the bowl of bread crumbs
6. Add parsley, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper
7. Stir until until everything is well mixed
8. Gradually add 2 cups vegetable stock and stir until it is absorbed. Add more stock if necessary, the mixture should be moist and clump together, but not soggy
9. Bake covered in a shallow casserole or baking dish for 25 minutes
10. Optional: Uncover and bake another 15 minutes to form a crusty top

Jenjen's Garlic Bread

This is the best garlic bread- no contest.

1/4 c. Olive Oil... or, 3 tbs butter & 3 tbs Olive Oil
4-5 cloves Garlic
Baguette- white bread works best

Finely chop garlic cloves and put in a pan with the oil. Heat up oil and garlic on medium until cloves are barely turning brown. Turn off oil, and allow garlic to cook in the boiling oil- it will turn a light golden-brown color.

Slice bread into small slices, and dip each piece into the oil & garlic mixture- make sure to get the garlic pieces on the bread, it's the best part!

Toast the oiled bread in the oven for about 10 minutes- or, until brown.

Serve, enjoy!

Erin's Enchiladas

My method of cooking involves putting as many veggies in the recipe as possible. Keep that in mind with this Enchilada recipe... lots of Taquerias will put in a couple of onions, or maybe a chile or two but very few will add as many Fajita Vegetables as I like to do.

Enchilada Sauce (from a can, or from my recipe)
Tortillas (8-12)
Cheese
Beans
Vegetables
Meat

Garnish: Sour Cream, Hot Sauce, Salsa, Avocado, Cilantro

Cook beans, vegetables, and any meat (chicken, pork, or beef are traditional) on the stove. Preheat the oven to 350 F or 175 C
In a 9x13 in baking pan put tortillas with beans, veggies, and meat mixture. (Roll each tortilla and put as many in the pan as you can). Drizzle each tortilla with Enchilada Sauce and Cheese.

Bake 20 minutes at 350 F (175 C)
Cool 10 minutes
Serve with Sour Cream, Hot Sauce, Salsa, Avocado, Cilantro garnishes (or really whatever you think sounds good).

Serves 4-5

Roasted Tomato Salsa

This is a basic, and extremely delicious salsa recipe. You can substitute different peppers (Anaheim for Jalapeno for example), or even Mangoes for Tomatoes... it is entirely up to you.

3 Ripe Tomatoes
3-5 cloves of Garlic (unpeeled)
1 large Red or White Onion (cut into quarters)
1-2 Peppers (depending on variety, and how spicy you want it)
Lime Juice
Cliantro (fresh if available)
Olive Oil

Set the oven to 200C or 350 F. Put tomatoes, garlic, onion, and pepper into a dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes, and reduce the heat... you can cook for up to 45 minutes. When the tomato skins blister and crack, you should take the dish out of the oven and allow to cool. Peel skin from tomato, garlic, onion, and pepper (NOTE: wash your hands with COLD water and soap after wards... or wear gloves for this part)
Finely chop all ingredients (tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic, fresh cilantro) and put in a bowl with the juice of 1 lime.
Allow the salsa to set for about an hour, and enjoy!

Burritos- Lunch or Dinner

This is my favorite thing to eat for dinner- mmm burritos. I will refer to other recipes in this blog so kindly follow the link to Fajita Vegetables when I mention it (or do your own thing.... I don't care- just let me know if it turns out good!)

Heat up some beans
Heat up some Fajita Vegetables
Heat up a tortilla (microwave no more than 15 seconds or flip a stack in a frying pan)
Grate Cheese, Cut up an Avocado
Pull out some Salsa or hot sauce
Pull out some Sour Cream

Add a spoonfull of each to your burrito in this order:

Beans, Veggies, Meat, Cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado, Salsa

Tuck ends of the tortilla up, and roll into a burrito shape... ENJOY!

Fajita Vegetables

I use this recipe every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I want vegetables like this in burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, even eggs. You can make one serving (using 1/2 vegetables) or 16 servings (using a lot of vegetables!) It really just depends on what you want to make.

If you want to cook this recipe with meat, start with cubes of chicken, steak, tofu... I find it easiest to cook the protein separate from the vegetables.

Usually I use five or six vegetables. Zucchini, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, & Garlic... but you can add anything that you think sounds good. If you are cooking for one-two cut use half of a vegetable... if you are cooking for more use your judgment.

1. Chop all of your vegetables, but separate them by cooking time.

Tomatoes & Onions go in first ( cook 3-5 minutes before adding Peppers)
Peppers second (cook 2-3 minutes before adding Garlic, Zucchini, Mushrooms)
Garlic, Zucchini, Mushrooms third (cook 5-7 minutes with everything)

2. As you add in Veggies stir occasionally to keep from burning in your pan.
3. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, hot sauce..... etc.