See, I Really Am Back!!! Throw Together Enchiladas

Enchiladas.

I always feel like enchiladas are something I need a recipe for. They sort of scare me. Not the actual eating them but making them always sounds like such a big deal. But I found out, I was wrong!

I was at a friends for a playdate (don't worry, I had kids with me) and while I was there she was getting her dinner ready for that night. She was making enchiladas. And she had no recipe. In fact, she was just putting left overs together and they looked delicious. I decided that if she could do it so could I.

So I thought that I would do it. The next day. And they were AMAZING!

I'm so glad that I wrote down what I was doing as I was doing it because they turned out so good that I knew I had to share. I kind of can't believe that I have another recipe that I made up myself  (with a little inspiration). Maybe I really am back!

I hope so!

Throw Together Enchiladas - Kaycee Style

(oh, and my photos suck...sorry)

This is how I began:

Prepare 2 cups of rice (I was in a hurry so I used my emergency supply of minute rice)

While your rice is cooking get out your best pan for some sautéing fun...

Sauté: (Remember these are 'throw together' so use the veggies that your family likes)

1 Onion

a handful of Sliced Mushrooms

1 clove of Garlic

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 cup of Broccoli in small bite-sized pieces

When all of the above vegggies are soft and smelling amazing add:

1 can of Diced Tomatoes

1 cup of Puréed Pumpkin (I think that this is what made the enchiladas so good. The sweetness of the pumpkin cut the acidity of the tomato and it was good!)

A sprinkle of Mrs. Dash, and Salt and Pepper

Grate some cheese (I used Cheddar) while this all simmers together in goodness.

Find your wraps. Did you know there were wraps involved? There are!

Putting it all together:

Lay out your first wrap.

Add a spoonful or two of rice.

Add some of your sautéed veggies on top.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Wrap up and put it into a greased casserole dish seam side down.

Continue with the rest of your ingredients until your dish is full. If there are any remaining veggies (there should be) cover your enchiladas and then sprinkle with more cheese. (if you don't have any extra veggies then probably throw some spaghetti sauce of salsa over the wraps just to keep them from drying out)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

Eat and be happy!

We liked these so much that I didn't get a pretty picture of this at all but there is a picture at least!

Click Here

I'm back...and I hope for good!

I'm really sorry.

I have been so bad at posting since moving this past summer that it is pathetic. To be honest, I have not only been bad at posting but I've been torrible (Hazels word for completely awful, she mixed 'horrible' and 'terrible' and I think its quite genius) and even cooking. I have plenty of excuses. I drive everyone in my family around like crazy. That is my main excuse. And the sad thing is that back in Ontario even when I had no time I still found time to cook but here I have had a really hard time trying to get into any routine at all that involves cooking.

Don't worry, I spend plenty of time in my kitchen but it feels so much less like something I love even though I'm in a way more efficient kitchen and it should be. I just need to get myself into a routine and everything else will fall into place.

And this is starting to happen which is maybe why tonight I was able to whip up a fabulous (though I used some cheating ingredient) vegetarian meal that EVERYONE loved and was perfect for a minus bazillion degree winter night.

Kaycee's Ravioli Casserole

Ok, I first have to again admit...I used cheat ingredients for me. I used a packaged sauce mix and that feels like a cheat. sorry... :(

2 packages of fresh (but frozen) vegetarian Ravioli. Ours was stuffed with spinach and cheese. YUM!

1 package of Knorr Parma-Rosa pasta sauce

Fresh Broccoli

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Bread Crumbs

So, since I only had a few minutes between getting Hazel off the bus and leaving to pick Aaron up at work I had to think about how I was going to have dinner ready when I got back. I knew I wanted to do Ravioli with Parma Rosa Pasta sauce but I also knew if I made the pasta before I left it would be dry and really not as good as if I just made it right before I put it on the table. I also knew I was already hungry and that I needed to have dinner ready when we walked in the door so I couldn't even make the sauce ahead and then do the 5 minute pasta...so, what to do.

Quite a predicament.

Ok, so this is what I did and it turned out to be delicious and such a perfect dish for a cold winter night. Comfort food.

Put the frozen pasta into a baking dish.

Cut up your raw broccoli into bite sized pieces and add it to the baking dish.

Prepare your sauce mix according to the direction on the package EXCEPT add an extra cup of milk.

Once the sauce is ready pour it over the pasta and broccoli. Cover the top with grated cheese followed by a sprinkling of bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve immediately with a side of salad.

Now, as a side note. I know that this is not the cheapest meal but I lucked out at the grocery store last week. I went to get some fresh pasta and there was a whole pile on 50% off because they were at their expiry date. I bought them all and threw them into my freezer. Look for deals like this, they are most likely to be found if you can get to the store first thing in the morning. Good Luck!

And please send me your recipes so I can continue to get back to cooking good food to share with you!

Click Here

Enough sticky rice for everyone!

How do your kids feel about rice? Mine can take it or leave it. It mostly ends up ion my floor where I wait until the next day to sweep it up when its good and dry and crunchy. Much less work.

My sister is, or can be at times, a sticky rice girl. She has the fancy bamboo steamer and will make a batch just to eat. I must admit this is great fun.  

Have you ever had sticky rice? And by this I mean actual sticky rice and not just rice that is sticky? What's the difference? Sticky rice is a whole variety of rice altogether. It isn't just rice that was cooked in too much water and became a clump of rice glob which is of course very sticky. It sticks to itself but isn't messy. You can ball it up, dip it in sauce and have a nice little snack. It is so so good. And you don't have to wash your hands afterward. 

I've been wanting to get a bamboo sticky rice bowl for a few years now but never really think about it enough that I have gone to get one. Until today. I'm not sure what prompted it but I decided that today was our Sticky Rice Day. I went to a little Asian Grocery store and came out with a brand new bamboo steamer. 

It was SO fun to use and so easy. I steamed some Broccoli (which turned out perfect) and sticky rice at the same time. Lovely. The kids LOVED it. I let them eat it with their fingers and clump it into balls then pop it in their mouths. Hazel asked if she could have some in her lunch at school and Nigel ate every bite. 

This is a new favorite kitchen toy for me. And as for sticky rice? I think we will be eating a lot of it!

Steamed Sticky Rice

1 cup of Sticky Rice (aka Sweet Rice or Glutinous Rice)

Soak rice for at least 2 hours. Fill a wok or deep frying pan with water and boil on high. When water reaches a rolling boil turn down to low-med. low. Place bamboo steamer in the water for 15-20 minutes or until rice is  translucent. Remove steamer from water. Serve.

(You can also make this without a bamboo steamer; I'm just a sucker for cool kitchen gadgets. If you have a steamer stock pot that will be fine. Place a layer of cheese cloth, lettuce, wax paper or something on the bottom. This is to keep the rice from falling through. Place soaked rice in the pot. Place pot on the base of boiling water. Steam until translucent. Easy.)

Click Here