Chicken Enchiladas...and Vegetarian Burritos!

I have not made chicken enchiladas in such a long time that I have almost forgotten about it...not really how to make it, just not thinking about making it. There are so many choices to make for dinner, but I really like to try new and healthy dishes out, instead of the "humdrum" basic things.
Now that I'm feeling a lot better and get the full use of my arm back, I feel so relieved that I can go about my daily routine.
We were worrying about hurricane Irene coming to us in South Florida, but it decided to go towards the East Coast which does not look too good. Reaching all the way up to New York, and Maine.
We are experiencing the heavy winds, and storm, but nothing compared to what tha Bahamas is going through, and now the Carolinas.

Just peeking through my balcony to check the pouring rain on Thursday afternoon, in a matter of minutes you would thing the hurricane was coming through. This poor palm tree lost a few branches from the heavy wind, and for an hour we were getting pummeled with the heavy rainstorm. I was not about to go outside to venture out anywhere! Now it's calm again, but it will start up all over.

If enchiladas is not something you prefer with homemade enchilada sauce, then you might like a burrito filled with refried beans, black beans, chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno, fresh corn shaved from the cob, cheddar, and Colby cheese...and don't forget the sour cream. just heat up, and enjoy. Really delicious and filling!

I love Mission Flour Tortillas, especially the large burrito size. I like to use this for my enchiladas.

The Multi Grain tortilla wraps I used for the burritos, which were really very good!

It's so important to make your own enchilada

sauce...there's nothing like homemade!

Just start out sauteing a chopped onion, chopped garlic in 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, add 2 15 ounce of canned tomatoes 1 vegetable bouillon cube melted in 1/2 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp chili powder salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, a few dashes hot sauce, and cumin.
To thicken the sauce mix 1 Tbsp corn starch added
to 1/2 cup cold water. Add that at the end of simmer time which will take no more than 25 minutes. Stir, let it come to a bubble and turn off heat

Note:
You can leave the tomatoes in chunks when you cook them, or put them int the blender

Also, you can use tomato sauce in place of the canned tomatoes

The chicken, is already cooked (leftover store bought rotisserie chicken breast) flaked and heated up in about 1 cup of chicken broth.

With a tong, dip both sides of the tortilla shell in the sauce, transferred from the pot, to a large skillet.

Put about 1 Tbsp. of the shredded chicken on the dipped tortilla shell, a portion of the shredded cheddar, and Colby cheese.

Roll up as best as you can, and place them side

by side.

When they are all rolled up, add some more sauce
on top, bake in a 350 degree F. oven for about 25
minutes,  add the shredded cheese, and bake for an
additional 20 minutes, until cheese melts and gets
nice, and golden.








Roll up enough tortilla shells filled with chicken, and top with shredded cheese.

For the vegetarian burritos, start out by spreading
refried beans, add black beans, tomatoes, corn,
and last, add shredded cheese, roll up, and place in
vegetable sprayed baking pan, top with cheese and
heat up in a 350 degree F. oven till heated through and cheese melts, for about 25 minutes.

Mango Daiquiri...and 4th of July Weekend!

Just when everybody is planning their 4th of July celebration, I will be all alone for 4th of July. I should feel sad, and bad...but not SO! It will be a relief to spend  that day totally alone. Daughter and family in Italy, son and family will be spending the weekend in South Beach, celebrating their wedding anniversary, and meeting up with relatives...and I will just "chill out" and relax, on Monday.
Not such a bad idea, spending the day house and dog sitting, holding down the fort, as Patty,
 @Patty's Food  mentioned it in my previous post comment.

I'm linking this to: Cookbook Sunday  @Mom's Sunday Cafe

To think I was complaining about not having enough mangos on the tree this year, but the few that mother nature is giving us, is more than enough for mango smoothies, and maybe a few other wonderful desserts, as in mango sorbet, or mango cake...but I opted for the Mango Daiquiri last Sunday, when my ex-hubby, my son, and family was here last Sunday. I was so ambitious to make the special brunch again, but a special refreshing drink addition...Mango Daiquiri. To be perfectly honest, I have not had a daiquiri cocktail of any kind, for over 20 years...seriously, back in the eighties, perhaps. It is so refreshing, I wanted to make strawberry daiquiri, but ended up making strawberry smoothies for my granddaughters. Yumm!

The majestic mango tree, that is at least a half a century old...so regal, so kind...giving us fruit year after year...although this year, not so much but we appreciate every fruit that we can pick up from the ground in the morning...before the squirrels get them and take a big chunk out of the mangos.

Frozen Mango Daiquiri
source: Epicurious

3 oz (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) amber rum

1 1/2 cups (1-inch) cubes of firm-ripe mango (from two 1-lb mangoes), frozen

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 oz (2 tablespoons) triple sec

4 teaspoons superfine granulated sugar

2 cups ice cubes

Preparation:
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Yields: 2 servings

I had no clue as to what type of rum to buy, and decided on a nice amber rum from Barbados. Also, you need Triple Sec to make daiquiris

Just look at the beautiful pitcher of Mango Daiquiri!
Cheers!

My little companions...Lora's doggies...Stella, and Luigi (Lui)...waiting for a treat, perhaps a bite of the home fries

I have still...yet, to give you the recipe for the yummy home fries!

Life isn't so bad...it's what we make of it. Don't feel like you are missing something in life. You would be surprised how good life is, just stop to marvel at nature's beauty...enjoy each day with just the simple things and be happy with yourself, and you will discover a different person, which is YOU!

BTW- I brought my camera cable here to Lora's house and uploaded all my photos to put into my own photo library, so I don't have to wait around to upload them from my computer. Genius! why didn't I think of this before?...except on this computer, there is no Zemanta program...but all is good!