Food.

So I made it my goal to update this blog twice a week, and then I came down with something bad (I still don't know what it was), and I failed to post a second time last week.  So in lieu of last weeks second food post, I thought I would post this picture that I found on the internet, and I thought was adorable! 

I am feeling much better, and anticipate that some soda bread being made soon.  Stay tuned!

Orange Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are the first recipe in my favorite baking cookbook "Baking: From my home to yours" By Dorie Greenspan, and I can not believe that I waited this long to make them.  They were everything a good fruity muffin should be, sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, colorful, moist, and perfect to snack on/ great for breakfast!

I bought most of the ingredients a couple days before and had started making the muffins before I realized that I didn't have buttermilk!  Oopies.  So I looked in the back of the cookbook and Dorie suggests that you use 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup milk for every cup of buttermilk in the recipe.  Thankfully, I had these, so I didn't have to run to the store!

Orange Blueberry Muffins- From Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My home to yours"
Ingredients
1 orange
about 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 T honey
8 T unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 cup blueberries- fresh or frozen (not thawed.)
(I used more blueberries- about a 1/3 cup more)

Directions-
1- Preaheat oven to 400 degrees F, and center an oven rack.
2- Grease a muffin tin, or use paper cups.
3- Zest the orange and mix with the sugar until fragrant.
4- Melt the butter and let cool.
5- Juice the orange and mix with eggs, honey and melted butter.
6- Into the sugar/zest mixture, whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
7- Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, gently but quickly sir to blend- it might be lumpy and thats how it should be!
8- Mix in the blueberries and divide in the muffin cups.
9- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. When the muffins are fully baked the tops will be golden, or a knife or toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean.
Enjoy!

Fajitas

This is a recipe that I grew up on and has always been a family favorite.  My mom got the base for this recipe from a little printed recipe book that is about 6 pages long and the size of a notecard.   These fajitas have been the dinner that I always ask for when I go home, or for special occasions like birthday dinners and graduation.

Fajitas- From my mother's kitchen

Waiting to be cooked!

Ingredients
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp peper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 bell peppers
1 onion

I like to enjoy my fajitas with margaritas- recipe to come

1- Slice the uncooked chicken and place in a tupperware container or a ziplock back and add the ingredients for the marinade.
2- Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (longer is better).
3- Slice the onion and the peppers.
4- Saute the chicken, onions and pepers in a medium skillet, over medium high heat until chicken is cooked (depends on the size of chicken slices you used, I usually slice them about 3/4 inches thick).
5- Serve alone or with any fixings you like!


Serving suggestions
Tortillas
Beans, black or refried
cilantro
lime wedges
cheese, shredded cheddar or queso fresco
olives
tomatoes

Veggie Enchiladas

These are another recipe that I saw on a food blog and wanted to make for a long time, but never got around to, and I am so happy that I kept it on my radar because it was SO good!  It took a little prep time- but I am a slow chopper, so I know that I am the time constraint.

Recipe- Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 tsp. canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. sugar
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

For the filling:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup drained chopped canned green chiles
Salt and pepper

For assembly:
about 20 tortillas (I used both corn and flour because that's what I had!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1- Heat oil for sauce in saucepan over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add onion and cook until softened, roughly five minutes.

2- Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar and cook for 30 seconds.

3- Stir in tomato sauce and water and cook for about 5 minutes.  The sauce should be slightly thicker.

4- Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5- Mash half of the black beans with a fork until smooth and set aside.

6- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

7- Heat oil for filling in large skillet until shimmering and then add chopped onion and bell peppers.  Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.

8- Add chopped zucchini and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

9- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

10- Stir in all beans, mashed and non-mashed, and cook until heated, about 2 minutes.

11- Transfer veggies to a large bowl and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, the queso fresco, cilantro, and green chilies to veggies and mix to combine.

12- To assemble enchiladas, microwave tortillas until you can bend it easily, about 30 seconds, and fill with veggie mix.  Roll and put in 9 x 13 inch baking dish, seam side down.

13- Repeat until all the filling is gone.  Pour the rest of enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas.

14- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over mixture, and cover with tinfoil.

15- Bake for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes more.

Enjoy!

The Final product.  Not the prettiest, but so yummy!