Green Chile Soup
A favorite of mine. It’s a basic recipe that can be dressed to your taste or served in the basic form. Another great tasting soup to enjoy this winter!
Meat or Meatless Lasagna Rolls
Lasagna with a new look. Meat or Meatless, this is perfect! Bake the Lasagna Rolls straight up for an impressive look or seam side down for a sauce drenched variation. There’s just a bit of cooking for the meat filling before baking. This is just one of those dishes I have fun with … often preparing differently each time. Make it your own … fill with your favorites.
Drunken Pasta
You must love pasta and wine to enjoy this recipe! And someone who is visiting me does! (Secretly, I do too.) Years ago I was flipping through a magazine and came across a similar recipe by Rachael Ray. My first thought … how could that taste good! I wasn’t into wine and it just had so few ingredients. I gave it a try way back when. It was good … very good! This is totally a knock off with a touch of Rachael Ray. Enjoy!
Be sure and use your best ingredients! No cheap (value) dry red wine or extra virgin olive oil please.
Taco Soup
Mostly Vegetarian or Totally if you use vegetable broth. Another easy quick soup to put together! Especially satisfying when the temps outside dip to freezing.
Other Soups You May Enjoy
Tortilla Soup with Ground Beef
Instant Chicken Tortilla Soup
Our Family Tradition
Estrada’s Spanish Kitchen in Visalia has long gone but the beautiful memories will last forever. We’re always in search of Estrada’s recipes or the taste-alike version. This enchilada sauce recipe is exact in taste ‘though we’ve been informed no chocolate was used in the original. We’ll never know for sure since all is secret. Whether you’re a part of this history or not you’ll love this enchilada sauce.
If you need help building your enchiladas after you make the sauce here is an easy step by step.
Continue reading for Estrada’s taste-alike recipes. You’ll love them as much as we do! A promise.
Mushroom Burgers Or ‘Meatballs’
I’m a bit of an on again off again Vegetarian. Call me a Flexitarian! There are certain meats I can’t resist. And well, dairy? … My family came from dairymen! My first try at Vegetarianism came in the 70’s. Recipes were few back then, or at least eatable ones, and usually had too many ingredients to be practical. I remember my first try at a Vegetarian meatloaf. I can guarantee that meatloaf recipe was the most uneatable dish I have ever cooked up. Why was I even trying to mimic meat in the first place? Here I’m again turning a meat recipe into a vegetable one, actually a fungus. Portobello mushrooms have a meaty taste and texture and are the perfect choice for this recipe. BTW, they’re just an older white or brown mushroom. It just depends on what you’re trying to achieve with a mushroom burger recipe. I just love the taste of mushrooms, any mushrooms young or old.
Vermont Maple Syrup Baked Apples
Vermont is one of my favorite places this time of year. So this recipe just seems fitting! Yep, for this recipe I use pure maple syrup from Vermont, one of the only three ingredients. When ingredients are few you opt for the very best! I must admit I’ve never been to Vermont except through the stories of a very close friend and the many movies with Vermont as the backdrop. And who hasn’t heard Willie Nelson’s version of Moonlight in Vermont.
Enjoy this really simple dessert or breakfast that makes up in minutes for a crowd or just one. BTW, World Market has quite an assortment of pure maple syrups. I haven’t ordered from here yet but check out The Vermont Country Store. Looks amazing!
Chai Spice Almond Biscotti
If you’re not into biscotti for the same reason I haven’t been over the years then you haven’t tried these. All biscotti are not equal. This homemade version is so good you’ll want to gift a sampler to your special friends … Or maybe not! I had some expert help from Michael Chiarello or at least was influenced by a once baked biscotti cookie recipe of his. But true to the biscotti my recipe is twice baked. Instead of anise seed I used chai spices, here. I just happened to have some gray salt from Chiarello’s store (now closed?) in Yountville, California. And if you’re looking for crystallized sugar try here.
Potato Soup Recipes
It’s that time of year!
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Sweet yellow onion-diced
4 Medium white potatoes-cubed, the larger you make the cube the longer the cooking time
8 Ounces green beans-ends removed and broken into bite size pieces, frozen cut green beans in a pinch
Whole milk to cover over the top of the vegetables
Salt and Pepper to taste
2-3 thin slices of bacon
1/2 yellow onion-diced, no big pieces please
2 Jalapeños-diced (optional)
1/4 Cup butter
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth (low sodium, low fat or not)
2 Russet Potatoes-peeled and cubed (thickens the soup)
4 Red potatoes-scrubbed and cubed (maintains texture even after cooking for long periods)
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Cup Half and Half (or 4% or 2% milk)
3/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Amazingly simple and tasty. For complete recipes …
Great Thanksgiving Sides & More
1. Apple Cranberry Chutney 2. Stuffed Mini Pumpkins 3. Beet & Arugula Salad 4. Country Green Beans
5. Portuguese Greens 6. Italian Mac-N-Cheese 7. Sautéed Green Beans 8. Macaroni & Cheese
9. Shredded Potatoes 10. Chopped Salad 11. Portuguese Peas 12. Dijon Potatoes with Green Beans
13. Roasted Red Potatoes 14. Cheese Potatoes 15. Standing Rib Roast 16. Au Gratin Potatoes
17. Tenderloin Roast 18. Turkey Alcatra