Pesto

We have a basil plant growing in our backyard.  It did exceptionally well this year, growing quite tall and full.  We've been talking about making pesto out of it for the last few days, because we haven't really been using it for anything else and we wanted to make sure to use it before it started to die.  I used a recipe from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  I halved the recipe because I only ended up with 1.5 cups of basil from my plant.  Funny how it looked like a lot more until I actually measured it!

3 cups Basil, packed
4 Garlic Cloves
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup Pine Nuts, toasted
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Place the basil and garlic into a food processor and mince well.  Add the pine nuts, continuing to blend until they are ground.  With the food processor going, drizzle in the olive oil.  When you have reached the consistency of a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Southwestern Breakfast Burritos

Coaching will be starting soon, and practices are bright and early.  I wanted to make a hearty breakfast that I could keep in the freezer and warm up as I'm walking out the door.  I saw these on Joelen's Culinary Adventures and they looked exactly like what I was looking for.  I'm usually not a big fan of meat, but for some reason, I love breakfast sausage with eggs and cheese!

1 pound Pork Sausage
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Onion, diced
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, to taste
6 Flour Tortillas (burrito sized)
1 cup Taco Cheese, shredded

Crumble sausage in a medium skillet and cook until browned.  Add the onions and peppers, cooking until softened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs and season with taco seasoning and salt and pepper, as desired.  Cook the eggs in a hot skillet and scramble.  Add the eggs to the sausage and pepper mixture.  Toss to combine and allow the mixture to cool.  Heat the flour tortillas, according to package directions, to make them pliable.  Place a desired amount of cheese on one side of the tortilla.  Top with some of the sausage and egg mixture.  Carefully roll the tortilla up in a burrito fashion.  Wrap the burrito in foil and place in a gallon size freezer bag.

When ready to eat, cook the burritos from frozen.  In a 350 degree oven, heat the foil wrapped burrito for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Or, remove the burrito from the foil, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot.

Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe on Elizabeth's Edible Experience. I've already made it several times before, and it quickly became a favorite of ours! I even made them for my parents and us as freezer meals. I find that 4-5 enchiladas fit perfectly in a foil pie tin. Serve this with a side of spanish rice and/or beans and you have a delicious mexican feast!

4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup Sour Cream

2 cans Enchilada Sauce

2 cups Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

2 cups Cooked Chicken, shredded (a Rotisserie Chicken works well)

1 small can Diced Green Chilies

1 cup canned Corn Kernels (I have used both frozen and canned, I can't tell the difference)

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 Scallions, thinly sliced

12-14 Soft Flour or Corn Tortillas (small 6-8 inches)

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce then stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.

In a second bowl, toss together the chicken, corn, chilies, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and half the scallions.

Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Spray the bottom of a baking dish with non-stick spray and spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the pan. Lay the tortilla shell flat and brush it with some enchilada sauce to moisten. (*I find the corn tortillas to be slightly less pliable. If you have a gas stove, put the burner on low and lay the shell on it to warm up, making it easier to roll up)

Place about 1/3 cup of filling into the tortilla shell and carefully roll it up. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat these steps with the remaining tortilla shells. When they have all been rolled, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle the top with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle the cooked enchiladas with the remaining scallions and serve warm.