I love to cook. It is like painting, or writing music to create something that people enjoy so much. Problem is, I immensely dislike the cleaning up part. I am probably not alone in that though, am I? With the heat of summer at full blast, cooking and baking have been on the * back burner* so to speak. But yesterday we installed the other two a/c units, and the house was nicely comfortable.
Last evening I found myself in * creative * mode. I had bought some plums on Thursday to make Plum Chutney, and I realized that the squishiness of the plums demanded my attention NOW. So out came the recipe

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Plum Chutney with Cinnamon & Coriander

6 cups chopped purple or red plums
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped prunes or dried apricots
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp dried chili flakes
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp coriander seeds
shredded fresh ginger, optional
green peppercorns, optional

Prepare the preserving jars.

Combine all the ingredients in your preserving pot. Bring to a
boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat
to medium and simmer, stirring often, for 45-70 minutes, until the
chutney is thick enough to mound on a spoon.

Remove from the heat. Ladle the chutney into hot, sterilized jars,
leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the rims clean. Seal according
to manufacturers directions. Process the jars in aboiling water
bath for 10 minutes.
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and about 2 hours later I have 5 1/2 jars * the half jar is in the fridge * of preserved and tasty chutney. This means next week I HAVE to make some Samosas! We love Samosas and it is has been a long time since we have had them.
Today I am making enchiladas. Hubby needs to run to the store to grab some corn and flour tortillas as I just don’t have the energy to make all the ones we would need to make a big ole pan of enchiladas! Through trial and error I now have an AWESOME enchilada recipe. I happen to be one of those cooks that never measures stuff and 99% of the time it turns out wonderfully. I guess it is because I have cooked so much. Being that my mother has worked in restaurants my entire life, I suppose it comes natural! I remember going to the restaurant where she was a manager so often that I could cook the meals as well as any of the cooks, knew the menus as well as any of the waitresses and ate there more often than any of the customers!
So tonight’s supper * and several other meals this week * is enchiladas. I will freeze some of the enchiladas in freezer trays for quick suppers and meals when I don’t feel * creative *. But tonight… it’s a Festival!

Kathie

Kathie’s Enchilada Basics
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I generally start with about 3 pounds of ground beef. That will make a LOT of enchiladas. You can cut the recipe in half easily as this is a * measure as you go * recipe.

3 lbs ground beef or cubed or sliced steak in small pieces
3 packets of McCormick’s * or similar * chili seasoning
1 large onion, minced
1 large can pureed tomatoes, or chopped peeled tomatoes, whichever you prefer
2 TB olive or peanut oil
beef broth or beef consume’, enough to cover beef in pan
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese * I personally like a jack sharp cheddar combination *
Jar of prepared salsa
~2 tsp cumin
~2 tsp garlic * minced *
hot sauce or chopped hot peppers to taste
corn and/or flour tortillas

I use a large pot that has a nonstick coating. Use your favorite cookpot that has a heavy bottom that will hold all the ingredients with room for bubbling.
Saute’ the minced onion and garlic in the olive oil on low heat until the onions are soft. Added the beef, cover with the beef broth, 1/2 of the large can of tomatoes, add the packets of chili seasoning
and the cumin. Cook this over medium heat until the beef starts breaking up * keep working at it with a wooden spoon or metal spoon or spatula until the meat is all in small pieces * unless you are using sliced beef, which of course is already that way *. This is easier to stuff the enchiladas with and easier to eat, also. When this comes to a nice bubbling, turn the heat down and cook this until most of the water is evaporated and all that is left is the meat with a nice thick * sauce * to it. You want it wet, but not running and not dry.
If your beef had a lot of fat in it and you want this drained off, before you add your cheese, take ice cubed and drop them one at a time in to the top of the beef. The ice will cool the fat off and you can skim it right off the top. It will heat up again in no time.
While you are finishing this up, take the remaining tomatos and add salsa to them in a pan to heat thru. You may need more tomatoes then you have left, but it depends on how generous you are with this. I usually add 1 part salsa, to one part tomatoes. You want a thinned down salsa, basically. Season this with some hot peppers and Mmmmm. Or not. Your preference.
Add the cheese and mix thoroughly, and now it is time to stuff the tortillas. My favorite by far are the corn, but the flour are tasty too!
Warm each tortilla up on a nonstick pan, or heavy cast iron pan with a bit of oil to soften it. I do two, prepare the enchiladas, then warm two more up.
Put enough filling in each enchilada to allow it to be rolled from each side, then place the enchilada in a pan fold down. Do this until your baking dish is full, then spread the enchiladas with the tomato/salsa mixture, and sprinkel more shredded cheese on top. put this in the oven long enough to melt the cheese and SERVE em hot! Serve with sour cream, guacamole, more salsa, hot peppers..all your favorite Tex-Mex goodies.
Your don’t have to heat the enchiladas in the oven. You can roll em, and serve em. We prefer them with melty cheese. You pick your preference!
I often prepare this ahead of time and freeze it in those little black TV dinner trays that we all hate to throw away. Those are the PERFECT size for a couple of enchiladas for a fast supper or lunch.

Let me know if you try this ! It is a recipe we really enjoy. Simple, tasty and a family favorite.


Kathie