More snow in H-town!!!

Wouldn't this soup be perfect for the cold weather headed back our way?! This recipe comes from Pine Cove's Crier Creek Cookbook. We went there this past October for a CBS retreat!!! We girls had so much fun and the food there was wonderful. This was my first time having lentils, can you believe it?!?! lol... I'm so sad I waited so long. You definitely need to give this recipe a try!

Lentil Soup with Knockwurst

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. knockwurst or kielbasa, sliced in 1/4" thick
2 med. sized carrots, peeled & chopped
1 lg. yellow onion, chopped
1 med. sized stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (I'm sure I used more)
1/4 cup minced parsley (I omitted this)
8 oz. dried lentils (1 1/4 cup) sorted and rinsed
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel (I used mild)
1 whole bay leaf
2 cans beef stock
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat for one minute. Add knockwurst and brown lightly, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Drain on paper toweling, remove all but 1 Tbs. for fat from pan. In the same pan, saute the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and parsley over medium-low heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf, stock, water, knockwurst, salt, pepper, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover anc cook for 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serves 4-6.

Enchilada and Pasta?! What?!?!

Have you ever heard of this craziness? Well, if not - you have to give it a try! I never would have thought of this combination, but it was wonderful. Thanks Melanie for an awesome recipe!!!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half (I omitted this)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

My absolute favorite Go-To-Meal!!!

We first saw Chilaquiles (Chee-lah-KEE-less) on Simply Recipes forever ago, and knew we had to make some. If you hate the mess of rolling up your enchiladas, you are gonna love this recipe!

Chilaquiles - our way

Corn Oil
24 Corn Tortillas, quarter into wedges
Salt
1 lg. and 1 sm. cans of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce, Red and Mild
Garnishes:
Cheddar Cheese
Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco
Crema Mexicana (or just use regular Sour Cream)
Cilantro, chopped
Red Onion, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Avacado, chopped

In a dutch oven, add a good inch or so of corn oil and heat to medium high. When oil is quite hot, add the tortillas, fry until golden brown. Remove tortillas to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Sprinkle a little salt on the tortillas. If not eating right away, you can put the tortillas on a cookie sheet in the oven at 175 degrees. Pour your oil off, and wipe your pan clean of any browned bits of tortillas. Add your enchilada sauce to your pan at medium heat, and cook for several minutes. Add your fried tortilla quarters to the sauce. Gently turn over the pieces of tortilla until they are all well coated. Cook for a few minutes more and keep turning over until the tortillas become soft. Remove from heat, and now it's time to add the garnishes of your choice! Serves:4

* I made this for Bunko (12 ladies), and did 60 corn tortillas, and 4 large and 1 small cans of enchilada sauce.